LG is showing off its new line of G2 Google TV models in New York this week. The smart TVs feature redesigned user interfaces and beefed-up internals to make for a smoother Web-browsing and television experience. The new sets feature LG's new L9 dual-core chipset, which is based on ARM architecture, and a quad-core GPU.
In line with an earlier rumor, LG has announced its plan to start shipping TVs to the US pre-installed with the latest iteration of Google TV running on its in-house L9 ARM-based processors. It’s next-generation of smart TVs are expected to arrive the week beginning May 21 and carry with them the South Korean company’s hopes of grabbing increased market share from Samsung, Sony and Vizio. First previewed at CES 2012, the company has not yet specified details about which models it will ship or pricing details at this juncture.
The Google TV development team has enhanced the YouTube app for users' hardware. A new My YouTube tab organizes channels and videos of users. It also sports a new Recommendations feature that will help users watch more of what they like.
Google has updated the TV & Movies app for Google TV owners (Google Play) to tackle some of the problems of discovery. A new layout puts more info underneath each episode to make it much easier to tell whether it's the most recent or otherwise fill in core details at a glance. Suggestions are more important as a whole: in addition to rating directly from the expanded info, viewers are now asked to rate a handful of shows on the new version's first launch to immediately start populating a suggestion list.
LG is reportedly preparing to launch its next round of Google TV devices in the US market. The company has yet to officially confirm release details, however analysts with the Korean financial firm Shinhan Investment claim the first devices are expected to arrive as early as this week.
French paper Les Echos has revealed that Sony will begin selling Google TV-powered hardware as early as September, marking the platform's debut overseas. Sony France marketing director Stephane Labrousse reportedly said the company will sell a set top box for about 200 euros (about $266) and a Blu-ray player that has Google TV integrated for 300 euros (about $400), both of which were on display at CES. The division lead went on to say the platform may also come to Spain, Germany, and the UK at the same time.
Google Play's Movies section may be steered into offering full movie sales against Google's own will. Multiple movie industry contacts described a situation to CNET where Google was interested in offering the service, but primarily as it was required to get any rentals from certain studios. Movie rentals were "tiny," the informants said, hinting that Google wanted to get what it could.
Google on Friday detailed some new apps that are aimed at Google TV platform users of various ethnic backgrounds. Through them, users can access TV and other content from various countries and regions. Some of the apps include Al Jazeera, Euronews, and IslamBox.
Intel is in the midst of developing its own online TV streaming service and hardware to match, leaks disclosed Monday. It would create a form of virtual TV that would sell access in cable- and satellite-style bundles, the Wall Street Journal understood. While possibly a white box service that would let others put their own badge on top, Intel would sometimes run under its own name.
While it's currently possible to root Sony's Google TV hardware and load unofficial software onto it, an upcoming update may reverse this exploit, GTVHacker learned. The official, over-the-air security update may be arriving as soon as Monday, and no longer enable the recovery downgrade to be run. Users who root their hardware before this update, won't get it, however, and they can always go back to the stock firmware at a later date.
An investigation within Android Market stats has suggested that Google TV adoption may be so low as to be under one million users. The TV and Movies app, a core part of the OS, is listed as having between 500,000 to one million installed users, GigaOM found. More than half of them are Logitech Revue owners, while the rest are Sony's combined Internet TV and Internet Blu-ray player owners.
Google TV users can now enable new functionality, such as accessing Flash-based services including Hulu, thanks to a hack. The long-winded GTVHacker Sony Recovery Downgrader & Rebooter was developed by member zenofex and other developers over on the GTV Hacker forum. The hack is entirely software-based, but does require four USB sticks at least 512MB in capacity.
Google is now known to have applied for a patent that could give Google TV natural language voice commands of its own. The method would use a smartphone or tablet as a voice remote, optionally using a technique similar to Google Translate or Apple's Siri where the commands are uploaded to a server and then deciphered. It could be used for searching both TV and local content, and could send information to more than one computer or device on the network.
Google's big Google TV news, or part of it, may have been detailed early in news on Sunday. The Android TV platform's YouTube app is being updated with a much stronger emphasis on channels ahead of original content plans. Matching up is a new discover feature that lets viewers find content by the category rather than just the channel.
Google made the unusual choice of a Facebook posting to hint at "big announcements" coming for Google TV on Monday. The company wouldn't give any clues as to its plans. It's unlikely to include any minor OS updates, since it recently updated to Android 3.2.
More details of the Google TV update that started rolling out earlier this week to compatible Sony hardware have been revealed on Thursday thanks to GigaOM. Basically Android 3.2, the update now enables hardware acceleration for apps, which should make animated titles much smoother. More importantly, HTTP Live Streaming will now be possible, making viewing HTML5 web videos better and allowing streaming local multimedia files through dedicated apps.
