Google TV: everything you ever wanted to know
By Nilay Patel 
posted May 21st 2010 5:56PM
posted May 21st 2010 5:56PM
The basic facts
Google TV isn't a single product -- it's a platform that will eventually run on many products, from TVs to Blu-ray players to set-top boxes. The platform is based on Android, but instead of the Android browser it runs Google's Chrome browser as well as a full version of Flash Player 10.1. That means Google TV devices can browse to almost any site on the web and play video -- Hulu included, provided it doesn't get blocked. It also means that Google TV devices can run almost all Android apps that don't require phone hardware. You'll still need to keep your existing cable or satellite box, however -- most Google TV devices won't actually have any facility for tuning TV at launch, instead relying on your existing gear plugged in over HDMI to do the job. There's a lot of potential for clunkiness with that kind of setup, so we'll have to see how it works in person.
All Google TV devices will have remotes with some form of QWERTY keyboard, and you'll be able to use Android phones as remotes as well. Using an Android phone opens up some extremely intriguing possibilities, like searching for content using Google Voice Search and navigating by gesture, but it's not clear how deep the integration between Android on Google TV and Android on phones will be at launch.
Partners
Google's not going into the living room alone -- the company's launching Google TV with an impressive array of partners, each of whom has a different spin on the platform. Here's the list:
- Sony plans to build BRAVIA Internet TVs and Blu-ray players that run the platform, all expected to launch this fall.
- Logitech is building a Google TV "companion box" that can control your entire A/V rack using Harmony technology, using and Android phone or an iPhone as the remote.
- Dish Network was actually the beta test partner, but we don't specifically know what its plans are -- there's no hardware right now, and Google demoed the platform using a custom IP protocol to control a Dish receiver. We're guessing that means there's no custom hardware coming, but look for Google TV-ready Dish boxes sometime in the fall as well.
- Adobe's obviously building Flash 10.1 for the platform.
- Intel's making the Atom CE4100 chip that's used in all these devices -- it's actually kind of a burner. More on it later on.
- Best Buy has partnered to sell Google TV devices in its stores, so there's going to be a big retail push.
Launch dates
Google TV devices will be coming this year: Sony says it'll have Internet TVs and Blu-ray players in the fall, and Dish Network has made similar statements about supporting the platform around then, although with less specificity about hardware. We're not entirely sure when Logitech will be releasing its companion box, as the unit we saw was obviously not final, but we'd still expect it to launch around the holidays. Obviously this whole thing hinges on Adobe getting the final version of Flash 10.1 for Android out the door on time in June, so we'll have to keep an eye on that as well -- if that slips, there's a chance this whole thing could fall behind. But with Best Buy lined up to make a holiday retail push, there's plenty of pressure for everyone involved to get their ducks in a row and get shipping.
Although Google TV has a regular tiles-based homescreen that allows you to drop directly into apps and content, the most important interface element is exactly what you'd expect from Google: a search box. Just like TiVo's Swivel Search, search results from a variety of content sources are displayed as soon as you start typing -- entering "30 Rock" will bring up not only the next few episodes of the show on TV but also past episodes available to stream from Hulu, NBC, Netflix and other providers, as well as related content from YouTube and similar sites. These unified listings are a big part of how Google's trying to harmonize web content with TV content -- the idea is to divorce the content from the source, so it doesn't matter to the end user where it's coming from.
Google's laid out a series of baseline hardware specifications for the Google TV platform, which every piece of gear will share. The heart of the system is the Intel Atom CE4100, which launched at IDF last year. It's an Atom-based SoC with some additional silicon for decoding dual 1080p video stream, MPEG-4 support, and 3D graphics capabilities. That's joined by some custom DSPs, and things like WiFi, HDMI, and Bluetooth are all required.
