Google TV gets official

By on May 20, 2010 at 12:44 PM
Breaking May 20, 2010

google-tv

Combining the web and TV in an orgy of awesome, today at I/O 2010, Google announced Google TV. With the goal of mashing together the web and TV without accepting compromise, Google is hoping to let people take advantage of the biggest and best screen in their house. Check out all of the features after the jump! We promise it’s awesome.

The Quick Search box lets you search both TV and the web at once.

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If you see a show you love, you can record it if your Google TV is hooked up to a DVR.

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If what you want isn’t on TV, you’ll be able to purchase if from places like Amazon or Hulu. As Google puts it, “the transition from TV to web is seamless.”

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For the times you aren’t sure what you want to browse, hit up the home screen and then check out Google’s suggestions based upon what you’ve watched before.

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You can access any videos the web has to offer, all from the comfort of your living room.

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But it’s not all about YouTube… You can bookmark your favorite sites and dive straight into your favorite content.

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Missed something important like the State of the Union Address? Just look it up with Quick Search and watch it at your leisure.

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Sports fans will love Google TV. You can check out box scores, monitor your fantasy league, etc. While you’re watching the game, you can keep track of the box score thanks to picture-in-picture. You can also check out what people are saying about American Idol contestants on Twitter while watching the show (not that we’re suggesting you hip cats actually watch AI…)

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Since every advertiser has a website, ads can now be more interactive.

Bookmarks aren’t limited to website. You can bookmark your favorite TV channel.

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Google says Google TV is awesome for photo sites like flickr, as well as streaming music sites like Pandora.

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If you’re worried that your set-up won’t play nice with Google TV, Google says worry not. All you need is Wi-Fi or an ethernet cable and a HDMI cable to hook up your Google TV box your cable box / PVR. Google TV boxes come standard with a keyboard. This keyboard comes and “pointing devices.” You can use a built-in mic that lets you search by voice. You can also control Google TV with your smartphone. If you’re watching something on your Android smartphone, you can shoot it straight to your TV and watch it from there if you’re suffering from eye-strain.

Google TV runs on Chrome, Flash and Android. You will be able to search and run your favorite Android apps on Google TV.

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You can push apps to Google TV from your computer.

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Developers will be given web app and Android app frameworks. This means developers will be able to optimize their websites and apps for a “great Google TV experience.”

As for YouTube Lean Back, friends can push their favorite videos to your Google TV for you to check out. When new videos are uploaded to channels you subscribe to, they’ll automatically be downloaded to your Google TV.

If they chose, sites will be able to allow users to record content straight to their PVR.

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Developers will be able to syndicate search results into the Quick Search bar to search within apps.

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Sony will be launching a full line of TVs with integrated Blu-ray players. They will be powered by Intel.

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Logitech will be offering a companion box. It, too, is powered by Intel.

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Google has teamed up with the Dish Network. Dish subscribers will have their content “seamlessly integrated” into Google TV.

Best Buy will retail the Google TV devices.

Dying for a timeline? As of today, developers can begin to optimize their sites for Google TV. In early 2011, Google will launch the Android Market for Google TV, the Google TV SDK, and TV web APIs. Then, finally, in summer of 2011, Google TV will go open source.

Okay, folks, it’s now Q&A time. We highly doubt we’ll learn anything Earth-shattering, so please excuse us if the updates die off here.

Before we go… Anyone think Google TV will still be with us in a few year’s time?

UPDATE: Here’s the customary introductory video from Google.

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78 Comments

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  • Bob GRZR

    better than my razr

  • http://www.claypotcreative.com kurt

    What about those that have built a HTPC? Any hope of not having to buy new hardware?

    • Arthur P. Johnson

      Well, if the code gets released a year from now, I’m hoping some kind developer will create a Boxee-type download. Meantime, we can use our HTPCs as always — I mean it’s not as if we can’t already use Google search and run Flash and Hulu and…Boxee.

  • http://www.batechocolate.com/ Conrick

    I just canceled my dish network subscription due to the high prices.
    Imagine how much they will charge for the devices and services.

  • asdf

    I hope I can watch the video on this page on my TV once Google TV comes out.

  • jdubbz

    Dish network!!?? WTF!!? Bad move!! Dish network is gonna be the AIDS/Cancer/bullet to the back of the head for this.

  • Blackberry Bold

    Did I just hear Dish Network with Sony TV? I am sorry, but it’s time to get the hell out of both of them.

  • Ashveratu

    If you have an HTPC, this is useless. I have been using my laptop + 36″ 1080p LCD for all viewing pleasures. Netfix, Hulu, Steam (for gamers) is about all you need. I have been without cable/dish for years now and I hope they all drown in thier overpriced trash.

    • Arthur P. Johnson

      True, but I wouldn’t mind being able to run this UI on my HTPC and see how useful it really is. I love Boxee. If Google TV were put in a Boxee-type download, I might even pay a few bucks to the developers.

