I’ll just say it: Google TV is sinking and taking its crew down with her. The service promised to bring new life to HDTVs when it launched last October. But it didn’t. Big media made sure of it by blocking access to their online streaming, seemingly taking away Google TV’s most novel feature. Without online streaming, Google TV’s awesome search tool is crippled and the system is just an overpriced… → Read More
Looking for a good deal on the Logitech Revue? Amazon has you covered. While I’d caution most from going the Google TV route — especially with the new GTV hardware and changes on tap — there’s no questioning a 33% price drop is huge. Amazon’s new price, assuming it’s not a limited time sale, puts the Revue at the same price point as the Boxee Box. The two are… → Read More
Google announced yesterday that Google TV would be expanding and getting Android 3.1, but aside from some new manufacturers, there wasn’t much to show. Today, though, during another GTV-related developer talk, they showed off the new interface (above) and noted that the remote app API was being open-sourced. That’s nice — hopefully we’ll see more support in universal remote… → Read More
Google’s mantra of launching products early and often didn’t exactly work with Google TV. It hit the ground with a gimped feature set and limited hardware options. The analogy of Android simply hasn’t held true as hardware makers and retail vendors alike simply haven’t picked up the devices. Today, at Google I/O, new hardware partners were announced as well as an updated OS. Google TV might… → Read More
It’s just about that time again. Google I/O is happening next week and just as in year’s past, the company is expected to announce some big things on stage during their two keynotes on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. But what will those things be? Jason and I delve into some predictions for the event, which we’ll both be covering.
But first we take some time to look back at last year’s I/O which… → Read More
Logitech reported making $5 million on the Revue Google TV device. The device, which allows users to browse TV shows in a unique, Android-esque interface, is still a priority at Logitech and, according to their CEO, they are “enthusiastic about Google TV.” → Read More
Back in October of last year, I got my first glance at the Sony Google TV remote. I immediately broke out into a cold sweat and hives. I mean, just look at the thing. Our collective living rooms are already a nightmare of boxes and cords — Sony and Google managed to translate that nightmare into remote control form as well. And now that nightmare is going virtual.
Earlier today, Google … → Read More
The Google TV platform is alive and well. The dev team pushed through an updated to the Logitech Revue and Sony Internet TV products earlier in the week that squashed bugs and updated several features. But the big news is that the updated did not include Android Market. That’s not surprising. I spoke to the Google TV product lead a few weeks back and the official timetable response to… → Read More
The extended cut of the Kevin Bacon Logitech Revue commercial. Yep, 3:33 minutes of Kevin Bacon hawking Google TV. Enjoy. It’s my gift to you. → Read More
The FCC proposed something called AllVid last year, a device that would help deliver “multichannel video programming and Internet content” to whatever it’s connected to. The cable companies freaked out, calling AllVid a one-way ticket to “ignor[ing] copyright, patent, trademark, contract privity, licensing, and other legal rights and limitations that have been thoroughly documented.”… → Read More
Here’s more evidence that regular people have zero time for things like Google TV, Boxee, and Roku, if only because they’re too complicated for their own good. Hill Holiday, a “caffeine-fueled ad agency,” asked five Boston-area families to participate in a cord-cutting experiment. For one week each family was asked to forgo traditional cable TV in favor of one of the following devices: … → Read More
“Well dreams, they feel real while we’re in them, right? It’s only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange.”
Cobb’s quote from Inception reminds me of something. Something going on right now, seemingly all around us. It doesn’t feel like a dream, but increasingly, I’m not so sure. Something just isn’t right. And I believe it’s Google that is doing the dreaming.
