GoogleTV

[LMITOUT]

Did anyone catch the announcement today about Google taking over your TV's? It looks very intriguing and if it works out it could be the very thing needed to finally successfully integrate the internet to our TV and home entertainment systems. One of the partners in this is Dish Network who will add the Google TV feature to their DVR's, both current and future. Having a Dish DVR/receiver I can't wait to see how this plays out.

The options for those who do not have a Dish DVR is a set-top box (Logitech) or a GoogleTV enable TV which will be shipping soon I'm sure. Sony is another player in this and will integrate GoogleTV into their equipment, including a Blu-Ray player which was talked about today as well.

[CJH]

So what are the proposed benefits of this? Why do I want it?

[LMITOUT]

It will essentially integrate the internet into your TV viewing. This will allow for TV program searches through Google's program guide along with searching on the internet as well. Say you do a search for the show American Idol. Not only would it show when it comes on TV and set up recording like a DVR would, but it would also show internet hit results where you could watch things like YouTube with American Idol content. Stuff like that.

Google's PC browser (Chrome) is built in to let you surf on your TV. It appears you can also do picture in picture so you can surf and watch TV at the same time. They showed a screen shot of a box score from Yahoo (internet) while the actual game was playing in the corner.

Even more importantly, with so much TV and movie content on the internet these days this just rolls it all into one. Right now you can watch movies using Netflix and TV shows using Hulu or other video websites but you have to watch it on your PC for the most part. This will bring it to your large screen TV.

What it boils down to is that it will be more "global" with the internet and TV all in one. Right now you probably use the TV to watch American Idol and then hop on your PC to browse info about the show. This will merge it all into one. Pretty much anything you can do on the internet with your PC you'll be able to do using your TV or home entertainment system.

[LMITOUT]

[PierBridge]

Assuming Dish-Net doesn't have to replace all of there customers DVR's with there recent loss in court in regards to patent infringement issues with TIVO!

It sounds great!

[LMITOUT]

Never happen

[spearchucker]

Assuming Dish-Net doesn't have to replace all of there customers DVR's with there recent loss in court in regards to patent infringement issues with TIVO!

It sounds great!

It will probably just be a software update that gets sent to the boxes.

[CJH]

Thanks LO.

I can do some of those things with my PS3 already (Netlix, internet browsing, plus media center/streaming), so I guess this is more of an integrated option that can be added to a TV or DVD/BR player.

The split screen TV/browsing does sound intriguing to me!!!

[spearchucker]

You can do split screen TV/Browsing if you have PIP on your TV.

The PS3 web browser isn't the greatest though.

[PierBridge]

The options are replace all DVR's or pay a BIG BIG boat load of cash to TIVO.

Google is definitely on to something here!

[hydro]

Windows 7 is running TV ads that show it connecting wirelessly to TV's through their Homegroup feature. How is that concept tied in with this?

[LMITOUT]

I'm pretty sure that is Windows attempt at trying to connect PC's to TV viewing and nothing associated with GoogleTV.

[JimBuck]

I didn't get a chance to see the video you posted LMITOUT due to being at work but would GoogleTV run on an Android OS? If so, I'm ALL IN!

[LMITOUT]

Yes. It is based around the Android OS.

[LMITOUT]

More info better describing GoogleTV.