    • Cindy

      may just get rid of my cable bill also and just keep my internet and hook my pc up to my tv..I already have netflix.

  • Bob

    Will the Sony TVs once again support CableCard / Tru2Way so we can dump the STB all together?

  • Keith

    Does anyone remember WebTV about 15 years ago, a little company that was giving people access to the internet with a box & keyboard and no computer, then they got bought by Microsoft and then they just killed it. What’s the difference between Google TV and WebTV? Only thing i can see it that Google TV is in the TV (2010) and WebTV was a external box (1995) and Flash was a baby or not even, and webtv play everything (video, music, etc)…

    • Gold Painted Lemons

      You are a know-nothing naysayer. Read up just a LITTLE before you make your ridiculous negative comparisons.

    • asdfghjkl

      Microsoft bought the company, thus kiling WebTV. They can’t buy Google, or just GoogleTV because Google is too smart for that.

  • zbarvian

    I really can’t see this catching on. Most attempts to enhance the features of the television are flops, and consumers don’t really want to deal with them. I for one wouldn’t want to browse YouTube on my tv. The experience is too cumbersome. I can’t see this succeed =/

  • kneemoe

    @Keith – WebTV was never killed, you can still purchase those crappy little units from MSFT (My grandmother has one for email)

  • Gold Painted Lemons

    my word, you people are a little f*cktarded if you are asking “what is the difference between WebTV and GoogleTV”. Did you not read any of the keynotes outside of this article and decide to just fly off the handle or are you really that slow?

    WebTV was made to give people basic internet browsing and email without an expensive computer / monitor. THAT’S IT!

    GoogleTV is a friggin’ multimedia omni-verse, a distribution network and an enhanceable android platform. You will not compose email on it, you will not browse somethingawful.com (i know you morons do), and you will not stop using your computer or smartphone because of it.

    Does webtv have universal search? apps? an interactive ad model? content source matrix?

    Oh and for those of you talking Boxee and HTPC… “…Google TV SDK, and TV web APIs. Then, finally, in summer of 2011, Google TV will go open source”

    –if that doesn’t answer your questions/concerns, you probably had someone build your HTCP for you, so good luck with that.

  • http://www.humor.com.ru Humor

    A new revolution has arrived to a sector that is still not captured by the latest in IT and telecom. Lots of attempts have been made but none has made a huge impact. But it seems this time the story is different as couples of companies are getting together with Google to tear it apart. The sector is none other than what is watched 5 hours on average per day by every American and more than 4 billion people watch it across the world.

  • http://zevkli.in zevkli in

    I hope I can watch the video on this page on my TV once Google TV comes out. :) :)

  • BrianL

    I hope Goodle realizes early adopters, like those on the Green Button, have NO CABLE BIOX to hook up to, nor do we want one. With Ceton, and the HDHRCC comming out soon, how will the google tv box interface with the HDHRCC, over ethernet? Hope so. otherwise, Boxeee gets my money for the Boxee Box.

  • http://bit.ly/geek377 The Geek

    OMG! This is basically a copy of Apple TV. Although this takes Dish and Sony. But ah, is there a world where no body copies Apple?

  • a

    Oh my god!! good point!!
    they’ll know I occasionally stop on America’s Top Model while flipping through channels, just imagine the terror they can instill!

  • Chut Pata

    Since the Patriotic Act, Government already know everything about you. The websites you visit, the people you call, the movies you rent, the books you issue, the channels you watch, your criminal records, your credit history, your employment history, your club memberships, your church memberships, your addresses, your email addresses, your email contacts etc etc. The only problem was, wire tapping without a warrant made the evidence inadmissible in court. Thanks to the eavesdropping act of 2009 which both McCain and Obama supported, the requirement is no more. What world are you living in? Does not sound like I.T.

  • NotAorB

    “If you say that someone is being insolent, you mean they are being rude to someone they ought to be respectful to”

    Why should a be respectful to you? Because you made a stupid comment on the internet? I mean seriously, who cares if they know what I’m watching on TV? If they can offer me a better service because of it, GOOD!

    “If you refer to what someone says or writes as vitriol, you disapprove of it because it is full of bitterness and hate, and so causes a lot of distress and pain.”

    I think your prior comment was more bitter and hateful… and did it really cause you distress and pain? Really? Because b had a good point?

    Just because you use a thesaurus when you comment on the web, doesn’t mean you’re smart.

  • rugbyua9

    Obama is a bigger threat to the US than Google will ever be.

  • rugbyua9

    Obama is a bigger threat to privacy in the US than Google will ever be.

  • Chut Pata

    Dubya, I mean Rugbyua, the act that has already screwed your privacy beyond repair, was passed by Dubya. Obama can not screw anything, then it means Dubya was not thorough in his screw job, left something to be screwed by Obama.

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