Google asks partners to delay Google TV launch

By on Dec 20, 2010 at 8:29 AM
General December 20, 2010

According to a report in The New York Times Monday morning, Google TV might not be ready for primetime. Google TV is Google’s attempt at a next-generation WebTV service β€” a combination of television and the Web meant to expand and enhance the viewing experience. But the initial iteration of Google’s service seems just as half-baked as WebTV was in the mid-1990s. Google reportedly wants more time to refine the software, which has not been well received by reviewers or early adopters. Sony and Logitech both have products out to market already, but Toshiba, LG and Sharp were all set to show off new Google TV products at the Consumer Electronics Show next month. Google has apparently asked the companies to hold off so it can “refine the software.” The report does not address whether or not the companies agreed to hold their Google TV offerings, though changing plans would be anything but easy at this point. CES kicks off in less than three weeks on January 6th.

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18 Comments

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  • Anonymous

    By “refine” I would also think they mean, “come to an agreement with networks so you can actually see content on your tv”.

  • http://hurmoth.com/ Hurmoth

    I think this is a good move for Google. They should have done more testing with focus groups before releasing it to OEMs, but at least they’re willing to make the necessary changes so that it isn’t a flop. In my opinion, that’s a sign that whomever is over this project actually cares about what his company puts out. Kudos to whomever made this call!

    • Anonymous

      Have you actually seen this thing in action? It didn’t require a focus group to see its problems, just a single non-geek to actually use it. A full keyboard remote with a trackpad? A sony remote with 50 buttons on it? When have consumers ever responded to such things?

      • http://hurmoth.com/ Hurmoth

        I think you missed my point entirely. And yes, it does need a focus group. Non-geeks aren’t going to be able to give good feedback without using the product. Just looking at something doesn’t get good feedback.

  • Goofan (aka Apple Hater)

    That’s probably Apple making sure that Google can’t launch this service. I am telling you! I am getting fed up with Apple. Everything that’s wrong in the world today is tightly represented by Apple. All that’s good in the world is represented by Google.

    • Chut Pata

      Apple=Outrageously high price but high quality . Microsoft=high cost and no quality (blue screen of death). Google=acceptable quality and almost no price. The only problem with Google is, it does not have an operating system for PCs. The day they do it, they sink the titanics of both Microsoft and Apple.

      • Simon Stark

        Microsoft = BSOD? Really? Do you live in 1998?

      • uDummy

        Christ on the cross have any of you not learned to not reply to Goofan? you just got trolled son… and Fanboy trolled at that.

      • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_BHMB52ZFMATI5KS7D4JT6UU7NA Eric W

        They have Chrome OS….well it’s not out to the public. But I wouldn’t want a computer that has everything in the cloud, so for now I say let them keep it.

      • Goofan (aka Apple Hater)

        That’s right! I can’t wait for the day when Google is 100% of ALL tech. Think about it! I will love the day when all our computing/personal info and MORE is owned and known by 1 entity! And because they are a representative of God in our planet (they don’t do evil) the world will be a much better place. We will convince the world that monopoly in this case is good.

  • http://www.google.com/profiles/johnpolacek John Polacek

    I hooked up my Logitech Revue (with Google TV) yesterday, and so far it is working great. The only problem was that the initial install failed halfway through (during the firmware updating process), but the thing just booted up again and continued from where it left off until it eventually worked. I haven’t used Apple TV or Boxee or any of those other ones, so I can’t speak to how it compares.

    • MicroNix

      I tried it yesterday too from a friend who was going to return it anyway. I was *not* impressed at all. You can see where they want to go with the device, but I agree totally with Google….it is not ready for prime time.

      The device is a snap to setup. And you *can* eventually get to where you want to go. But just not quite there. I also want my content full screen no matter where I’m getting it from too and not have to click something native to where its getting it from (aka YouTube) to make it full screen. Detect that there’s a video playing and make it full screen…after all, that’s why you are hooking it up to your big screen and not a PC.

      I would be very interested to see a review of the differences with Apple TV. Normally Apple products are fairly polished when they are released, but I’m not hearing a lot of “gotta have its” regarding it.

  • http://twitter.com/beenswank Β© b e e n s w a n k

    Google TV is a bit half baked.

  • Anonymous

    I’m sooooo not surprised by this.

    It doesn’t take rocket science to see there are a slew of issues that need to be resolved, especially the advertising revenue and metrics recording dilemma. Lets not forget branding issue for networks. And usability is a big issue as well. Too many buttons turn people off.

    I hope Google fanboys are learning that there is more to these than just trying to steam roll screaming latest technology. Thats your world. Google is trying to make this happen in the REAL WORLD. Which means they have to make deals with the networks, and listen closely to critiques of the Google TV failings in its implementation. They then can meet the real needs of the consumers at large.

    I am looking forward to see what these tweaks will be and hope it can make Gtv better.

  • David

    Doesn’t Google have a habit of throwing a lot of things at the wall, just to see what sticks?

  • Anonymous

    Give Google a break, shlt! They make 95% of their profits from search/advertising. You can not expect them to know anything about hardware/software or paid services. What, you (and apparently Google) though they could be an Apple type company? hahahahahahaha

  • Jeff

    I’m so tired hearing people complain about Google TV. I have a Sony Google TV and I love it. Seriously, I can watch TV as I usually do, surf the net, check email, text people from my Google Voice phone number, surf Facebook, Tweet, stream movies live from Netflix, watch YouTube, review pics on my Picasa account, and a handful of other things. I can even click phone numbers I want to dial and it calls my cell phone through my Google Voice account. With the exception of the last item I listed, the majority of people do what I do everyday on their desktop/laptop and I can do it from my couch on a 46″ TV. That’s pretty impressive if you ask me. It will improve with time people and don’t you understand beta and what Google is known for – putting stuff out there and enhancing it.

  • Anonymous

    Google = Search Engine, Web mail, and Maps…
    Beyond that all the other stuff is just a bunch of crap. Don’t say Youtube either; they scoffed that up, it wasn’t their idea…

    FTW, and a big stick up Goofan’s A$$! LMAO

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