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GTVHacker teases Boxee for rooted Sony Google TVs
Since the Boxee Box and original Google TV v1 hardware share Intel Atom processors at their heart users have wondered about the opportunity for a port, and as seen above, that may have been achieved. GTVHacker tweeted out the picture tonight, promising "big things" in store for owners of rooted Sony Google TV devices while showing Boxee running on a Sony NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray player. There's no other details mentioned so far, but if you managed to open up the capabilities of your hardware before an update put the kibosh on rooting, you should have some extra capabilities coming your way shortly.
Plex Media Server upgraded, Google TV app gets a reboot
Real-time media streamer Plex has been refreshed on Google TV, following the smart TV's own recent firmware upgrade. The UI now looks easier to navigate with quicker access to recently added content. When it comes to the streaming media itself, you'll still need to have a Plex server setup on a separate PC or Mac but the app still supports your dedicated myPlex content and your friends' shared files. Plex's latest Media Server update also solves some iOS app problems alongside a handful of other stability and compatibility issues. The new Google TV version of the catch-all media platform isn't live just yet, but you can grab last month's version at the source and gird yourself for the incoming update.
Sony Google TV update rolling out, if you want to root your time is now
Looking to get some unblocked Hulu or other Flash streaming action on your Sony Google TV hardware? It may be in your best interest to grab the cracked software right away The folks at GTVHacker warned an update blocking the security hole exploited by their downgrader tool would be on the way, and now it has appeared, sporting an ambiguous "operating system stability" reason for existing. Hit the source link to find out everything that can be achieved with a modified kernel and what it will take to get things running on your TV or Blu-ray player.
Patent application hints at Voice Actions for Google TV
Android on your phone can send texts, perform searches, set alarms and execute plenty of other tasks with little more than a simple voice command. Google TV is, for all intents and purposes, just Android blown up to fill your 42-inch TV -- so it would only make sense that Voice Actions might one day come to the Mountain View-branded set top solution. Well, a patent application filed back in September hints that just such a thing is on its way. Rather than require new hardware though, an Android phone would act as an intermediary, passing commands to the Google TV device. An added bonus to being able to ask your TV "when is Seinfeld on?" is that, since the phone is actually passing on the instructions, you can control your set remotely. As an example the filing suggests using GPS to determine when a user is within a quarter mile of their home, then turning on the TV and tuning in to whatever station happens to be airing The Soup Nazi. Hit up the source for all the details.
GTVHacker tool brings Sony Google TVs root access, full Flash streaming
Early Google TV adopters looking for root access can get it easily on their Sony units, thanks to the just released GTVHacker Sony Recovery Downgrader & Rebooter. Unlike brute force hacks we've seen so far for the Revue, this is an all-software method that requires (only) four 512MB or larger USB sticks to get the job done. Once completed the developers indicate their unsigned kernel includes a modified Flash plugin that will let users stream all the Hulu and other network TV content that has otherwise been denied the Google TV, plus other tweaks like optional support for NTFS formatted drives. It disables automatic updates, but users can still switch back to the stock software by resetting the unit in recovery mode. Once you've dug up your Atari Jaguar Sony Google TV remote, hit the links below for all the software and instructions necessary to get the job done although as always, YMMV.
Google makes 'next gen personal communications device,' is testing it in employee abodes
We first heard about Google's foray into home-based hardware late last week, when it asked the FCC for Special Temporary Authority (STA) to have employees test an "entertainment device" in their homes (as opposed to a lab). According to the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, it's rumored to be a Sonos-like device related to the Android@Home Tungsten hub we saw at Google I/O last year. It appears, however, that's not all Google's got in store, as some information has trickled out about another Google-branded gadget. Apparently, it's a "next generation personal communication device," and Mountain View has asked the FCC for another STA to test 102 of them in the same cities as the aforementioned entertainment box: Mountain View, LA, New York and Cambridge, Massachusetts.Why? Well, Google wants to track its Bluetooth performance and evaluate "the throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device" in a real-world setting. Other details about the device are scant, but we do know that testing on this second Google-made gadget is ongoing through July 15th, so here's hoping we can get a glimpse of one between now and then. Check out the FCC docs for both devices at the source below, and feel free to sound off on what you think Google's got in store in the comments after.
