Google's battle with Apple intensifies
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While the seamless integration of the Web and TV is the holy grail of home entertainment and efforts to get there have been on-going for some time among a range of media powerhouses, Google's recent announcement about its plans in this realm has got a lot of people's attention.
Beginning this fall, select home entertainment devices will bring Google into your living room. The Web Giant has some high level partners participating with them. Dubbed "Google TV", the internet-enabled TV platform working with Intel (and its new Atom Processor), run on the Android operating system and will come preloaded on some Sony HDTVs and Blu-ray players, and a Logitech set-top box that will also feature the service. Using an on-screen Google search box, users can type in what they are looking for and find it, either on the Web or through their TV.
The battle for the hearts, minds and eyeballs of billions of tv viewers around the world including Americans who spend nearly five hours a day observing the Tube, plus many of those same viewers who now access the web on phones and computers, the potential to increase both the quality viewing experience and interactive options, makes this conversion a highly prized emerging market.
All devices running Google TV must have Wi-Fi and Ethernet built in. It offers integration with an existing cable or satellite set top box using HDMI, and comes with an infrared blaster to control them. The hardware will also include a dedicated GPU, surround sound, a keyboard, and a pointing device.
Video content will be drawn from Netflix, Amazon Video On Demand,and YouTube, and the device will be capable of running apps from the Android Market. An integrated search is designed to help viewers find content over the air, and through pay-TV channel listings, DVR and the internet. A home screen will enable viewers to personalize their TV viewing experience.
In introducing Google TV, a company video said, "It's basically an entertainment hub that searches all of your channels, recorded shows, YouTube, and other websites" .But the success of Google TV could very well lie in the strength, commitment and importance of the partnership with Sony, Intel, and Logitech.
Howard Stringer, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Corporation said, "I am delighted to announce the unique alignment of Google's rapidly growing, open source Android platform with Sony's unparalleled expertise in the field of TV design and technology. The addition of 'Sony Internet TV' will further bolster Sony's comprehensive TV lineup and will fuse new levels of enjoyment and interactivity into the TV experience."
Gerald Quindlen, President and CEO, Logitech explains why his firm signed on to help develop the new device: "We committed to Google TV early on because it aligns with our strategy to support open platforms that enable new immersive experiences in the digital living room. While Google TV enables seamless discovery of all your content, Logitech enables seamless control over how you experience that content. We look forward to continued collaboration with Google and the developer community to create new Google TV experiences that have yet to be imagined."
Meanwhile, rival Apple has not been sitting idle.
According to a report by industry observer Engadget, the next version of Apple TV is well along in its development. The device is said to be based on the 4th generation iPhone, similar in size and will have 16GB of storage and 1080p HD output. Without a touch screen and with minimal ports - power and video output. Aiming to retail for under $100, there will be an option to utilize a Time Capsule as an external storage component, but the main course will be about streaming.
It is of course all a work in progress. Last September, the company dropped the low-end 40GB Apple TV, but presently Apple TV costs 229 U.S. dollars with 160GB of storage. Still, despite the updated version coming with a redesigned main menu aimed to make navigating content simpler and faster and allowing users to watch iTunes Extras and iTunes LP content in full screen on their TV, the set top box market is quite small compared with the other categories in which Apple competes, such as media players, computers and smart phones.
The battle in the tv-web field is just another market in the technology sector that Google and Apple are competing in. For example, Google's Android mobile operating system competes with Apple's iPhone; Google's forthcoming Chrome OS will see the company enter the traditional PC space; and the Chrome browser competes with Apple's Safari. Moreover, both companies recently made large mobile advertising acquisitions.
While Google haven't announced any partnerships with major cable outlets, in a statement, the firm said that while the device is designed to work with any TV operator the user experience will be "fully optimized when paired with DISH Network".
Charlie Ergen, chairman, DISH Network, sees Google TV marked the next evolution in television. "Only DISH Network Google TV customers will be able to enjoy a unified search across TV, DVR and web; easily find related content; and manage their entire TV viewing experience. Additionally, the advanced integration will allow developers to create new and exciting applications to enrich the TV viewing experience."
Though there's nothing revolutionary about Google's new television platform, the company announcement does aim to standardize the platform used by Internet-connected TV manufacturers, which includes creating an integrated solution for popular services like Hulu and Netflix and updating Twitter feeds.
That road to standardization is also designed to simplify a household's web-connected living room, by decreasing the number of devices needed to purchase and use, not by adding more.
But the likely result of this latest development from Google, is that it places the ball back in Apple's court as the competition should be good news for all consumers. It's going to force Apple to take Apple TV to another level.