Google posted word of an update for Sony's Google TV devices. Both its Internet TV and Internet Blu-ray player now have a faster Chrome web browser. The Blu-ray gets an extra treat in support for 3D Blu-ray movies to catch it up to other players.
Logitech detailed some of the fuller extent of its Google TV fallout with its fall results early Thursday. The company's profit dropped by $10 million from year-to-year to $55 million, and its revenue from $754 million to $715 million, based primarily on poor results in the Americas as well as a poor exchange rate against the Euro. An eight-point drop in Americas sales was blamed heavily in a statement (PDF) on the final sales of the Google TV-based Revue, which brought down sales to $15 million after the steep price cuts triggered by a lack of sales.
The latest generation of Apple TV also received a bump during Apple's record holiday season, selling as many units in the last three months of 2011 as it had in the nine months prior, for a total of "just over" 2.8 million units total in 2011, less than the million units per quarter predicted by some analysts but still making it the most popular device of its type, its main competition being the standalone Google TV units as sold by Samsung and Logitech.
A pair of sources claimed Friday that Google was partnering with LG to develop a refernece Google TV set. Much like the Galaxy Nexus or the Nexus One before it, the display outlined to Bloomberg would run the latest version of the Android-based interface, possibly before anyone else, and would go without any customizations. The set would be running the next major version, which Google has already said should arrive before the end of the year.
Microsoft and Google made both official and unofficial plans for their TV strategies on Wednesday. A leak uncovered by Reuters had Microsoft freezing its long-rumored plans for live subscription Xbox TV. The company had decided that the rates TV channels were asking for the Internet-only service were "too expensive" for the plan it wanted to offer, industry insiders said.
Vizio on Tuesday expanded its entire TV-focused strategy for 2012 by starting with its own equivalent to an Apple TV. The VAP430 Stream Player is dedicated solely to bringing Google TV 2.0 to sets that don't already have it. It links to the TV through HDMI, with a pass-through for other devices, and can share media on the local network through Wi-Fi and DLNA.
Sony at CES unveiled new Google TV hardware that we had the opportunity to try. The hardware itself, a new NSZ-GS7 Network Player and a NSZ-GP9 Blu-ray player, isn't a revolution but is subtler and fits well into a home theater. The more distinctive feature for us is the remote: while Sony wouldn't let users touch the early prototypes, which we'll go into depth for along with launch details and pricing.
Lenovo as part of its wide-scale introductions brought out its first TV with an unusual approach to Android that we saw for ourselves. The K91 Smart TV is based on Android 4.0, not Google TV, and uses a completely new Sandwich UI that focuses on traditional TV, VOD with a viewing history, and Internet-aware apps.
LG gave a quick glimpse at its first Google TVs on Thursday. The sets will work with voice commands much like Voice Actions on mobile devices. Hands-on control will get its own special treatment: a keyboard-equipped version of the Magic Motion Remote should come with a QWERTY keyboard built-in for faster text.
Google has removed the mystery from who its Google TV partners will be at CES with a full listing ahead of the show. Some using chips from Marvell and MediaTek, TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio will all run the Android-based TV OS. Vizio's sets will be behind closed doors, but the rest should be public.
Google and Marvell together confirmed a plan to move Google TV to ARM on Thursday with a new platform launch. Marvell's Foresight platform, led by the Armada 1500 HD full system on a chip, will handle all the processing for 2D and 3D video, audio, and general tasks. Its dual-core design is fast enough to handle Flash and HD, and has power levels likened more closely to a cellphone than a set-top box.
The Wi-Fi Alliance's certification list may have spoiled a pair of Samsung's TVs for its CES intro next week. Both the "Echo-P Series TV" and the "X Series TV" received approval to use dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi. Either is light on detail and mentions just that they're "display devices" with media support.
Samsung will soon release the Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.0 for its web-connected Smart TVs that will finally let developers make money from their products. The SDK, which is due to arrive on January 5, will support in-app advertisements and payments. It will also have the ability to read inputs from remote controls and USB-connected peripherals such as mice, keyboards, and gamepads.
Repeating a pattern from last year, Vizio has run a commercial (below) giving a hint as to its lineup for 2012. The Rose Bowl spot outlines the contrast between old and new in American football before giving a quick preview. Vizio's lineup may be much more distinct this year, with a chromed, arcing neck and a very minimal display.
Lenovo gave a preview of its Las Vegas plans with word of an Internet-aware TV and its own cloud service. To be called the LeTV in its Chinese version, it would ship sometime in the first quarter of 2012. Most details aren't public, although more of these should be coming in January.
