Media & Entertainment Industry Trends, Technology and Research

Google TV (GTV): Android based media powerhouse bringing web to your TV

Posted In New Media, Reviews, Television - By Nitin Narang on Saturday, December 18th, 2010 With 1 Comment

Google is definitely not the first to bring web to TV with similar offerings by Apple, Microsoft and other CE manufacturers (connected TV – Samsung, LG etc) in the past but what differentiates GTV is essentially its open nature and a shift away from the walled garden approach. Google TV brings an open platform build on android, full version support for Flash 10.1 (access ready for existing online content… ipad??), android applications (your phone working as TV remote) and Chrome bringing PC browser capability on your TV with all powerful customized search utility (Google’s forte) to find, navigate and play content from anywhere on the web making your HDTV into a media consumption powerhouse.

Google TV Application Ecosystem

As of now, Google TV is available via Sony internet TV (BRAVIA series), Blu-ray players, Logitech Revue set-top box and Google TV enabled DVR from Dish TV (yet to be launched), while other alliances may open up in future (Samsung, PS3?). Since quality and availability of content still holds lot of significance, GTV has support to access content from video providers (like Amazon VOD, Netflix, Pandora etc) and Broadcasters (Turner broadcasting bringing TNT, CNN) in addition to online media libraries and portals. Yet another interesting dimension is slowly evolving with new generation of android applications starting to make their presence from App stores (TV customized), bringing functionality and convenience to consumers

While Google will find ways to make money through advertisement, it is directly challenging the incumbent pay TV subscription model (plagued with issues of limited content, subscription cost and inability to access general web etc) in the current ecosystem. Google’s new front in content viewing is a big step but it is still early to conclude if Google TV with its baggage of additional cost and current backlash by major studios (News Corp, NBC universal, Disney, CBS and Viacom) will be able to transition itself from early adaptors into a mainstream consumer device; Nevertheless arrival of Google TV has opened up a new segment which will bring in more competition and force industry to further innovate and come back with a winning strategy.