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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.
Marvell shows off ARM-powered Google TV, looks a lot like Google TV
Tonight at CES Unveiled Marvell gave us a peek at the future of Google TV with this tiny box, running the latest version of the software on one of its recently announced Armada 1500 ARM processors. It was controlled by a standard Logitech Revue keyboard/trackpad combo, and we couldn't really get a feel for any potential performance differences but the box was sitting there, fanlessly, cheaply and efficiently doing its thing. We'll probably know more about the actual hardware you'll be able to buy in the future tomorrow, but for now you can peep a few more pics of this reference box in the gallery. Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Dish Network adds video on-demand streaming for iPad, enhanced Thuuz Google TV app
While Dish isn't yet ready to officially reveal the details of its new "Hopper" multiroom DVR setup or any wireless broadband plans, it has announced the addition of video on-demand streaming to its Remote Access iPad app. For users with the Blockbuster @Home package or premium movie channels like HBO, they can log in with their Dish Online ID and be in business. The remote viewing portion has also been refreshed, with what we're told is an updated guide. For Google TV owners, it also announced an official tie-in with the developers of Thuuz to record the live sports programs it alerts users to. Check out the details in the press release after the break, as well as a few hands-on pics of the iPad app in our gallery.
Samsung pushes SwipeIt media sharing app, AirPlay competitor to Smart TVs
According to a blog post by entrepreneur Amit Kumar, a new app called Samsung SwipeIt has started popping up on that company's smart TVs, and may be positioned as competition for Apple's AirPlay media sharing technology. Kumar mentions the app started rolling out to TVs at the beginning of the year, while the companion app for Android appeared on the Market around the same time (nothing on iTunes yet, despite a listing for an iOS app on Samsung's Korean site), promising easy sharing of photos and videos to Samsung's connected TVs. It's built by last year's Free The TV Apps competition winner MOVL and is based on that company's Connect platform, which as seen in the diagram after the break is all about pulling together media across screens and platforms.
Google TV adds LG to the fold, will demo new hardware along with Sony, Vizio (update: video, pics!)
The second round of Google TV hardware will be in full swing at CES 2012, and the folks at Mountain View just officially announced LG is joining the list of hardware partners at the show. While we know Logitech was taking a pass on the latest hardware, previously announced partners Samsung, Sony and Vizio are still in and the latter two will have new hardware to show next week. While this morning's announcement by Marvell revealed the platform's switch to ARM processors from the Intel chips it launched on, the company mentioned MediaTek is also on board to build compatible chipsets, while the line of products from LG will run on the company's own L9 setup. LG's press release (included after the break) reveals the HDTVs it's bringing out will feature its Cinema 3D FPR technology as well as support for a "Magic Remote QWERTY" that combines its gesture and voice control Magic Remote with, you guessed it, a QWERTY keyboard. It will have two lines of TVs based on the Android OS, while it continues to feature its own NetCast setup in other displays. While Samsung is mentioned as building new devices, it does not appear they'll have any to show off just yet, which matches the rumors that had gone around earlier. Update: LG has posted some pics of the Google TV sets (above, after the break) featuring its custom interface, although we're still waiting for a peek at that remote. According to the company, users will have the option of using LG's UI or the default Google TV build, so whichever way you prefer should work. The Google TV team has also uploaded a fresh trailer on YouTube ahead of CES, featuring several apps and promising this is just the beginning -- check it out embedded after the break.
Google TV officially switching to ARM, Marvell Armada 1500 CPU to lead the charge
After all the rumors including word that Intel was backing away from its Atom CE4100 CPU it's finally official: Google TV is moving from x86 to ARM, and Marvell is letting everyone know its Foresight platform has been selected to power the next generation of Google TV hardware. The Armada 1500 dual-core CPU at its heart promises PC-like performance with cellphone-like power management and support for Blu-ray 3D, video encoding / decoding and upscaling. enabling fanless smart TV products built on the package like this demo box seen above. Marvell Co-founder Weili Dai considers this as an opportunity to fundamentally change the relationship between content producers and consumers, a lofty goal for the second round of products after a lackluster market response to the initial effort. Of course, there are some early signs that this hardware switch could be just what the doctor ordered, like the fact that similar hardware powers the OnLive Microconsole, and likely lurked in the heart of the Vizio Google TVs we observed with inbuilt OnLive capabilities last year. Beyond the lower heat and power requirements this chip may be able to do it all for less money -- something we're sure $99 Revue buyers can appreciate. Check out the press release after the break for a few more details, we'll wait to find out more about the new partners and hardware before jumping on the Google TV 2.0 hype train along with Eric Schmidt.
Airtight adds iOS AirPlay to Google TV
Google TV users can now access to Airtight, an app that allows AirPlay streaming. That means iOS device owners can stream video and photos to Google TV over the Wi-Fi, with some limitations. As the Mac Observer points out, the US$0.99 app doesn't allow mirroring or the streaming of any content with DRM, which means movies and TV shows purchased from the iTunes Store are out. It also doesn't support music streaming at this time, which could be a deterrent for some. The developers said they are checking into the possibility of streaming music and admit in the version notes that there's a lot of work yet to come. But the reviews thus far say that the app is stable and works well. If you give it a try, let us know how it goes.
Airtight brings Apple's Airplay to your Google TV, makes Cupertino and Mountain View play nice
We've seen Airplay work its way into Android phones thanks to apps before, but what if you want to reverse the equation? What if you want to stream not from, but to a dessert-flavored player. Well, it's little more than a proof of concept at the moment, but Airtight does just that -- turns your Google TV into an Airplay-compatible receiver. You'll obviously have to be running the latest OS update to enable Market access, and the you'll pay $0.99 for the privilege of tinkering with the still rather rough app. For the moment there is no support for streaming music (only videos), anything with DRM is won't play and mirroring is but a dream. But, it works, and that's all that matters... right? Hit up the source link for more details and to purchase it now.
Are You Watching This?! sports tracker for Android adds remote control for DirecTV, TiVo, Google TV
The Are You Watching This?! app has a long history of making sure sports fans don't miss the big games with its bookmarklets and apps that popped up notifications or emailed reminders. Now a new upgrade on Android, along with a few connected TV platforms, has taken things to the next level. In its newest iteration, the free app ties into DirecTV, TiVo or Google TV setups with IP control for one click switching to the appropriate channel -- key when a game is coming down to the last play and you're not sure where the remote is or which channel NBA / NFL / MLB etc. action is on. There's varying levels of filtering options so users can see alerts just when their team is playing, any decent matchup or just the must-see finishes. We gave it a shot and found it worked as advertised, only requiring the app to be installed and enabled on the Google TV and our Android phone (DirecTV and TiVo boxes should be ready to go), however even though we already had our local channels set up on the TV, we had to enter our ZIP and cable provider on the remote app as well. We're starting to see similar companion technology built into apps from DirecTV, TiVo and Comcast, as well as Dijit's software, however the RUWT? game tracker algorithm and focus on live scores gives it a leg up for sports freaks. Check out the video trailer embedded above for a quick look or hop over to the Android Market to install it on phone, tablet and/or TV.
