Google TV?

[brainbone]

Originally Posted by stanger89

It seems to me that Google has totally failed at getting point across that GoogleTV is "Android for TVs", that it's an OS/Development platform.

I remember people complaining about the opposite on Android. Google was supposedly too focused on the developer and not on the end user. Only geeks would buy Android phones.

To be fair, GoogeTV is not yet a development platform. We have to wait until "early next year" for that.

[autoboy]

TV's last for 10 years or more. The apps or OS built into a TV are not important because whatever they are, even if they are running GoogleTV, eventually the hardware will prove a limitation. That's why I don't think TVs with GoogleTV are where my $ will go. They are too expensive and should be treated as display devices, not sources of content.

I want a BD player that runs GoogleTV as an OS. That will give me access to Netflix, Pandora, AmazonVOD, and any other service that wants to build on the platform. I'm hoping that Vudu will develop an App so I can use their superior movie streaming sevice over AmazonVOD. Any app developer can develop a media player for GoogleTV, so you will have access to all sorts of front ends for watching your stored media. Maybe XBMC develops an app for GoogleTV so you can use thier UI, or maybe you just use the default GoogleTV search for your front end. It's an OPEN platform and you can run any app on it you want. SageTV is not known for it's awesome UI so I doubt, if all I wanted to play was some movies on my server, I would chose to use a SageTV developed app. However, coupled with a SageTV server recording all my content, I would definately use SageTV's GoogleTV app to play my recordings directly on my BD player that I got for $100 on sale one day.

With a BD player running GoogleTV, I can now watch any content I want to. Pop in a BD and I have the best HD picture I can get. Start up the Vudu GoogleTV app and I can watch any new release in HDX 1080p steaming glory. Start up my movie frontent of choice, and I can browse and watch all my backed up movies on my server. Start up the SageTV GoogleTV app and I can access, schedule, manage any content that my SageTV server records. It's a pretty awesome scenario and I think it is entirely possible in the next few years.

There one big problem that I see besides the obvious that GoogleTV isn't anything that I think it is or it doesn't take off. GoogleTV will have to run on a lot of different hardware and it may be very hard to build a universal media player on GoogleTV that can play all the media formats that a HD300 can handle. It would have to work on lots of different chipsets and that could be a major hurdle.

[Suntan]

Aside from chipsets and other harware issues, I see a different issue.

I'd love to see this Utopia everybody keeps describing. One where standard, mainstream vendors like Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic all offer this hardware and google then gives us apps that let us do everything we have aways wanted to do, pay our ripped brs, stream our other content, automatically skip the commercials, etc. Etc.

However I question if *all* these things will occur.
Yeah, google is an 800 lb gorrila compared to Sage, but the media content providers are also big hairy gorrilllas in their own right. And I happen to know they don't agree with a lot of the things I like to do with my media...

-Suntan

[autoboy]

I don't see how any of this affects anything with the media providers. The media providers will still control their content through the streaming media providers, like Amazon, Apple, Vudu, Hulu, and Netflix. Hulu can still choose not to develop an app for the GoogleTV and you'll be forced to watch it through a browser (which GoogleTV just happens to have). Just because GoogleTV provids a platform for developers to create apps for the TV environment doesn't mean that the whole media universe will collapse.

[Suntan]

Originally Posted by autoboy

Just because GoogleTV provids a platform for developers to create apps for the TV environment doesn't mean that the whole media universe will collapse.

Yes... That is what I am suggesting...

Anyway, as a point of reference, DLNA was supposed to be the next best thing to sliced bread for getting media into all the "regular" electronics stuff. How's that working for getting content played back?

Anyone know of a Sony product that will let you stream 24p content, and actually watch it in 24p, via DLNA? PS3 maybe? ...Nope.

Like I said, I'll believe it when I see a sub $150 googletv product that can actually check off all the important media specifications.

-Suntan

[sdsean]

But I guess that's my point... if you and I had this discussion 2 years about smartphones, then I'd be "I just don't get it. I have a phone to talk to people, that's it". But, as much as I hate to admit it, my feelings about a smartphone has changed

Ok 1st off I just want to point out that having apps on your smart phone vs on a TV are 2 very different things. Apps in general are mostly for 2 things, Games/Entertainment & Information (Maps, local info like restaruants, etc). To be honest most of these "apps" are just different UI's for the same content that is on the web already.

On a smart phone, that makes sense, b/c its small, and you find yourself lost and need to know where to go . . or whatever.

