Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Google TV Announced With Intel, Sony, and Logitech

Posted by timothy on from the you-like-dexter-and-barney dept.

MojoKid writes "Google's own I/O conference in California is wrapping up today, but not before the company goes out with a serious bang. Google just announced something that has been rumored for a while now: Google TV. Basically, Google is taking the Apple TV concept, but going way overboard by introducing apps, screen customization, and channel searching. Following Google's own announcement, Intel stepped in to provide some backbone to the story. Google is obviously using the big players to move Google TV forward, with Intel, DISH Network, Best Buy, and Adobe firmly on board. Google TV itself is based on Android, runs the Google Chrome browser, and will allow users to access all of their usual TV channels as well as a world of Internet and cloud-based information and applications, including Adobe Flash-based content."

10 of 224 comments (clear)

  1. Google TV by sopssa · · Score: 1, Informative

    It's going to be open sourced, but I seriously hope they can include drivers for the TV hardware or even some generic drivers. Android for mobile phones being open source is useless because you cannot get drivers for any of the hardware, so you cannot actually use your modifications with your device. That defeats the purpose.

    I hope it also doesn't integrate too much with Google's or anyone else's Internet services. Make it work with those, but also provide an easy way to disable all such things.

    Other than that, it could be a really interesting TV. Currently I have to stream content from my PC to my PS3 which then shows it in the TV. My PS3 media center has to transcode most of the content on-the-fly. Since this is linux-based Android it means you could have xmbc-like application and everything along those lines directly on your TV, with great networking capabilities. If you can also make your own changes and builds of the Android OS for it, we can install even more suitable OS for us geeks.

    1. Re:Google TV by dave420 · · Score: 5, Informative

      They have developed an IP-based method of communicating with the TV hardware itself. That will be open-sourced, along with the rest of it, in 2011. It combines internet media with traditional TV channels, seamlessly. I watched the stream, and it looked pretty interesting. How many adverts they can throw at you, however, remains to be seen.

    2. Re:Google TV by Red+Flayer · · Score: 4, Informative

      They have developed an IP-based method of communicating with the TV hardware itself.

      Not so fast, there... they've developed an IP-based method of communicating with special software/hardware that needs to be integrated into production TVs for us to use it, to which Sony has already committed. You'll need to buy a new TV to take advantage of it, or perhaps there will be an option to buy a set-top box.

      In short, this just puts a limited functionality web browser with a custom interface in your TV. For most of us geeks, it's inferior to the setups we already have... But for my mom, for example, this would be great. With GoogleTV, she can view all the LOLcats she wants from the comfort of her living room sofa.

      --
      "Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
    3. Re:Google TV by ircmaxell · · Score: 4, Informative

      First off, they are launching (Logitech) a set top box along side the Sony TV.

      Secondly, I'd suggest actually looking into it. It looks quite powerful and packs a lot more than I think you're giving credit for. It's not just a browser on the TV... Check this out: http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/20/live-from-the-google-i-o-2010-day-2-keynote/

      --
      If a man isn't willing to take some risk for his opinions, either his opinions are no good or he's no good
  2. Re:Mainstream by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Probably 90% of people on Slashdot have a computer hooked up to their TV, one way or another.

    Define "a computer." Most DVRs contain pretty much all the components of a modern day computer ... even those distributed by Cox or Comcast.

  3. Link? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    The link in the story goes to someplace called hothardware. Where's the link to google tv? Ok, here http://www.google.com/tv.

  4. Re:Mainstream by diegocg · · Score: 3, Informative

    Well, googletv is able to do more things than what I do with my computer hooked up to my TV. You can google for tv shows, choose the best choice, press a button, and googletv will sintonize the channel automatically (or show a GUI to record the show in the future). Goodbye, channel numbers! I don't know if there're other "media centers" that can do this, but it looked pretty amazing to me.

  5. Re:US-only or international? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Logitech's detail page says that it is US only:

    Q: What will I need to make it work?

    A: All you need is a broadband Internet connection and a TV with an HDMI input. To take full advantage of the content search, you’ll need a satellite or cable set-top box with an HDMI output as well. And, for now, you’ll need to reside in the United States.

    http://www.logitech.com/en-us/1007/7140?WT.ac=gtv|7099|BannerGetTheDetails

  6. Re:Mainstream by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    I'm guessing sintonize is actually syntonize. It's often used in French to explain "changing channels to" certain content.

  7. Re:Mainstream by yurtinus · · Score: 3, Informative

    Oh what we would give for a -1 Pedantic moderation...

    In the given context he pretty clearly means "general purpose computer" versus a special purpose device. Of course, who am I to argue with geeks and our need to be right about *something* regardless how little anybody else cares. Obviously I cared enough to respond... :P

    --
    +1 Disagree