Google TV Attempting to Make Another Splash

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New partners have jumped on the Google TV bandwagon and will showcase their goods during CES 2013.

The official Google TV blog reports that partners will be back at CES 2013 once again to showcase a new lineup of products. Google has been struggling to gain market share since the original Google TV platform launched in October 2010, marred by a lack of enthusiasm and support from content owners because they say Google doesn't do enough to curb piracy.

The 2012 show seemed promising, and so far one of the more noteworthy products stemming from the 2nd-generation Google TV platform is the Vizio Co-Star set-top box that's reasonably priced at $99.99 USD. But as we've seen over the past year, manufacturers bringing that "make any TV a Smart TV" experience to the consumer has only done so through pure Android instead of Google's TV platform.

But maybe there's hope yet in getting more Google TV out to consumers. According to Google, new arrivals like Asus, Hisense, TCL and others will show products with Google TV launching in the coming weeks. Existing partners like LG, Vizio, Sony, and others will show off the newest Google TV platform, all showcasing set-top boxes, integrated TVs, and IPTV boxes that will be available across 10 countries this year.

Back in November, Google started talking about the 3rd-generation Google TV platform, reporting that it was rolling out as an update to LG devices and then products from other partners thereafter. The platform now supports voice search, allowing viewers to hunt down movies, sports shows and other content using voice commands. The updated platform also includes PrimeTime which allows users to quickly flip through the "best stuff on live TV, access your favorite channels, see TV shows you recently watched, and find other suggestions based on what you enjoy watching."

"With the updated YouTube app for Android and Google TV, your devices automatically pair so you can play any YouTube video from your Android phone or tablet on your TV with just one button," wrote Greg Funk and Eric Liu, Product Managers. "What’s playing on your mobile device looks even better on your Google TV."

Along with new products sporting the updated Google TV platform, Amazon Instant Video, France24, Dramafever and more content apps will be on showcase so that visitors have a better understanding of what consumers will experience in 2013. These add to the hundreds of TV-optimized apps and thousands of supported mobile apps available on Google TV, Google said.

In 2010, only three products launched with Google's first-generation Google TV platform: the Sony Internet TV (four sizes), the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc Player, and the Logitech Revue. Sony returned in 2012 with the Internet Player and the Internet Blu-ray Disc Player, and was accompanied by LG's SmartTV (47- and 55-inch), the Vizio Co-Star, and just recently the Hisense Pulse.

To see what the new Google TV has to offer, check out the video below. We'll try to hunt down some of these gadgets during the show to give a hands-on about what Google's TV platform has to offer.

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Kevin Parrish

Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then, he’s loved all things PC-related and cool gadgets ranging from the New Nintendo 3DS to Android tablets. He is currently a contributor at Digital Trends, writing about everything from computers to how-to content on Windows and Macs to reviews of the latest laptops from HP, Dell, Lenovo, and more. 

7 Comments Comment from the forums
  • skaz
    Somebody has to break into this market. I'm sick of these cable companies holding back television technology.

    A simple upgrade to set top boxes would improve things dramatically. The user interface for my Comcast box is exactly the same as I remember it when I was a teenager. It amazes me every year when I search to upgrade our box and see that overall, they are the same old thing.