Google TV Facebook page teases new announcement (Update: It's a new YouTube app)
Since Eric Schmidt made the rather bold proclamation that "most" new TVs would have Google TV embedded by summer 2012, we've all been waiting for something "big" from Mountain View. Well, if you can believe the services' Facebook page, "big announcements" are just what we can expect Monday. A post on Google TV's profile leaves a lot to the imagination, but while speculation is already jumping sky-high (Google TV Nexus, anyone?) the possibilities range all the way from new product announcements to minor service / feature expansions or contests -- so set your alert levels accordingly. Of course, if it were really a big deal then you'd think the news would come out on Google+, right?Update: Just that fast, the official blog has revealed the big announcement and it's.... an updated version of the YouTube app. For what it's worth, the new version is supposed to be faster with smoother navigation when it starts rolling out "in the next few days." It also adds a "Discover" feature for browsing by category, new channel pages and better tie-ins for related videos, which should help viewers browse its growing library of premium content, but isn't exactly the big announcement some may have anticipated. Check the blog for more details and return to DEFCON 5.
Google TV 3.2 update enhances HLS video streaming support, Plex update takes advantage
The Google TV update that rolled out to Sony units earlier this week (no word on the Revue, yet) brought tweaks to Chrome and support for Blu-ray 3D playback on the player, but that's not all. The bump to Android 3.2 also improved hooks for developers to access channel listings in their apps, enabled hardware acceleration and last but not least, improved support for HTTP Live Streaming. That last detail is particularly important to those streaming video from their PCs using Plex, since additional HLS tweaks were necessary to allow viewing of files transcoded from otherwise-Google TV unfriendly formats. Also supported as in the Plex update is selection of alternate audio streams, subtitles, more channels and a few other fixes. Check out a Google+ post from Les Vogel of the Google TV team for all the Honeycomb 3.2 (API Level 13) details you can stomach, the Plex blog for more info on its software, or just make sure you're running the latest updates and take a look around yourself.
Sony Google TV gets update this week, brings speedier Chrome and 3D Blu-ray support
If a simple tweet by the Google TV squad is to be believed, those of you who own Sony-branded hardware should be receiving an update within the next few days. In a scant 140-characters, Big G promises a Chrome browser that "works faster," as well as the ability to get your Blu-ray content in all three dees (if that's your thing). Google's not telling precisely when the fresh features will make their way to Sony's set-top boxes, so you'll just have to stay glued to your GTV and wait for it to magically appear.
CES 2012: HDTV and connected devices round-up
The Consumer Electronics Show is always a big deal for HDTVs and the devices that plug into them, and the 2012 edition was no different. With the majority of households already owning an HDTV, manufacturers are pressed to convince you to upgrade, and are pulling out all the stops. We've got new display technologies like OLED, 4K and Super Hi-Vision, plus more 3D and internet connected features than ever. DVRs and media streamers haven't slowed down either, so while some services focused on eliminating the set-top box, those that remained either shrunk (Roku) or added features (Boxee, TiVo, Ceton -- pictured above). The pace of the announcements made it nearly impossible to keep up with everything going on last week, so we've wrapped everything up in one neat summary available after the break.
Google, LG to team up on 'Google TV Nexus' edition for next release?
While not all of Google's aims to change cellphones with its Nexus brand program may have been achieved, it has created some admirable devices in cooperation with HTC and Samsung (way to pass on that one Sony Ericsson). According to Bloomberg, its next step may be to do the same with LG for TVs. As product manager Rishi Chandra mentioned in an interview with us, the next focus for Google TV will center around increasing its ability to personalize the user experience and further enhance content discovery, and anonymous sources indicate LG could get first crack at it later this year. What's odd about this development is that on TVs, so far the two versions of hardware that have debuted already featured software largely free of manufacturer customizations, unlike phones. At this year's CES LG, along with Vizio, is among the first to show a custom skin for the software, along with its new remote. However, the original aim of the Nexus was to work "even more closely with our partners to bring devices to the market that are going to help showcase very quickly the we're working on" so if this can help cut down the long window we saw before the last Google TV update, we're all for it.
