Google TV Brings the Web to Television, Lands in Fall 2010

Google came out swinging during day two of its Google I/O conference with several big announcements. Earlier in the day, the Android's Froyo OS got official, and then Google launched into its plans to bring the Web (and all its video and multimedia content, including Flash) to your living room. Despite some spectacular tech demo hiccups, Google unveiled its vision for the future of television. Many companies (Apple, Boxee, Roku and the list goes on) have attempted Web/TV integration before, so read on to see if Google's got the goods to pull it off.

What is Google TV?

The living room remains an untapped market for Google, and television offers enormous advertising potential with the average American watching over five hours of television a day and U.S. advertising spending alone topping $70 billion. TV has increasingly moved to the Web over the past decade with services like Hulu, YouTube, iTunes and torrents, but, Google argues, computers and mobile devices aren't the ideal viewing setup. Despite innovations in hardware, DVRs and distribution systems, TV in 2010 still isn't very interactive.

Google TV, then, claims to bring the "unlimited Web" to the biggest screen in your house. Much like Google's approach to other media, Google TV isn't so much a replacement (it's not in the media production business), as a hugely efficient way to aggregate content from all sorts of platforms and services.

The Software Experience

Google TV has three primary components: Android 2.1, the Google Chrome browser and the ability to remotely deliver Android apps to the TV experience. The classic Google search box is central to the Google TV experience. The 'quick search box' lets you search through listings to easily find that next 'Seinfeld' episode, or even the next four weeks worth of 'The Simpsons.' Within this interface, you'll also find links to Web content ranging from Amazon Video on Demand and Netflix to YouTube and basic video searches.

The experience isn't just Web and video, though. Google argues that many attempts to bring Web content to TVs in the past failed, because they attempted to recreate the Web on TV. Bypassing that route, Google is providing full Web support, including Flash and HTML5). Instead of downloading a special app to check your family's picture galleries on Flickr or Picasa, you'll be able to navigate directly to the Web site.

Because Android is consistent across devices, you'll be able to use multiple Android devices together. For example, you can speak a show title into your phone, and the TV will automatically search and load the live television program on your HDTV. One of the biggest gee-whiz demos involved watching a YouTube video on an Android phone and transferring it with a few button taps to play live on an HDTV. Additionally, Android apps are already supported on Google TV, so in addition to being able to browse the Web, you'll be able to use our favorite apps, like Twitter and Pandora, on your TV.

The Google TV Hardware

You'll get access to Google TV in two primary ways: first, you can buy a new TV with built-in access, or you can buy a separate device that lets you add it to your existing system. The devices come with certain requirements: fast processor, Wi-Fi and built-in Ethernet, and HDMI connectivity.

For the Fall 2010 launch, Google has teamed up with Sony, Intel and Logitech. Sony will debut a full line of integrated TVs and Blu-ray players, Logitech is introducing a companion box (that will integrate into your existing system) and Intel's Atom processor will be powering all of these devices. Additionally, Dish Network will be including Google TV into its DVRs, and Best Buy has signed on to sell many of these devices.

Keyboards seem to be the primary controller device, but phones, tablets and computers (the Google TV API will be accessible to iPhone, OS X, Windows and other devices) will be able to interact with your television because Google is opening up the system to developers. Because cable TV, Web video services and more are all indexed and accessible from the Google TV software, Google claims you'll only need one remote. No word on pricing yet on any of the devices.

YouTube Leanback, Subtitles and More

A bevy of Googlers and others blasted through demonstrations, including YouTube Leanback and automatically-generated subtitles for whatever you're watching. Leanback, launching in beta in several weeks, is a TV-optimized version of YouTube, that auto-generates customized channels for you from your YouTube favorites, recommendations, subscriptions and more.

First Impressions

What we're most excited about is the addition of Google's search technology to TV. As far as DVRs have come since the early TiVo days, easily finding what we want to watch is still more difficult than it should be. Though YouTube Leanback appears to make it easier to find things we want to watch, the Google TV interface, while sleek and clean, doesn't have any landscape-changing recommendation engines. Bringing the Web to the living room is great, but adding an "infinite" amount of content may only make navigation and watching more difficult for consumers if they've got to slog through websites in search of content.

Strong partnerships with tech heavyweights like Sony, Intel, Dish Network, Logitech and Best Buy should help Google's fledgling service get off the ground, but it remains to be seen if your average couch potato will sign up. Check out Google.com/tv to sign up for updates, and stay tuned to Switched.

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