Although Sony's said it will launch a line of BRAVIA TVs and Blu-ray players later this year, the only piece of Google TV hardware we've gotten to play with is the Logitech companion box, which adds in Harmony universal remote capabilities. That's not to say you'll need an expensive Harmony remote to control it, but rather that it turns your existing wireless peripherals (and quite impressively, your Android or iPhone OS device of choice) into a remote for your entire media center, relaying commands to devices over IR, RF and even IP via the onboard ethernet port. Logitech will also sell a dedicated peripheral for the Google TV companion box at launch, which they told us will combine a keyboard, touchpad and remote control and communicate with the companion box over RF.
Situated directly between your receiver and TV, Logitech's tiny box allows complete passthrough of HDMI audio and video from your source, allowing simultaneous web surfing and video playback, and will optionally connect to an HD webcam for Logitech Vid 720p video chat. While it's hard to say how it compares till we see the competition, Logitech's solution sports Intel's 1.2GHz CE4100 processor, 4GB of memory and 802.11n WiFi, and outputs Dolby 5.1 surround sound over both HDMI and optical S/PDIF outputs. Though the device only accepts HDMI input for video, it doesn't require source content to have HDCP protection, so you could theoretically use an adapter to connect older video sources as long as your display itself is HDCP-compliant.
Logitech wouldn't say the first word about pricing, though they confirmed that the unit and combo keyboard/touchpad/remote would be optionally bundled at launch; when asked about the companion box's value, they hinted that it includes all the functionality of the $400 Logitech Harmony 900 media remote -- hopefully, it won't arrive too far north of that figure.
Limitations
The potential pitfalls for Google TV are many, and while some of them will be familiar from mobile Android devices, the far more mature TV market will prove even more difficult to crack than the young, often upgrading mobile scene. When we heard the words "IR blasters" mentioned on stage at Google I/O our hearts sank. While they will work for one way compatibility with existing set-top boxes and other hardware, they can be unreliable and have no capacity to send information back to the control device. That means a Google TV that doesn't know when your DVR is full, what's on it, if it actually scheduled a recording of Ghost Whisperer like you asked or have direct access to its listings and VOD. Currently cable, IPTV and satellite providers hold all the content cards and convincing them the Google TV is here to help, not harm their business is a task that most would say ranks somewhere between impossible and unlikely.
Another potential issue (which we alluded to above) is that the browser is given its own user agent; as Google's Vic Gundotra told us in a post-keynote briefing, if content providers wish to block Google TV from viewing its videos, it has the technological capability to do so. Of course the big name is Hulu, but any other content provider could also be on the list. Will content providers be willing to design apps that work (well) on the Google TV? Like many other questions, until the hardware is out there it's impossible to tell.
But one of the most disturbing problems we see coming is a holdover from Android phones -- upgrades. Just think about how long it's taken many phones that are still on contract to subscribers to get the latest software patch, and then take a moment to wonder if Sony will have any interest in updating your 2010 Sony Internet TV to Google TV 3.0 Parfait in 2012 instead of just selling you a new flat screen instead.
Future potential
What the future may hold for Google TV could be as wide and fruitful as the success of its web search on a device everyone uses everyday already, or as barren as the fields tilled by Google Viewer and Orkut. But where its biggest challenges exist -- access to content currently held by TV broadcasters and the studios -- could also be its biggest opportunity. Finding better ways to work with the TV programming people already expect to use by partnering with the cable and satellite providers will be a major story over the life of Google TV. Experiments with interactivity through widgets and EBIF apps as well as the FCC's increasing impatience with the state of tru2way show there's a chance at bridging these gaps, but it may be a crack that opens slowly or not at all. It's succeeded in turning mobile carriers into Android fans, can it do the same with Comcast, Time Warner and DirecTV?
Another lesson learned from the mobile space is that even can't, or at least shouldn't, go it alone. The Nexus One sales experiment has faded, and it's clear that the work done, mostly by HTC, to improve the interaction with Android and the devices it runs on have served to promote the platform. If we compare what we saw this week to the G1 on T-Mobile, imagine a few years down the road when they find the home theater equivalent of HTC and Sense, and deliver an EVO 4G-level device with power that truly excites users and software that compels them to line up to get it. Other alternatives to the current approach will mean expanding the number of hardware partners beyond Sony -- Samsung is wavering, but we'll need more -- and devices beyond just displays and standalone boxes. Right now the lowly A/V receiver seems like a perfect target for increasing functionality and connectivity with all equipment -- if the price and the features are right.