Yesterday… → Read More
Editor’s note: Online video is going through many changes as people begin to connect their TVs to the Internet and social sharing over Facebook and Twitter influence what people watch as much as search. In this guest post, Jeremy Allaire, founder and CEO of online video platform Brightcove, gives his view of where online video is going next year. Allaire’s last guest post for us was on the… → Read More
Google TV launched to a storm of piss-poor reviews and first impressions. It feels like a beta product and not something ready for living rooms. But that’s Google’s way. Two months have passed since the Logitech Revue and Sony Internet TV line launched and Google just rolled out the first major software update that at least seems to address some of the early concerns while bringing some new… → Read More
Google TV launched to a storm of piss-poor reviews and first impressions. It feels like a beta product and not something ready for living rooms. But that’s Google’s way. Two months have passed since the Logitech Revue and Sony Internet TV line launched and Google just rolled out the first major software update that at least seems to address some of the early concerns while bringing some new… → Read More
And there it is: Americans now spend as much time on the Internet as they do watching TV. So says a new study released by Forrester Research, which says that people now spend 121 percent more time online than they did only five years ago. What’s probably most significant is that these stats now include people in the 30+ age group; it’s not just college student insomniacs who spend their time… → Read More
It has now been two months since TechCrunch started seeing browsing traffic coming from the Google TV devices. Not surprisingly, this was just about the time of the Logitech Revue launch, the first official Google TV device. Google TV was going to be the device that finally heralded an age of browsing the web in your living room. So how’s it doing? Well, if browsing traffic to TechCrunch is any… → Read More
ESPN has just released a study that sheds some light on people’s cord cutting habits—or lack thereof. Using Nielsen data, ESPN has determined that a paltry 0.11 percent of U.S. households have dropped cable and/or satellite TV over the past three months. That rounds down to essentially nobody in my estimation. Even more interesting is exactly who these cord-cutters are, and they’re not who… → Read More
If anyone can save Google TV, it’s Kevin Bacon playing Kevin Bacon’s biggest fan. Enjoy. → Read More
You don’t need to wait for Google or Apple to bring apps to your HDTV. Samsung’s been serving up custom-made apps via their connected HDTVs for some time now and just hit the 1 millionth downloaded app. That’s a mighty fine milestone for a platform not heavily discussed or marketed. Impressive, yes, but even so that this mark was hit with only 200 available apps, which seems to state that… → Read More
You don’t need to wait for Google or Apple to bring apps to your HDTV. Samsung’s been serving up custom-made apps via their connected HDTVs for some time now and just hit the 1 millionth downloaded app. That’s a mighty fine milestone for a platform not heavily discussed or marketed. Impressive, yes, but even so that this mark was hit with only 200 available apps, which seems to state that… → Read More
Google TV might be in a bit of a pickle if a Best Buy and Sony sale is any indication. The platform launched a few weeks ago with the Logitech Revue and Sony Internet TV. Both are loaded with the same system and so both are suffering the fate of Big Media’s blockade. It’s a sad story, really. Google TV aimed to bridge the span between subscription-based TV and Internet content, but so far said… → Read More
Navigating Apple TV and its various peeks into the presumed future has been a valuable waste of time. For $100 plus an HDMI cable I get to sample various media dead ends including NetFlix, iTunes rental, buy, and streaming options, YouTube, and other stuff I can’t remember right now. In the past, I would have spent more time testing the work arounds for adding podcasts and ripped music to broaden… → Read More
Google TV might be in a bit of a pickle if a Best Buy and Sony sale is any indication. The platform launched a few weeks ago with the Logitech Revue and Sony Internet TV. Both are loaded with the same system and so both are suffering the fate of Big Media’s blockade. It’s a sad story, really. Google TV aimed to bridge the span between subscription-based TV and Internet content, but so far said… → Read More
Almighty Giz has two exciting maps that offer an alternative explanation for the decline in cable and satellite subscriptions in the past year. If you look at the maps, you’ll find that the areas that saw the biggest drops in subscriptions are also, generally, the areas hardest hit by foreclosures. The theory goes, these areas have been hard hit by the recession, and subsequent unemployment, so… → Read More
Sigh. This is getting a bit much. Turns out there isn’t much to watch on Google TV after all. Google TV is apparently viewed by big media as the devil, as the horned one himself and the only way to counter its/his takeover plans, is to disallow access/worship. And so, just like that, Viacom joined the ranks of News Corp, NBC Universal, Disney, and CBS in their stance of blocking the evil Google TV… → Read More
Google TV is a mess. Apple TV is a joke. Using a Roku is about as exciting as cleaning my gutters. I like the Boxee Box, but my wife doesn’t understand why; she doesn’t get it and that says something. Downloading torrents or NZBs is time consuming and only a small portion of the population actually has the know-how and hardware to do it. Sorry. Cord cutting is a lost cause.
Listen, I’m all for… → Read More
Google TV reviews dropped everywhere the last few weeks, but if you were anxiously fidgeting around, wondering when Pogue’s and Mossberg’s takes were going to hit, you can settle down now. They both published their reviews today as if it was planned. But don’t expect any deep insight from the two. It’s just more doom, gloom and telling you to wait. (You should wait. I said… → Read More
Listening to key executives talk at Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco today, Google is clearly very bullish about two key things: Google TV and display/video advertising.
Earlier in the day, Google CEO Eric Schmidt went to bat for Google TV. Later, Google Global Sales Operations and Business Development, Nikesh Arora, said that in 5 to 8 years everyone will have an IP television, like Google TV. → Read More
Today at Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco, Google CEO Eric Schmidt took the stage for a Q&A with hosts John Battelle and Tim O’Reilly. One topic: Google TV.
Specifically, the hosts asked about the backlash Google TV is now seeing from some of the major U.S. television networks. While saying he didn’t want to speak for them, Schmidt noted that this is the first time someone has tried to do this… → Read More
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