But at home, its a completely different animal. "apps" don't hold up as well in the TV world b/c at home those same things are just a laptop or desktop or smart phone away. I don't need Pandora on my TV, its already on my stereo. . .that's good enough.

Now yeah, its nice to have integration, especially for media (as we all know with Sage, playon, hulu, etc). My girlfriend is constantly watching hulu, and recording something and going back and forth via the Sage UI, and that is cool. But to build that currently is a pain. Luckily we have the nice folks at Sage and all our time and energy we spend. But Google waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay far away from that, especially b/c they want to track everything and play nice with all the ISP/STB makers/TV Providers.

On the other hand if the can just get everyone to agree on one or 2 platforms (android), as some else said, then that indeed would be great (thinking about HTTP and HTML standards).

But. . . b/c they are just now getting started and just throwing money at it. . . they are hoping via marketing that other ISP/Cable/Satellite providers will all standardize. . .

I guarantee you they don't even care if it makes a dime. . .they are just trying to see if they can turn the masses onto what we have all been doing for years.

And of course in the mean time they will track everything you do so they can sell you more crap. . . (so much for google's "don't be evil").

I do have to say, going all the way to the low level to build the standard platform / OS is an ingenious way to go about it. . . And of course to do that you have to have money coming out your a$$ to be able to convince everyone you are right. . .

And of course competition is always good, it keeps folks on their toes. . .

But other then maybe a standard platform / com layer for all TVs and other electronic devices to talk to each other via software, I don't think much will happen. . .

[sdsean]

I don't see how any of this affects anything with the media providers. The media providers will still control their content through the streaming media providers, like Amazon, Apple, Vudu, Hulu, and Netflix. Hulu can still choose not to develop an app for the GoogleTV and you'll be forced to watch it through a browser (which GoogleTV just happens to have). Just because GoogleTV provids a platform for developers to create apps for the TV environment doesn't mean that the whole media universe will collapse.

And autoboy you are completely right about this. . .BUT, the content providers themselves may just go make there own NBC widget or whatever (which basically becomes a new channel). Google provides the low level OS, and the NBC can just do it themselves (or pay hulu or whatever). In the mean time, b/c they all will have Google behind them. . .as I said before. . . Google will reallly know everything. . and they will feed that info back to NBC (at a price) so that they can sell you more crap. . .

[wado1971]

For me, GTV is so interesting simply because it has the possibility to bring my current HTPC experience to the masses. I thought the various mediaplayers were going to supply this service but they still seem too fragmented and can't seem to get mainstream enough to make a huge impact. I base this on the simple fact that my father still has no idea what roku is. The success or failure of GTV should be gauged on how this attempt to unify a platform will change the mediaplayer market (not the niche htpc platforms)

As for apps in the living room? Streamed content in the form of Music(pandora), Photos(photobucket), & Video(netflix, etc) will obviously be successful apps. Gaming apps for groups may very well reienvent Hasbro - Monopoly without the cleanup? As for internet search, I could see a live picture in browser search transforming the way I watch the news (which currently involves me setting a hot laptop on my lap in the recliner). Maybe a family calendar app. Oh - a homework app...... distributed by your local highschool which informs me during primetime what my kids should actually be doing - maybe locking out the tv until he answeres todays questions!

[gplasky]

In the app dept. you have to start thinking outside the box. And look at the apps on GoogleTV similar to the plugins in SageTV. So for Google TV how would you like an IMDB app that can look up anything about the current movie or TV program you're playing? And present it in a window while your continue watching your program. Or a MovieTimes app that would let you search from a commercial (remember those?) for a new movie and see if it's playing at your local theater. And what-buy a ticket thru the app for the 2:00 o'clock showing on Sat? Too cool. Look at apps providing for than just another way to stream the same media from a different provider or website. Look at what Google has been doing with it's search engine. It can recognize things and people in pictures and videos. So imagine watching a movie and trying to remember the name of that actor and what was the last movie he was in. Now pause the video, bring up Google video search, have Google outline highlight the various actors on screen and you choose the one you want and it brings back all the info you were looking for.
Again, you don't know what apps you would want on your TV because they're not there yet. And just like on your smartphone, once they are there you'll use them all the time.

I agree that the price for GoogleTV is a little expensive. But then again look at Cisco's Home Video chat device for what? $600? And $25 a month? Where do they come up with these prices in this economy? And with the addition of a video camera GoogleTV does this without a monthly charge.