LG Google TV and Magic Remote Qwerty hands-on
While Samsung waits to debut its take on the Google TV platform, LG is already showing off its hardware, including a new remote control. For LG's part, it has decided to blend the QWERTY needs of a Google TV controller with its existing Magic Motion remote gesture control and scroll wheel technology. The result is a decently well balanced dual-sided remote with relatively simple controls. Because of the shape and added weight, we actually preferred this remote to the lighter original Magic Motion remote for pointing in our brief hands-on time. The scroll wheel was also a great help, and made it an improvement over the v1 Google TV remotes in pretty much every way possible. We'll need more time with the clicker to know for sure, but the Magic Remote Qwerty is probably our favorite out of the three options presented at CES (Sony, Vizio). We won't lean either way on LG's skinning of the Google TV experience just yet, although if you're a fan of the company's existing connected TV menus (we weren't so much in our review) then you'll be glad to know these are very similar. Check the gallery below for a couple more pics of the remote and the TV itself.
Gaikai coming to LG TVs, playable OnLive coming to GoogleTVs
If you're someone whose hatred of physical media and cluttered entertainment systems is rivaled only by your passion for contemporary gaming and universal controllers, your next television purchase may have just become as conflicted as your eccentric little heart of hearts. Gaikai and LG have announced plans to place Gaikai's cloud-based game-streaming services inside of LG's upcoming 2012 line of Cinema 3D TVs. The service will use Gaikai's middleware to power an LG-branded gaming portal within the company's existing Smart TV app ecosystem. No information has yet been given regarding how these games will actually be played, but we're hopeful it will involve a controller of some kind, rather than creative use of the TV's remote. OnLive has also announced further integration of its cloud-based game-streaming service into Google's GoogleTV platform, by way of Vizio's "next generation" of "Internet Apps Plus" devices. Vizio TVs equipped with Internet Apps Plus and GoogleTV 2.0 will allow users to connect their Universal Controller and stream games normally. This is a big leap from OnLive's current GoogleTV presence, which is currently limited to a "Player" app that allows GoogleTV users to spectate OnLive games happening on other devices. No word on whether full OnLive functionality will come to other devices running GoogleTV 2.0.
The Engadget Interview: Google TV Product Manager Rishi Chandra at CES 2012 (video)
After launching its initial volley in late 2010, Google TV remained in a holding pattern hardware-wise while waiting for the massive upgrade to Honeycomb that would bring third party apps and an entirely new UI. Now Google TV 2.0 has arrived, and it's been followed by a slew of new product announcements. While Logitech has bowed out this time, new partners Vizio, LG and Samsung are joining Sony for round two, so we took a few minutes to chat with product manager Rishi Chandra about where the platform has been in the last year and a half, and where he sees it going in the future. Check out the video above to see what the team has learned from its users over the last year, and what the folks at Google think it will mean to simplify TV and internet video viewing.
OnLive Viewer comes to Google TV, full gameplay capability coming soon
If you aren't content streaming video games to your PC, MicroConsole, Android device or iPad, you're about to get another option: Google TV. Following the same slow rollout it used when it launched the cloud gaming service for Android devices, OnLive is launching OnLive viewer for Google TVs today. Not enough, fine, fine -- the streaming outfit is also demoing a full gameplay update for Google TV on the CES show floor, and promises that you'll be pwning newbs soon enough. Not a Google TV user? Onlive casually mentioned the service would be hitting Blu-Ray players and other set-top boxes soon as well. Read on to see for yourself, the press release awaits.
Vizio ultrawidescreen, Google TV and Cinema 3D HDTV hands-on
After Vizio gave the world a preview of its PC and tablet plans it also announced plans for new HDTVs and a couple of set-top boxes, so we couldn't resist traveling back over to its Wynn-based lounge to view the beasts in their natural habitat. We won't make too much of it, but if you read last year's hands-on preview, unfortunately much of this is similar, as we mentioned when they were announced -- much of this tech was originally planned to ship in 2011. That said, while TBD is still the watchword when it comes to release dates and pricing, we're told highly anticipated sets like the first ultrawidescreen units should be available for preorder soon.
