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January 7, 2008

Google Enabled Televisions Coming Soon

Duncan Riley

36 comments »

Japanese manufacturer Matsushita (Panasonic) has signed a deal with Google that will see the company launch flat panel television sets that allow users to access YouTube and other Google services such as Picasa Web Albums.

The deal is said to be non-exclusive with the first units set to be launched in the United States in Spring.

The deal isn’t the first internet enabled television to be manufactured, but it is the first time Google has signed a deal in this space. Internet in the lounge room has long been a hyped technology that despite various platforms (including Windows MCE) has failed to capture the publics imagination, particularly given the need for a computer or internet specific device to connect. TV with internet access built in, if it’s delivered without any major premium over existing television sets has the potential of finally delivering mass market convergence. Having YouTube access built into sets as a default would also be a positive for Google as it continues to work towards strengthen YouTube’s long term dominance in light of increased competition.

(CNN via Gooruze)

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This entry was posted on Monday, January 7th, 2008 at 10:50 pm and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  1. TheFvckSong.com - Stress-Relief 2.0

    January 7th, 2008 at 10:54 pm

    This sounds better compared to the Netflix-LG Electronic deal. Another set-top-box just doesn’t seems right.

  2. Duncan Riley

    January 7th, 2008 at 10:58 pm

    THeFvcksong.com
    I think so. I think having it built in, presuming the sets are not wildly more expensive, is where we are headed, a bit like you see more and more sets theses days with DVD players built in as well.

  3. Silicon Valley

    January 7th, 2008 at 11:03 pm

    To really be successful - they would have to incorporate Flickr as well.

  4. Sachin Jain

    January 7th, 2008 at 11:04 pm

    What will be the benefit of it to users?I am not seeing any..

  5. Startups

    January 7th, 2008 at 11:06 pm

    Google OS/Desktop, Google Phone, Google TV …. Are they being over-ambitious?

  6. Duncan Riley

    January 7th, 2008 at 11:17 pm

    Sachin Jain
    being able to watch YouTube videos or other web content on your TV without the need for a separate box/ computer. Given the richness of content online (particularly compared to the crap on TV, which is about to get worse if the writers strike continues) the TV becomes an extended outlet for web content.

  7. Anonymous Coward

    January 7th, 2008 at 11:19 pm

    YouTube quality video on my 50″ HDTV…great.

  8. Spuds

    January 7th, 2008 at 11:22 pm

    Cool. Another nail in the coffin of tradition tv

  9. buster

    January 7th, 2008 at 11:37 pm

    hope netflix pairs up with google/panasonic to get their service embedded.

    why do people still try and knock netflix, when they are obviously planning much more than a single, standalone set top box? do these people not read the press?

  10. Ron

    January 7th, 2008 at 11:40 pm

    Yet another spin from the wizards of Google. Short video clips in crappy quality, yeah, looking forward to it. This is a step backward, just for Google to say they’re doing something. MS probably has a better strategy.

    I don’t want to consume video from one source, namely YouTube, I want something more like the media server. All data sources coming into a server that canpresent it in multitude of format and devices at the same time.

  11. Aidan Henry

    January 8th, 2008 at 12:08 am

    Good point Ron. I don’t think the quality, nor the length of clips, is going to have people running out to buy these TVs. A company like Joost who offers a high-quality experience, both in terms of picture and production, may be more suited for such an endeavour.

    Cheers,
    Aidan
    http://www.MappingTheWeb.com

  12. Baher

    January 8th, 2008 at 12:11 am

    I think success of this “experiment” will largely depend on the interface and how well will they design an interface that appeal to the average TV users.

    I bet if it succeeds, Google might take a stab at doing its own TV product and strategy.

  13. Gaggle

    January 8th, 2008 at 12:21 am

    I’d see more value if they had partnered with Joost instead of Google/Youtube.

    After all, I’d rather see TV on the TV, not the latest 30 second LOLcat clips.

  14. rose

    January 8th, 2008 at 12:48 am

    But google does not solve the key problem in movie content search.

    ——–
    http://www.bywifi.com — Mobile Transcoding of Videos and Web Pages for Mobile Phone and PDA

  15. Sanjay Suri

    January 8th, 2008 at 1:07 am

    Lovely feature if one can click on hrefs. TV+Internet on TV. Now TV ads can also be clickable and take to the website? Super!

    This may be obvious but I just got it.

  16. Jeff

    January 8th, 2008 at 1:36 am

    Neat idea, but won’t fly without a browser. YouTube content is not appealing enough for this. Why not just get a Mac mini or similar slim system connect the TV and get all benefits, music collection, photos, movies….etc.

  17. Joey

    January 8th, 2008 at 2:55 am

    How many of us Internet junkies wouldn’t want this type of set up or like the one seen with this guy http://www.techavid.com/internetTV.php

  18. uploadchoice

    January 8th, 2008 at 3:41 am

    TV with internet access built in- really would be something amazing, Thanks google!

  19. EdgarPE

    January 8th, 2008 at 4:05 am

    Sorry being off topic but where are the tag links on this site? I found them useful!