Wrap-up
Google is first to admit the TV / internet convergence isn't a new concept -- in an incredibly amusing slip of the tongue during yesterday's post-keynote briefing, Gundotra himself called it WebTV, one of the earliest attempts that ultimately fizzled. What we saw this week was a lot of potential, and when we say that, we also mean we're left with numerous unanswered questions. More importantly, in a world where most of the targeted audience already has plenty of streamers and set-top boxes (not to mention smartphones and laptops that can let us couch surf without giving up any "big screen' real estate), we're not seeing a lot of justification. That said, Google is a strong and trusted brand, and that can go a long way in consumer mindshare -- just look at Apple TV. With the Fall release window really not that far off, the gang in Mountain View are gonna need to make a much more compelling case, unless of course, it's also just a hobby.
Richard Lawler, Ross Miller, and Sean Hollister contributed to this piece
@futurerheza can't wait!!
Well this be better than the PS3 browser?
@Av4ry :: yes, hopefully it will end up on PS3 as well, but don't count on it
@delicatessen lama Why not? Sony is a big part of this partnership and the PS3 would be fully capable of supporting the platform. It just makes sense.
@Araman
I bet it will be apart of their premium service. Mehh
I for one love the idea. I'm so sick of my DirecTV menu interface I could puke. I love the idea of having a desktop in which to navigate through my favorite channels, favorite videos, T.V. radio stations,etc. Bring it Google.
hmm...this is an interesting concept...if anyone can make it work, it's google...
@futurerheza no doubt, looks pretty sick. Hopefully a lot is tvs run this so the selection isn't limited.
I love the idea, but it's yet another box. If they could make Google TV device with a DVR built in, I would be totally on board. But for now, I think I'm gonna stick with Windows 7 Media Center.
@brian515 Right. I wonder if they'll come out with a Windows version that I can just run in place of or alongside of Media Center.
@futurerheza FTW indeed!
Nice. Just don't get what is the point. Is it hard to marry you pc and plasma?
I turn on my plasma for 2 to 4 hours a week. Some saturday night movies bought through iTunes. Plus hdmi cable bringing my pc and plasma together.
It sure promises easier control. However much less functionality.
Sony should port this to the PS3.
@J Acheson
My first thoughts exactly.
@J Acheson
When I first heard this announced and that Sony was involved. I thought "ah, that's why they got rid of the Other OS support". But after reading this article and watching the video I don't see it happening.
There's a couple of things going on that may prevent the PS3 from working as a Google TV box.
First, it seems that the Logitech box is a smart IR blaster for lack of a better term. Sure, Sony could release something that plugged into a USB port to blast IR out to your other devices, but I doubt that would happen.
Second, the Logitech box has HDMI in and out. The PS3 only has one HDMI port. So not even a firmware update can help with getting HDMI into the PS3.
They best that Sony could do at this point with the PS3 is to have the Google TV service run separate on the PS3 for easy access to web content. The good thing would be it would be the web browser would be a welcome addition to replace the current PS3 browser.
they really let hulu play on these things?!? wow if it has a great integration( what i expect) it really could change the way we consum our shows....
anyone knows if hulu is planning to show 3d shows?
@futurerheza With all due respect... what win exactly?
I've been thinking about this ever since it was announced and I just can't see the need for this at all. Bringing web content to a TV is nice enough... I guess... but what's out there that you REALLY want to watch on your TV? More to the point, how is this going to deliver an experience that non-nerds will be happy with and not only be able to use but want to use?
You've also got all the usual problems that you can experience with a HTPC right now: web content doesn't scale well, Plasma TV's and web pages aren't a particularly good mix, who the heck wants a keyboard in their already remote-heavy living room and, most importantly, how do you unify your TV package, Home Theatre kit, web content, pay-for content AND existing media into one nice neat all-encompassing package that anyone in the family can pick up and use?