Vizio tops accessories off with two Google TV-powered players
It turns out Vizio's plans for Android don't stop at just tablets and TVs, as it's list of accessories being announced for 2012 are two Google TV powered set-top boxes. The VAP430 Stream player picks up where the Revue left off (and directly competes with Sony's NSZ-GS7 network player) adding the Google TV experience and access ot streaming media in any existing setup. Meanwhile, the VBR430 Blu-ray player adds discs to the mix of a VIA platform (standard and Plus) that stands to benefit from a new VOD app, M-Go from Technicolor that should bring first-run movies streaming directly to TVs. There's a few other add-ons mentioned in the PR (after the break) including a Skype webcam, iPad dock and soundbar, but all of those are available now. Like the other products Vizio has announced at CES, shipping dates and prices are still TBD.
Vizio's CES 2012 HDTV lineup includes 3D, Google TV and ultrawidescreen... again
After lighting things up with new PCs and a 10-inch tablet, Vizio is returning to its roots by unveiling a series of new HDTVs during CES, along with a few old ones. Among its more conventional sets, the E3D series has been bringing value priced passive 3D since last year, but it will be joined by the M3D series in a 47- and 55-inch model, the latter of which includes a Bluetooth QWERTY remote. If that's not enough, users can step up to the R3D series which come in the same sizes and have better backlighting. The more interesting news however, is that the 65-inch versions of both M- and R- lines feature VIA Plus, which is Vizio's customized spin on Google TV. We first got a peek at it last year, however the delayed introduction of Honeycomb and adoption of ARM processors likely doomed any chance of a release. In another blast from the past, Vizio has also queued up three 21:9 "CinemaWide" ultrawidescreen WFHD (2560x1080) models (above), in sizes of 50-, 58- and 71-inches with 3D and Yahoo! Widgets. We were heartbroken when we never saw these come home in 2011, although in all fairness no one else brought an ultrawidescreen flat-panel to us either so there's still an extremely rectangular space on our wall that needs filling. Prices and ship dates for all the new TVs are still TBD, and those without Google TV include Yahoo TV widgets. Check the press release after the break for the available details, before we check out the new models and try to find out if they'll actually arrive this time around.
Sony's second try at Google TV brings Blu-ray player, streaming box and a new remote (Update: hands-on!)
Interestingly, despite a Sony execs saying that its Google TV model was meeting sales expectations, for the second round it's focusing on two add-on boxes. The NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray player and NSZ-GS7 network media player (pictured above) will ship in North America and Europe in early summer, and are expect to roll out in other regions afterwards as Google TV expands its reach. Common to both boxes is a completely reimagined remote, featuring a backlit QWERTY keyboard, touchpad and motion control for gaming. We're not hearing anything about IR blasters up front this time around, but it can work as a universal remote to control other devices with "basic" control of Sony's 2012 HDTVs as well, while the Blu-ray player supports voice search as well. Unspecified at this time are the provenance of the internals, although the switch away from its Intel predecessors should yield cheaper, cooler running units. There's no price or expected ship date available currently, check back for more info and hands-on with these as well as the other new Sony hardware shortly. Update: We got our hands all over the new hardware and our first impression is: it's tiny. The network streamer is still bigger than a Roku, but compared to say, a Revue, the switch to ARM has clearly had a slimming effect on Google TV. The Blu-ray player is similarly shrunken, with its footprint down to merely what a normal player would occupy. The remote is conveniently backlit this time around, and dual sided. It certainly has an improved feel this time around, but is it good enough to satisfy the masses? We'll know better after we've spent more time with it. Check the pics in the gallery to see for yourself.
Live from Sony's CES 2012 press conference
It's prime time and Sony is ready to shine as always, ready to show off its latest flood of consumer products for us, and you. Check after the break for our up-to-the-minute liveblog of every TV, camera or other device that's been flown into Las Vegas for our perusal.