  20. zaaylo

    January 8th, 2008 at 4:53 am

    Idea is quite good but tough to understand as it is different technology all together, anyways its a good news after all. Thanks Panasonic and G.!

  21. James Gardiner

    January 8th, 2008 at 5:00 am

    I am amazed that the industry has taken so long to get to this position.
    I have been promoting it and predicting it for some time.
    I am VERY happy this has happened sooner than later.
    My blog predictions for 2008 predicted Blu-Disk, GoogleTV and how they are likely to be used. Read more my clicking on my name above.
    Still I would like to add to this that “yes” It will need a browser. I like the PS3 built in browser actually. But Sony just cannot get anything right lately. (For example, the DivX support does not support Xvid which is the MAIN codec used for torrent sites.. And the real reason you want DivX/Xvid Support.)
    Xbox360, right now, is a nice package. However, it will never be open like GoogleTV will be. (Well, as open as I hope GoogleTV will be.)
    Let’s hope that GoogleTV “is” a consumer focused device that we can make do anything we want. And not a “protected from ourselves” like Microsoft and Apple claim is needed. So they can control what we see and do on our systems.
    But yes, a TV is a device unto itself. It should not need a PC to operate but may integrate with one to make the experience better. It must not rely on any other device. It should simply be turned on and work. Just like a TV of today!!!!

    This could be a great step forward to the next generation of mass acceptance of digital content via online sources. Hell, I predict it will be if executed correctly.

    James

  22. Trog

    January 8th, 2008 at 6:11 am

    Sounds like the start of Teleliving.

  23. man

    January 8th, 2008 at 6:25 am

    Then we will have yahoo enabled televisions, msn enabled televisions, youtube enabled televisions, facebook enabled televisions, hi5 enabled televisions, baidu enabled televisions and it will never EVER STOP

    who’s at the head of marketing? they should get fired for such idiotic ideas. Oh and after televisions, its going to go where? Cellfones? Toasters? in car satelittes? in the RFID chips inplanted into us int he future? where’s this advertising extension into our lives going to end?

    we gotta stop for a moment and see that we were born like a money farm. we are born to pay for education, food, housing, insurance. what are we? are we a hord of sheep taken care of just to be slayed? money cows? sigh. ill just go have my cup of tea and stfu.

  24. Jimmy Daniels

    January 8th, 2008 at 7:24 am

    Ya, this is crazy time for me to switch careers, there will be a big demand for older TV’s once the Google enabled start collecting your data of what TV shows you watch and combining that with all the other info they have on us. Sounds like a marketers dream. How long before they are showing their own commercials in place of the network commercials and giving the networks their small cut. I don’t even look at youtube on my PC, why would I want to see the crappy videos on my big screen?

  25. Fabian Schonholz

    January 8th, 2008 at 7:31 am

    Why on a TV when you can PROJECT on a wall. TV Sets are a thing of the past. TV Networks are disappearing before our very eyes.

  26. Stevee Stone

    January 8th, 2008 at 8:00 am

    A case of obviously idiotic reporting. A GTV will certainly have youtube capability, but more importantly it will be a SEARCH device.

    D’oh.

  27. VelvetRaven

    January 8th, 2008 at 9:31 am

    I really don’t see the point, unless the TVs are going to be so heavily subsidised that the retail price will come in significantly lower than an average media centre PC.

    Me, I’d rather have a Rock Meivo
    http://www.rockdirect.com/view.....Name=MEIVO

    Yum!

  28. dan

    January 8th, 2008 at 9:45 am

    Its about time really, though with consoles going after this space, along with apple TV and every other tech/media provider it should be interesting to see who shapes the future the most. Apple TV seemed like a winner but hasn’t gone very far, the 360 has everything but surfing which seems odd, Google in yer LCD screen, sure why not.

  29. one campaign

    January 8th, 2008 at 10:24 am

    The Google boys never cease to amaze me with their ingenuity.

  30. vhxn.com

    January 8th, 2008 at 11:21 am

    It’s interesting , Google they are enetering into all cool

  31. Saim Baig

    January 8th, 2008 at 11:26 am

    Nice idea,google always comes up with great things.Now youtube in your tv lounge is awesome.

  32. enuff ads

    January 9th, 2008 at 2:28 am

    i already have enuff ads on my tv, no thanks.
    #31,
    yeah, i wud love to see high quality video of how the random guy swallowed an egg.

    anyhow on serious note, browsing(searching/selecting) videos on TV is difficult(i think), moreover i like to switch back while watchig videos or traced from elsehwere.

  33. Grant

    January 9th, 2008 at 9:03 am

    Building this capability directly into a TV is a terrible idea. TVs are not like cell phones that you replace every 2 years (I still use a high definition projector I purchased in 2000). The software and hardware for the Internet capability is changing so fast that you’ll likely want to (or have to) upgrade in a few years. What do you do with your TV then?

  34. cbo

    January 10th, 2008 at 11:05 am

    great idea, if they make it user friendly (smart combination with rc, navigation) it will be more interesting than MS media center (too complex).

    People will use dummy proof, simple technology like sms, cell phone, senseo cofee makers, memeory sticks, ipods.

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