Sorry folks, I know it's a cool geeky thing to do but I just don't see where the market is supposed to be for this. Now if the cable / satellite providers get on-board and start building it into the next gen of PVR's that might change the game a wee bit but until then this just strikes me as a dead end.
@BOFH There is a significant portion of the population that would love to get rid of cable/satellite programming. I am one of those people. I have been using media center for years, and I am still looking for a more user friendly interface. What I'm really hoping for is hulu integration, netflix that looks as good as it does on the 360, and a browser that doesn't make me leave the primary interface in order to use it. Media center is nice, but I have to go to the desktop to do some of the stuff I want to do.
Well, I said it before. Google's becoming a VERY big company. But I don't know, they always manage to keep that little bit low profile. One day, Google will be bigger than Microsoft, and they'll be like: "Oh, we didn"t see that one coming"
YEEEEEEEEEEES!!!
Why is it that the google promo videos are always voiced in such a condescending manner? "Watching telvision has become complicated. It's like you have to change your schedule to fit ..."
What?
1) TIVO / DVRs have been around for a decade
2) HTPCs have been around for almost that long
3) Intel and other companies are now coming out with wireless HDMI standards so you can stream videos from the net to your television
4) Many televsions sold in 2009 and 2010 already have netflix, amazon, facebook, etc. integration
@FitFan Yup. I'd much rather just have WiDi on my laptop. Navigate to Hulu. Press Play. No chance they'll block it. If there's a need to interact with an add, I interact with it. But we can all share in watching the video together. Given that this might not even play Hulu, and is complicated to set up (IR blasters, HDMI pass thru...) I'm not sure I see this happening.
They need to make it work on ARM processors, with all the DSP, graphics, HDMI and other processing required, the Google TV set-top-box has to be sold for below 150 dollars without any sort of subscription.
@Charbax So as I understand it, the Google TV set-top-box has HDMI intputs, does overlay stuff on the video then outputs it back to HDMI, that is new functionality, but no reason Intel must have any sort of exclusivity.
I'm sooo sick of Google, not only are they invading all parts of tech and services and frankly not doing a good job in all areas. Because of their ambition to put ads everywhere but the toilet seat they have stretched themselves to thin.
@liamrickerby
I agree... I am also sick of Google.
@liamrickerby
I disagree, would you want ONE man to take over the whole industry? At least with Google things source is OPEN. No, it's not a marketing scam or something, you can download the Android OS now and do whatever you want.
Same with GoogleTV next year.
@wakeup
My wild guess that the "ONE man" you referred to be Steve Jobs. Guess what, Apple is nowhere close to what you, Adobe, Google, or many other people say. Their market share for computer? less than 10%. Their market share for mobile phone? 16% in smartphone and much much less overall in the whole mobile phone market. The digital music player (iPod) might be somewhere they do better. They might take a big piece in the tablet device market now but that's because it's a new market that Apple created and others laughed at them before the product launch. So, honestly, Apple is NOWHERE close to dominating anything yet.
Google, on the other side, dominates their core business markets VERY WELL - searching and advertisements. Every products they provide and every services they provide are not for "selling" that product or service, but to help enrich and grow their core business. Don't be naive. Hey, I don't think they are evil. They are just trying to do business, so does Apple. Google is open? Well, unlikely actually. Go ask any Android partners who really controls the system.
@wakeup
"free to the end user" != "openness"
@liamrickerby But you aren't sick of the passive and lazy industries that Google is trying to shake up?
@Schmich I'm unsure how they expect to shake up anything when they aren't bringing anything new to the table.
It makes brilliant business sense, as they can get a shed load of ads directed at people.
But this is not good for consumers, I like the idea of it being installed in your TV, but I'd rather someone else do it without the extra ads. We'll spend less time watching content than watching ads.
Great Idea. though,they could learn from Apple about presentation and design. Why present with twenty men in suits when you could have one Steve Jobs like character doing all the talking. It looked like a panel of Bankers launching a new investment scheme rather than a fantastic new product launch.