Gerry

[bcjenkins]

Originally Posted by gplasky

In the app dept. you have to start thinking outside the box. And look at the apps on GoogleTV similar to the plugins in SageTV. So for Google TV how would you like an IMDB app that can look up anything about the current movie or TV program you're playing? And present it in a window while your continue watching your program. Or a MovieTimes app that would let you search from a commercial (remember those?) for a new movie and see if it's playing at your local theater. And what-buy a ticket thru the app for the 2:00 o'clock showing on Sat? Too cool. Look at apps providing for than just another way to stream the same media from a different provider or website. Look at what Google has been doing with it's search engine. It can recognize things and people in pictures and videos. So imagine watching a movie and trying to remember the name of that actor and what was the last movie he was in. Now pause the video, bring up Google video search, have Google outline highlight the various actors on screen and you choose the one you want and it brings back all the info you were looking for.
Again, you don't know what apps you would want on your TV because they're not there yet. And just like on your smartphone, once they are there you'll use them all the time.

I agree that the price for GoogleTV is a little expensive. But then again look at Cisco's Home Video chat device for what? $600? And $25 a month? Where do they come up with these prices in this economy? And with the addition of a video camera GoogleTV does this without a monthly charge.

Gerry

That's a pretty good use case - My son and I were watching The Event the other day and wanted to know if the female villain is Megan Fox. She sure looks like her. Turns out it was Taylor Cole (no thanks to IMDB who doesn't have a picture of her)

B

[stuckless]

Originally Posted by sdsean

On a smart phone, that makes sense, b/c its small, and you find yourself lost and need to know where to go . . or whatever.

But at home, its a completely different animal. "apps" don't hold up as well in the TV world b/c at home those same things are just a laptop or desktop or smart phone away.

So you don't think that having interactive content on a TV is good, at all. Kids interactive content, weather, maps, movie times, pictures, etc... All this is useless on a TV? I would think that many of same types of apps that are useful on a phone are probably useful on a TV as all. Even the STB providers realize that interactive content is a fairly good niche market... My BellTV PVR has complete interactive channel for weather, games, etc... Up until now, I've been limited to what BellTV is willing to put on there... but now, the Sky's the limit (maybe). I just think that Interactive content is pretty worthwhile (and I realize that you don't... but that's ok... we can still get along )

I don't need Pandora on my TV, its already on my stereo. . .that's good enough.

That's nice that your stereo has pandora... mine doesn't.... But to be honest, I'd rather have Slacker Radio or Last.fm... Who knows... maybe I could buy several stereos with each of those functions.... or maybe they'll produce apps for GoogleTV... that would be cool.

And of course in the mean time they will track everything you do so they can sell you more crap. . . (so much for google's "don't be evil").

I tend agree that they have motive here... and it is to sell more ads... I bet in the future, we'll see overlay ads or popup ads on the TV.... and when that Happens, I'll happily get rid of my GoogleTV box

To what extent do they track everything? I mean if I'm using the android browser, does it send every page request to google? That sucks... I guess it's time for me to install Dolphin. Still, given the source code is open, I would have thought my fellow developers would have noticed that in the code, and complained loudly about it I guess that's the drawback of open source code... You just can't trust us open source developers to really look at the code (Someday, I'll learn... Closed is better... Ignorance is bliss)

It's ironic, that the same things that attract me to GoogleTV are the same things that attract me SageTV. Sage is great platform for delivering content, whether it be music, videos or interactive content.

[cncb]

Going back to using a HTPC is looking better to me all the time instead of using a number of "specialized" devices. I love the HD300, but waiting for direct internet services (Netflix, Pandora) is frustrating and probably a waste of time. My blu-ray player has these services but the interface is pretty poor and I don't expect them to be improved. I also don't want 2 devices at each listening/viewing location. I don't see GoogleTV being much different - waiting and hoping your favorite "app" will be added.

I can buy a mini atom PC with full Windows 7 for around $300 and can run any "app" (from a very long list) that I want and that suits my current needs. Worst case I can fire up a browser to watch internet content that might not be handled by Boxee, etc. I can easily install any new software that may come along. I have reversed my opinion on this, but it seems like the way to go for me instead of all this waiting and hoping...

[Suntan]

Well, I’ve never been trying to talk for others, but personally, the ability to stop a show and search for some actress/actor on the TV... ... Not interested.

