This is getting a bit frustrating. It’s like buying a fancy speed boat, only to discover when you get home the local wildlife nuts convinced the authorities to impose strict speed limits. It’s no fun even if it does save an endangered species and doesn’t seem like the restrictions will be lifted anytime soon.

Google TV is this robust and [nearly] fully-functional system but there isn’t a single reason to own one right now. Sure, the system has its fair share of bugs, but if the free web videos linked to by Google TV Search actually played, it would be reason enough for a lot of people to jump on board. Clearly people want the system; our comments prove that. The major content providers of Disney, News Corp, CBS and NBC Universal simply don’t want to give up their content en-mass for free.

It’s hard to blame them really. Google TV kind of popped out of nowhere and said, “Yo, bra. Why don’t you take a break. I got this.” What’s a company supposed to do? Roll over and let Google disrupt their revenue stream as less and less people are staying with pay-TV providers like Dish Network.

Still, unlike other failed Google ventures, Google TV has the backing of at least one notable hardware manufacturer: Sony. The platform isn’t going to simply fad away. That’s not how Sony rolls. The CE company dropped a fair share of money into Google TV. There’s the two product lines, major TV spots, Internet ad campaigns, and very large (and expensive) demo stations at Best Buys nationwide. Sony is Google TV’s rich uncle who invested quite a bit in the young hipster and will not likely let his investment go to waste. He will make something of it.

Still, I wouldn’t buy a Google TV right now. A nettop connected to your HDTV will stream anything you want. Google TV won’t. It’s that simple.

Hold up. Google TV isn’t totally a lost cause and it’s all because of the generosity of Comcast. Fancast, or xfinity as Comcast would like it now to be called, streams just about everything to Google TV: ABC, NBC, Fox, all but CBS shows seem to work just fine. The ironic part is that the content seems to be provided by Hulu itself judging by the logo above all the videos. But let’s keep this on the DL, m’kay? We don’t need the fat cats finding out about this little trick.

There are a few downsides to Fancast, but the benefits easily counter them. It also shows just how shallow the search depth of the Google TV search happens to be. Clearly Google TV has some growing up to do.

All you need to do is change the User Agent. It’s basically the same hack that was used to get Hulu to work on Google TV initially. But once you spend 15 seconds change the setting — and here’s how — all you need to do go to Fancast.com and start watching. Some of the premium content from Showtime and HBO are behind a Comcast paywall but the major network’s content are all available for free. Well, besides CBS material. I tried three different CBS shows and none of them got past the xfinity starting animation. But after two video ads, the rest of the content played just fine for me.

The video quality is also a bit sub-par but YMMV as Fancasts seems to adjust the resolution on the fly. Low-quality is video is better than no-quality video though. Am I right or am I right?

Google TV Search is still the crown jewel of the platform, but users should be able to modify the results. Currently, it searches a bunch of popular video sites but only displays results on the grid guide from major network sites for the free videos and Amazon VOD for the pay-per-view ones. Users should be able to change those to show search results from, say, Fancast.com and Netflix if they so please. Perhaps some content deal is behind the search tool, but it would be infinitely more useful if users could modify it slightly.

There’s good stuff to come from Google TV. That’s for sure, but it’s still a bit rough right now. Hopefully Google keeps at it and doesn’t put it out to die like Wave. (which I used quite a bit actually)

[Update] Sorry, all. The backdoor’s now locked.

We still have questions about the authentication system and if the service will have an open API that will allow developers to build it into streaming software PlayOn or Boxee. Those details will probably drop later, but if Comcast can continue to add premium content online from the big names, they might be onto something. Now, how about Showtime for some Californication and Weeds action.

You can’t blame the cable operators for their plans. They have to pay good money for access to cable stations. Then they, of course, pass along the cost to subs via a monthly bill. The thought is that those people that pay for the content should be able to watch all of it on both their TVs and computers.

Of course the other side is that if you don’t pay for those services, then you’ll be shut out. This authentication system will be used initially on sites like Comcast’s video site, Fancast, but there is always the possibility that it could eventually make its way on to Hulu.

A lot of Hulu’s content comes from the major networks ABC, NBC, and Fox. (CBS doesn’t have any content on Hulu) This is not the programming that Comcast and Time Warner are bitching about. They are concerned about the cable channel’s programming like Comedy Central, FX, Sci-Fi and others. TV Everywhere tackles this problem by placing content from similar, and even more, stations behind the closed walls of an authentication system at Fancast.com.

Comcast’s own video site, Fancast.com, is similar to Hulu in many ways. It offers a lot of the same programming and a similar, albeit not as nice, look. This is because it actually uses a lot of content from Hulu, but is going to be the launch pad for TV Everywhere.

The trial will include 5,000 Comcast subscribes starting sometime this summer. The test will focus primarily on this so-called authentication technology that’s designed to keep the freeloaders out. Not that many people will really care that much as the only premium content that Fancast is going to feature initially is coming from TBS and TNT. The plan is to eventually give access to even more premium content including movies for no additional cost to current Comcast subscribers.

The average consumer is probably content with Hulu’s offering. Many people have left cable companies entirely and supplement their OTA TV with Hulu. It’s great that Comcast wants to offer its customers more Internet video, but I don’t see how it will generate revenue for Comcast and Time Warner unless its adapted by sites like Hulu, forcing people back to the cable companies for their content.