Google TV?

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by jm9843

Forgetting that Android Market is coming for it soon, it's still not a bad value proposition for $300.

Honestly that is the fail part for me I mean $300 is too steep for average (most) consumers to spend on a technology like this. It comes down to the same hinderance Sagetv,WMC has why would someone spend that kind of money when they can get their cable/satellite box for free. Most won't.

$300 is about $150 too steep imho at best. I am really shocked by the want for this as most newer tv's have most of this features built into them already (less the search).

To me it is like AppleTV will fit a nich number of people but at least appletv is affordable.

[stuckless]

I'm not sure that logitech's implementation of GoogleTV will be that impressive, but as a platform, it holds lots of potential.

Google is big enough that they can attract better integration with dish, and other stb providers. Today, it may be lame, but I think in a couple of years, it could get decent platform on which to build and deploy tv apps.

Android has a platform is a good platform on which to start, since you get to take advantage of the underlying permission system, application isoloation, etc. Companies that decide to write an android app for a phone may only have a moderate amount of work to do, in order to get it deployed to a tv as well.

The universal search and web browsing is not really all the impressive to me, but it is cool how an application can contribute to the search results in a universal search. ie, if I write a Sage APP, then that app can now declare itself to contribute to the search results in the universal search.

For, because I do 90% of my tv watching in a single room, then I could see using google tv with a bunch of plugins, on top of my existing STB.

I'm currently in the process of writing a couple of Android apps, so I'm looking forward to seeing the TV market opened as well.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

Honestly that is the fail part for me I mean $300 is too steep for average (most) consumers to spend on a technology like this. It comes down to the same hinderance Sagetv,WMC has why would someone spend that kind of money when they can get their cable/satellite box for free. Most won't.

$300 is about $150 too steep imho at best. I am really shocked by the want for this as most newer tv's have most of this features built into them already (less the search).

To me it is like AppleTV will fit a nich number of people but at least appletv is affordable.

I totally agree that $300 is too steep... but as the first of kind unit (ie there are no other google tv devices), logitech has to recoup their investment costs. A year from now, we'll probably see $99 units. The first AppleTV units were $250 (that's what it was when I bought one). (I also paid around $270 for my HD100 by the time I did conversion, taxes, duites, etc)

I'm not in for $300, but I'll definately buy a device once they come down to the $150 mark, I'll pick one up... if for no other reason than as a development testing platform.

[madpoet]

I really, really wish they had Hulu. As much as I appreciate having Playon to combine stuff, the quality is really not that good even on max settings. If I could have native Amazon, Netflix, and Hulu I'd buy the box.

[jm9843]

Google TV is, I think, Google placing their bet on an AllVid type system eventually being mandated by the FCC.

What we're seeing now is the humble beginnings (like the G1 released on T-Mobile almost two years ago) of this platform being embedded on millions (eventually billions) of TV's or devices connected to TV's. This will happen for the same reason that Android is proliferating on other devices: it's "as good" or better than the competition and it's free.

With an AllVid type system in place, Google TV becomes the conduit for any and all digital content imaginable. i.e. this is going to be big.

Of course, Google likes this because it puts a lot more people on the web, for a lot longer than they are now, doing a lot more searches, making Google lots more money.

[Brent]

I think with GoogleTV, Google is "throwing the spaghetti on the wall" to see what sticks as always. I find it interesting, and yes it has some potential. But I'm really not excited about it so far. I have Netflix, Pandora and a bunch of other online content available to me on my Panasonic TV. And I hardly every use those features. I can see how integrating it could be useful and change habits, but there's a lot going against it at the moment. The thing that drives Google to do this is their goal to get Android in as many devices as possible. And we will begin seeing GoogleTV in more TVs soon which makes Google very happy.

I guess time will tell. I'll be watching the FCC's next moves very, very closely in the next many months. That could give us a true glimpse of whats to come for TV. It could mean the end of CableCard or it could mean no change.

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Brent

I think with GoogleTV, Google is "throwing the spaghetti on the wall" to see what sticks as always. I find it interesting, and yes it has some potential. But I'm really not excited about it so far. I have Netflix, Pandora and a bunch of other online content available to me on my Panasonic TV. And I hardly every use those features. I can see how integrating it could be useful and change habits, but there's a lot going against it at the moment. The thing that drives Google to do this is their goal to get Android in as many devices as possible. And we will begin seeing GoogleTV in more TVs soon which makes Google very happy.