Ability to stop a commercial (that I wouldn’t be watching in the first place) to check if a movie is showing at the local theater... ...again, not interested.

Ability to track your kids homework? Ehhh, probably an “app” I’d load, but not one I’d buy the box over. Nevermind that the local school “IT” person is actually one of the math teachers, because she just so happens to know more about Excell than the other teachers at the school... So I wouldn’t hold my breath for an App like that coming out of my district.

It would seem that in fact I *do* understand what googletv is going to become (at least as well as any others here) and yeah, my opinion hasn’t changed.

Anyway, if google hitches a ride for free on a Tv purchase some years down the road, no big deal.

If it does become this mythical player that can handle everything and allow me to use it the way I want (Perhaps becoming the Boxee Box that Boxee can’t seem to release) then super. I’ll owe someone a coke.

If it just allows me to do google searches for IMDB entries on my Tv screen or offer me faster ways to buy stuff that has been planted into Tv episodes or shown during commercials... no thanks.

-Suntan

[tmiranda]

I think many people are looking at that big flat screen simply as a device to watch TV on. I'm thinking that it will eventually be a very flexible electronic "helper". If I want to watch a TV show or movie I tell it (voice activated) to play a TV show. If I want to know who that actor is I just ask it. Need to look something up on the internet? Just tell it what you are looking for. Somebody at the front door, it displays who is there. It's just a big display that can be used to do a wide variety of things given the right software.

Sounds like sci fi, but 10 years ago what we do every day with a smart phone would have seemed like sci fi as well.

[autoboy]

This is turning into a glass is half full, glass is half empty argument.

I'm being overly optimistic about GoogleTV and you are right, most of the crap apps I won't be interested in. But, I'm hoping that the GoogleTV is a capable OS and the systems it runs on are capable of advanced and varied codec support.

Reports of the devices that have been announced seem to indicate that GoogleTV is exclusive to Intel Atom powered devices. It's probably the Intel CE4100 which is the same board that powers the Boxee Box. If that is true, I don't see any reason why it couldn't play all the media we are asking for since the Boxee Box is supposed to be the ultimate media playback device.

BTW, I also think the Boxee Box is doomed. I've heard that programming for it is a complete disaster. It might have some initial success, but after a couple years it will be overtaken by other devices like Roku, AppleTV, and GoogleTV.

[calypsocowboy]

As far as an app, I think there is already the taSageTV app for Android, and for what ever reason I thought that allowed streaming of shows, so I'd have to think that the app could be ported to Google TV.

I'm not completely sold, I want to see it in action first, but it could be very powerful depending on the apps.

[wado1971]

Originally Posted by calypsocowboy

As far as an app, I think there is already the taSageTV app for Android, and for what ever reason I thought that allowed streaming of shows, so I'd have to think that the app could be ported to Google TV.

Not to knock the current andriod app (I use it and love it) but it's currently not a placeshifter app and the streaming is still very much beta (I think).

Although, the below 'stolen' text makes me think an app to run placeshifter directly is possible ...... taken from geektonic (brents interview with Jeff)

Brent: Any kind of mobile app like for iPhone or others for placeshifter for instance?
Jeff: "Yes we have looked at that, but with Sling thrown out by Apple for 3g [referring to the fact that Apple/AT&T blocked the use of the Slingbox app for the iPhone to Wi-Fi only] it sort of means the same thing would happen to us. If we’re going to write an iPhone app for SageTV Placeshifter, it would be limited to WiFi. So while we’re definitely looking at the option, we haven’t done it yet. The placeshifter is something someone could write a 3rd party app for, but nobody has yet."

[wado1971]

Another unit from Sony - site says ready 10/15 - Sony G-TV BluRay Player. This doesn't help the price discussion but you get a bluray player and the remote/keyboard looks cool.

[mayamaniac]

I would love for the next HD Extender (HD400) to have GoogleTV built in, probably never gonna happen though.

I don't think SageTV needs internet search or apps. If they can get services like Netflix to work natively, then that's plenty good enough.

By the way, can someone make a QWERTY keyboard remote control that works with SageTV HD Extender.

[Fonceur]

Originally Posted by wado1971

Not to knock the current andriod app (I use it and love it) but it's currently not a placeshifter app and the streaming is still very much beta (I think).

Well, the current implementation simply launches VLC to create the stream for the selected file, and let any available app on the Android phone play it back... The results are dependent on the version of VLC, its parameters and the media player(s) on the phone...