    Huge cable companies have the power to put a small computer in front of our televisions, but they choose not to grasp at this opportunity. Why? I'd gladly pay a little more a month for added functionality.
    Reply
  • bigpinkdragon286
    What the cable companies are providing is working, and at minimal cost to their upkeep. Think of the cost to roll out new equipment and services to grasp at that little more you are willing to pay when the package providers can just continue to raise the rates? From the point of view of the cable company bean counters, it's probably cheaper to stifle innovation than to pursue it. At the same time, not everybody sees the potential opportunities they have. Remember what RCA did with their liquid crystal technology opportunity? Think back to Comcast's purchase of NBC. It's already apparent to some, cable and satellite packages are an antiquated model, and who wants to be phased out as the middle man? So, I would actually expect the big companies to worry less about the little set top business and more about the content control. This article points out that there are already others who are taking up the burden of developing better set top, or built in devices, but these boxes always need two things: content, and the means to deliver that content. He who owns the content and the pipes are the ones who are going to be making the lion's share of the revenue. I wouldn't wait for your cable company to innovate.
    Reply
  • CaedenV
    skazSomebody has to break into this market. I'm sick of these cable companies holding back television technology. A simple upgrade to set top boxes would improve things dramatically. The user interface for my Comcast box is exactly the same as I remember it when I was a teenager. It amazes me every year when I search to upgrade our box and see that overall, they are the same old thing.Huge cable companies have the power to put a small computer in front of our televisions, but they choose not to grasp at this opportunity. Why? I'd gladly pay a little more a month for added functionality.The thing I have noticed when dealing cable companies out my way is that they do not want to change for fear of loosing more customers. They figure that most people of my generation or younger are moving towards streaming services that they cannot compete with on price, selection, or quality. Meanwhile, my parents generation (now in their 50s) is the TV generation who grew up on cable being the 'cool' thing to have, and they will only leave when major changes are made. It is not about what is 'easy to use' it is about educating a whole generation of die-hard cable TV addicts on how to use newer services... and if they learn the new services then they can learn how to do Netflix, Hulu, or Prime, and then there is a real fear of loosing that generation as well.
    So if they have already lost my generation, and changing things will make them loose their current customer base, then it is (sadly) best for them to keep their current model until it dies out entirely.
    Reply
  • warmon6
    skaz I'd gladly pay a little more a month for added functionality.
    Well, I might as well recommend using an HTPC with tv tuners (that use cablecard/M-card if you want to view premium channels).

    Pros: the fees are a little lower as your only using the card instead of a box.
    Storage Capacity can be adjusted by you. 4+ TB anyone?
    Depending on the media software you use, you can add as many tuners as you need.
    You can add OTA channels to your pc while receiving QAM, Cable-card, and Analog signals. (all need to be on different tuners.)
    Some media software allow you to change it to fit your needs. Hulu, Netflix, ect, can be added.

    Cons: No pay-per-view
    No interactive On-Demend channels.
    If you recorded a premium channel, you can only watch the recording on the computer that recorded it (or so I hear but I can't confirm that.)


    I'm pretty sure that there a few more con's but I still think the Pro's out weight the con's. :)

    I'm running a small setup right now, running just 1 tuner (receiving QAM) and 750GB HDD since April, my family been liking the idea of a computer recording there shows. Well more than like, actually..

    Lately, they been recording so much stuff that I'm going to need to buy another tuner or 2 (to reduce the recording conflicts) and more storage (less than 150GB) here soon. :lol:
    Reply
  • newbie_mcnoob
    Google had an opportunity to get a large foothold in the TV box business when they bought Motorola Mobility. Instead they decided to sell off the set-top box division and keep the cell phone division.
    Maybe Google didn't want to get caught up in the mess of politics with the cable companies, or didn't want to invest in building new cable boxes with new software.
    Personally, I think it was a mistake for them to sell off the set-top box division, but who knows, maybe a separate Google TV or Apple TV box will catch on.
    Reply
  • JOSHSKORN
    warmon6Well, I might as well recommend using an HTPC with tv tuners (that use cablecard/M-card if you want to view premium channels).You beat me to it. I have an InfiniTV4 card installed onto my computer. I can record up to 4 shows at once. One of these days, I will build a dedicated HTPC. Waiting for a few things in the market to change. Currently I liked the nMedia Red Wood 8000 box but I'm waiting for the front ports to have USB 3.0 functionality. Being able to copy recordings via Thunderbolt connection to an external drive is another thought I had, and a motherboard with the 802.11ac standard embedded. Maybe this or next year. Hopefully, NMEDIA will upgrade the box.
    Reply
  • g00fysmiley
    i cut the cable a few months back, $8 for hulu plus, netflix and amazon prime means i have access to alot of content, my parents gave me thier comcast info since they don't do much streaming and i use thier accoutn info for ESPN on my ebox, and have a nice made in america leaf amplified antenna so i get 12 channels in HD from over the air. couldn't be happier with it, i watch tv much more now than i used to.. some of my fav shows liek on viacom networks like comedy central i can stream for free anyway without a cable account, hope google gets on it and improves thier service though if i had the option of buying just a few channels for cheap i would probably just shell out to support comedy central, hgtv, diy and food network
    Reply