I guess time will tell. I'll be watching the FCC's next moves very, very closely in the next many months. That could give us a true glimpse of whats to come for TV. It could mean the end of CableCard or it could mean no change.

I guess, being a developer, I have a different hope/perspective. When I joing the SageTV brotherhood, I did so, mainly because they contained a decent environment on which to extend their product, adding features, etc.

GoogleTV, being based on Android, provides me with the same great features. It'll be interesting to see where my future interests lie, since, I don't use SageTV as a PVR... I use it to distribute movies (and someday, music), throughout my house. Both of those things can be done using Android... The next couple of years will be interesting. GoogleTV is not competing with SageTV as a PVR (nor will it ever), but it is competing with Sage as a platform to deliver online content (netflix, hulu, youtube, etc) and local movies from the your fileserver.

While a $300 distribution box is pricy... so was the first HD100 that I bought as well

I think sage would be wise to have a Sage App ready when the Google TV market opens. It would cut into their hardware sales, but, it would provide a great avenue to sage media to a google tv enabled set. The integration between a GoogleTV enabled box and Sage would be much more user-friendly than the current integration between GoogleTV and Dish.

[Brent]

You make an excellent point Sean. And yes, I also hope to see SageTV develop towards a SageTV Android App.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by Brent

You make an excellent point Sean. And yes, I also hope to see SageTV develop towards a SageTV Android App.

Ipad/Iphone first

(Going back in my whole)

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by Brent

And yes, I also hope to see SageTV develop towards a SageTV Android App.

Considering there is already a third party Android app and that Sage hasn't made an iOS one, I'm not seeing that happen... Now a native Google TV app to bypass the need of an extender, I could see that...

[Brent]

Originally Posted by PLUCKYHD

Ipad/Iphone first

(Going back in my hole)

Troublemaker! I imagine the SageTV powers that be have a nice punchlist of to-do's. Hopefully BOTH of those items are on there.
Android App
iOS App
And for those who think they need it.... Windows 7 Phone app.
You never know I guess.

[Brent]

Originally Posted by Fonceur

Now a native Google TV app to bypass the need of an extender, I could see that...

I guess that's what I meant really.

[bcjenkins]

From my perspective:

1) Video conferencing. I could make use of this for work and family.
2) Applications. I have yet to make an upgrade to blu-ray and would look forward to the all the builtins listed above
3) Easy access to web. There are times when I would find it somewhat convenient
4) Native SageTV integration. I wouldn't replace all of my extenders, but I would replace at least one if it was supported natively. I think SageTV would actually be able to build their own version eventually as well.

B

[TechJunkie]

Logitech has stated that the $300 price tag is mainly for the remote. How many of us have paid $100+ for a Logitech remote? Yes I know you can find bottom of the line Logitech remotes for $50 now but those do not even have a screen. SageTV HD300 + Logitech Universal Remote = $250+
Logitech Google TV with a Full keyboard Universal Remote = $300

Not much of a cost differance for people jumping into this.

[autoboy]

I see it in much the same way as stuckless probably because I'm also a developer.

The logitech solution is just their first stab at it, and it is designed to be a universal remote with GoogleTV. I don't need the remote functionality so it doesn't interest me.

But, GoogleTV will be an operating system for other devices. Blu-ray players, TVs, set top boxes, maybe even DVRs. In those devices, you will be getting GoogleTV essentially for free. That is where the potential lies here.

I also think that Apple is trying to do a similar thing, but their closed system will be much more of a walled garden, and the devices that iOS runs on will be limited to Apple devices. The AppleTV is as capable as a GoogleTV set top box. If it opens itself to Apps, which is likely, then AppleTV will also have a TV OS in the same vein. In essense, the AppleTV and GoogleTV are the same devices as a general concept, but their respective strategies are very different. GoogleTV will fragment into lots of different boxes, each with their own different UIs but based on the same general platform, while AppleTV will have identical UI no matter if it is on a Apple branded TV or their set top box.

It is a duplicate of the phone wars, and just like the phone and PC wars, there is room for both strategies. I'm eager to see how this pans out. My $s will probably be going to GoogleTV because of its open platform.

If SageTV is to remain relevant in the next 5 years, I think they MUST develop for GoogleTV. There is nowhere else to go in the standalone media player market. The HD300 is a nearly perfect implementation of the media player. But, the big boys have entered the set top market, and the fragmentation we see today will start to disappear. SageTV could be the go to app for DVR capabilities on a GoogleTV set top box. And they could do it relatively easily. Build in CableCard support, and build a GoogleTV app to interface with the server, and you'll have an unbeatable combination for DVR functionality. Once TV goes completely streaming, then I have no idea where SageTV goes...

