Google TV has entered a new phase with the launch of its own demonstration website (http://www.google.com/tv), a blog covering the latest developments (http://googletv.blogspot.com) and most important, a number of content deals. Three types of content were announced:
• Websites optimized for the TV, covering news (CNN.com, NYTimes.com, USAToday.com), music (Vevo, Pandora, Napster), videos (blip.tv) and entertainment (TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim) as well as Twitter.
• Video-on-demand: named partners include HBO, Amazon VOD and Netflix.
• Applications: CNBC Real-Time (stock prices and news) and NBA Game Time (game results and highlights).
With a launch in the US just around the corner, Google is generating significant buzz about the new product. This is one of Google’s most important product introductions, but success is far from certain. The market for ‘connected TV’ appears ripe for the taking, just as 3D after years of insignificance made a breakthrough with the help of the film Avatar. What’s all happening with Google TV? We lay out the most important developments below:
• 20 May: Google announces Google TV, a software platform for bringing together broadcast and internet on the TV. Partners are Sony and Logitech for the hardware and Best Buy and Dish for the distribution. Specifications include Intel’s CE4100 (processor), Android (OS), Chrome (browser), Flash (file format) and Leanback (TV version of YouTube). A launch of Google TV in the autumn of 2010 on the US market is scheduled.
• 18 June: Logitech announces plans for an OTT box with Google TV.
• 7 July: YouTube Leanback is launched (http://www.youtube.com/leanback).
• 12 July: EchoStar demonstrates a hybrid STB with Google TV for the FCC.
• 12 July: LG says it’s considering a 'connected TV' with Google TV software.
• 22 July: Google demonstrates the user interface, with the added Google Queue (content directory).
• 7 September: Sony demonstrates the Sony Internet TV Powered by Google TV.
• 7 September: Google announces plans for global launch of Google TV in 2011.
• 23 September: Dell unveils plans for a hybrid STB, possibly with Google TV.
• 4 October: a website and a blog are introduced, alongside various content deals.
Google TV (software) will be going up against a whole range of boxes in the coming months, such as Apple TV (no integration with linear TV), Yuixx (Netherlands, Spain), Sezmi (only US), Roku (only US) and the Boxee from D-Link, as well as connected TVs from Philips, Panasonic, LG and others and hybrid set-top boxes from companies such as Samsung (which is making one for UPC) and TiVo (Virgin Media UK and Ono in Spain). The field is still wide open for a winner on the market for connected TV and hybrid set-top boxes (see our commentary ‘Battle starts for OTT market'). Google TV has a good chance thanks to its expanding ecosystem and open character, which will probably make developers more than happy to develop applications. (We have written about this previously, see our commentary 'Your.TV: Waiting for DRM, content and distribution deals’). For distribution, Google only has one operator partner so far: satellite TV provider Dish. The obstacle here is that operators see Google in general as their arch enemy. Still, the Google TV concept shows that this, at least on the TV market, does not have to be the case. A healthy cooperation is possible, where operators can look forward to attracting more customers and lower churn and especially more revenue per customer (ARPU).
In addition to Google TV, various other devices will be reaching the market in coming months, such as boxes from Amino (Freedom), Conceptronic (Yuixx) and Samsung (which is developing a hybrid STB for UPC under the project name Horizon). Google is making an important step with its content deals, as in the end it will be the content that convinces the consumer of the worth of a connected TV.