@Wilbertwally You mean ponzi scheme
Honestly, im apprehensive. I wish em luck and hopefully this competition'll get set top boxes to delve into better UI's, but something doesn't click for me with having internet on the tv. We'll see.
Once again, poor Boxee box.
Total BS. Google selected all the wrong partners for this. Sony- loser, Dish-loser, Adobe-super loser. Looks like the strategy is to get all the Apple haters in one room and make something stupid.
@assb10yr How are you defining loser?
@assb10yr
why is there always some guy on this site commenting fail or loser about companies? Have you achieved more than them in the market out of your garage? Doubt it.
"most Google TV devices won't actually have any facility for tuning TV at launch, instead relying on your existing gear plugged in over HDMI to do the job"
So I'll actually have to keep my cable box and keep paying for my cable service to use this somehow? This is confusing.
What makes this better than a HTPC? I see an HTPC being less limited and more fluid than Google TV. Not as integrated, but you have full internet and plenty of hard drive storage for shows and movies. I don't think I've heard anything about Google TV having built in storage.
@Doomtomb You don't need inbuilt storage, it is on your network.
@eeekthesneak good point!
It feels like Google went out of its way not to step on the content providers' toes on this one. I wish they were actually more aggressive here by saying "we have the set top box OS of the future and here's how to deploy it easily, cable/satellite providers." By doing this they're introducing nearly as much kludge as other solutions but without the must-have features such as DVR. And for what, a unified search box? Sorry Google, I think this is your next Wave.
@futurerheza As of right now I don't see the need for it! I'll wait to hear more. This seems to either necessitate a new TV purchase or adding yet another device next to my TV for which I need a separate remote!
my question is will google tv work with your standard or sd cable or in my case, directv receiver. I say this because not all the roooms in my house have the hd receiver.
@redmaxer No. If you're talking about the Logitech box it requires HDMI so it won't work with any of your SD television sets.
How exactly will GOOGLE TV improve my TV-viewing experience?
How can this save me money, since "You'll still need to keep your existing cable or satellite box"? A DVR costs $10 a month, which is simple but usually get things done. Will GOOGLE TV be cheaper than this?
If this is what all they can offer, I'm not sold.
I still don't understand the praise over this project! What's so great about it?
@BOFH
I think the big thing you're missing here is the fact that it will be sold as an integrated experience within TV sets. That's really where most of the market is for this. The customer base for a product like this has been out for some time, but the TV manufacturers just couldn't get their sh*t together and make a decent Web/TV interface. Make no mistake, Google will make it marketable in this sense. That's really where the practicality lies. So, it's catering mostly to people in the market to buy a new TV.
I mean, even at my grandma's 61st birthday - the whole family gathered around the TV as my cousin attempted to hook his laptop up to an old-school tube TV with an S-Video interface. All the hassle just so he could show the family some stupid youtube videos.
It seems you're glued to the idea that you have to run out and get a box for this thing, and if that was the ONLY option - it would absolutely fail. The set-top box idea is (in my opinion) to appease the people who like the idea, but also like their current entertainment center setup.
The potential is huge. But allot depends on the remote also... Logitech might be able to help there and with current touch screen technology this might actually work.
But please also think of the international market. Currently shows are resold to European networks and therefore Hulu isn't accessible outside the US. I would very happen pay for Hulu aces, even with the commercials still in place to aces Hulu from Europe. I'm so used to Hulu, that whenever I'm back in Europe I really mis it.
Also wondering what the network potential is. I could imagine having a media server connection and just have a Google TV device in multiple rooms. In my living room hooked up to my entertainment system, in de bedroom to my TV, in my study to my audio installation. Use touchscreen remotes to navigate and in my study to use for music selection.
Use the (universal) disc player to play discs, record regular TV shows to my DVR or media server, use google TV device to play back from media server or DVR.
Renting and buying movies from different media stores etc. And listening to internet radio, again navigating on the touchscreen remote...
I so want that...