[brainbone]

Originally Posted by autoboy

If SageTV is to remain relevant in the next 5 years, I think they MUST develop for GoogleTV.

That, or SageTV could develop both a GoogleTV app and their own GoogleTV STB once GoogleTV is open sourced (summer 2011).

Assuming GoogleTV will work that way I think it will, I'd pay $30 for a GoogleTV app that allows it to natively play/search/schedule recorded and live TV from a SageTV server. I would also be willing to pay up to $200 for GoogleTV STB, including a remote keyboard / trackpad. So, if SageTV offered a GoogleTV STB for $200-$230, I'd probably buy it.

[autoboy]

I'd rather have my Blu-ray player running GoogleTV and a $30 SageTV app. I'd probably pay a lot more than $30 for SageTV too.

[bjkiller]

i think good idea for sagetv, in relation of googletv.
1) to make one search includes all video/epg/etc/web properties Android style
2) integrate web browser into client/extender
3) to make Android placeshifter
4) to sell server hardware (small box with sagetv server) with web configuration interface...like UnRaid did.

[Suntan]

Call me old fashioned, but I’d be happy to just get native Netflix playback on the existing extenders I have.

Better/native support for internet content is all that I find lacking in Sage at this point. Personally, I don’t see much merit in adding “all that other stuff” that people seem to think googletv will give them.

Yeah, if “Powered by GoogleTV” or “GoogleTV inside” becomes ubiquitous on all new hardware (be it TVs or BR players, etc.) then I agree it would just make sense for a SageTv app to be made available (assuming they could even get the permission to run Sage in its current form as a GoogleTV app) but I don’t see this compelling need right now. Or that it is accurate to say something like “Sage needs to do this to stay relevant...”

Although I will keep an open mind that perhaps my opinion will change once I see some of these upcoming, amazing, whiz-bang “Apps” in action; I can’t say as I’m waiting on the edge of my seat. I had quite a few years with a PC hooked to the plasma. I had all these x86 based “Apps” just sitting there able to be installed and never bothered, at the end of the day, all I really want from my TVs is the ability to watch some TV shows and movies.

As for the $300 Revue being a good “addition” to an existing HD300, I question that. Personally, I wouldn’t justify a $300 Revue when I could put a $100 Roku next to the HD300 and get all the same (important) functionality.

-Suntan

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by Suntan

Better/native support for internet content is all that I find lacking in Sage at this point. Personally, I don’t see much merit in adding “all that other stuff” that people seem to think googletv will give them.

I think that perhaps you don't understand what google tv is? Given that it's an open platform on which people can buid tv enabled apps. I think that given time, you'll get plenty of online content, since different providers will bring their apps to the google tv platform. Just like we are seeing people bring their online content apps to the iphone/ipad and the android phones, we'll see them bring it to google tv as well.

Yeah, if “Powered by GoogleTV” or “GoogleTV inside” becomes ubiquitous on all new hardware (be it TVs or BR players, etc.) then I agree it would just make sense for a SageTv app to be made available (assuming they could even get the permission to run Sage in its current form as a GoogleTV app) but I don’t see this compelling need right now. Or that it is accurate to say something like “Sage needs to do this to stay relevant...”

Who's permission do they need, exactly? The Android market is not the iphone market... If Sage writes the app, then they put it in the market.

Although I will keep an open mind that perhaps my opinion will change once I see some of these upcoming, amazing, whiz-bang “Apps” in action; I can’t say as I’m waiting on the edge of my seat. I had quite a few years with a PC hooked to the plasma. I had all these x86 based “Apps” just sitting there able to be installed and never bothered, at the end of the day, all I really want from my TVs is the ability to watch some TV shows and movies.

I think it's safe to say that all the "PC based Apps" were not made for a TV, and they simply don't deliver the user experience. It's the same reason that MS will never make it in the tablet market, simply by putting windows7 on a tablet. Sure the apps will run, but they are not usable. So, running a desktop app on your plasma screen is not even a close comparison to what you could expect from native tv apps delivered from google tv.

It's going to take a couple of years or more for this to happen, but once it does, I think it will be a great platform to deliver apps and widgets to a TV... and having a SageTV app would certainly be very sweet.