Consumers who bought or received the Logitech Revue for the holidays may have to RMA or return the device to where they bought it. The company acknowledges that a "small number" of the Android-based devices were shipped with what the company claims to be corrupted firmware. In a message on the forums, Senior Product Manager Peter McColgan advised customers that there was "nothing that you can do to fix this" and that the only choice was to get a full replacement.
App developer Airtight has just released an Android app ($0.99, Android Market) that lets Google TV hardware devices use AirPlay to stream movies and photos from iPhones, iPod touch, and iPad devices to their HDTVs. The currently beta-stage app lets a Logitech Revue or Sony device get some of the features that would normally need an Apple TV. Some features aren't yet supported, including AirPlay mirroring, music, and the streaming of copy-protected movies.
Samsung and Sony together hoped to ratchet up attention for their primarily TV-focused rollouts at CES through unusual methods. Samsung has posted a teaser video (below) for the "future of Smart TV" it plans to introduce at the show by showing a retrospective of how TV has advanced, from black and white to color, to DVRs, and to 3D. The 2012 shot gives few clues other than the presences of phones and tablets, suggesting Android hardware might tie in next year.
Sling Media has finally released a web app that allows Logitech Revue Google TV users to access its Slingbox service. We sampled the feature nearly one year ago at CES, and a beta showed up late in May that allowed users to watch Slingbox content in other rooms via streaming. Users can access the SlingPlayer app from Google Spotlight and use it to change channels, browse the program guide, and watch or schedule recordings on a connected DVR.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt made an aggressive prediction at the Le Web conference in Paris (video below) that Google TV would dictate the TV landscape by summer 2012. He believed that the "majority of televisions you see in stores" should have the Android-based OS build inside over the course of the next several months. No indication was given of which companies were involved and how many of their models would make the leap.
About six weeks after first previewed, the Google TV 2.0 update for the Logitech Revue has started reaching users. Those on the official forums mention getting the interface revamp over-the-air starting at least late Monday and were expected to get it in force late Tuesday. Although some adopters were skeptical, calls to Logitech confirmed that they had been given the all-clear to send the Android 3.1-based update to Revues.
Lenovo is reportedly preparing to launch a 'smart' television, which will be designed to work in conjunction with smartphones, tablets and computers. The company has yet to disclose full details, though the new TVs are said to take advantage of Internet connections and capable of sharing content between the company's range of devices.
Google's recent Google TV revamp got its first significant OS update on Wednesday with the addition of some heavily requested extras. YouTube on the TV interface now catches up to Apple TV with support for both playlists and subscriptions. Common playlists like Favorites and Watch Later carry over at the same time.
Samsung's long-promised Google TV hardware might make an appearance early next year. TV division head Yoon Boo-keun told Reuters Monday night that the Korean company was in "last-stage" discussions to bring out its own Google TV hardware. It would "differ from those of competitors," he said, although how wasn't mentioned.
Google in a late night update brought its Google Music update to the TV, giving it access to the service for the first time. The new TV app hinges on Google Music's cloud storage to stream the user's collection with an interface identical to that seen on smartphones and tablets, optimized for the ten-foot TV distance and larger screen. It includes playlists and other extras, although the lack of permanent storage means it can't pin tracks for offline listening.
Convergence Technologies is hoping to build a universal remote intended for networked media hubs, not just traditional home theater hardware. The Bridge uses a gamepad-like shape that holds both a joystick to replace the mouse, a full QWERTY keyboard, and buttons for common remote control tasks. The device talks over IR and RF (using RF4CE) and should support Apple TV, the Boxee Box, Google TV, and Roku players, as well as most Macs, Linux, and Windows PCs.
LG might take a risk on unveiling a Google TV 2.0 set at the CES expo in January, a pair of contacts said late Friday. They gave no details of the set to Bloomberg, although it's presumed the TV will look much like the ultra-thin bezel LMx600 series sets that LG accidentally if briefly revealed through CES awards. Most TV sets introduced at CES don't ship until several months later.
Logitech's acting CEO Guerrino De Luca shook up the TV field at an investor day late Thursday by revealing that the company was effectively quitting Google TV. The price-cut Revue media hub was now selling through remaining stock in the fall and wouldn't have a sequel. The company was bringing "closure to the Logitech Revue saga," he said.
Sony chief Sir Howard Stringer teased at an event Thursday morning that his company might have a foil to the rumored Apple TV breakthrough. He explained at the Wall Street Journal meet that that Sony, too, was working on a major reimagining of the TV. While not dropping clues of its nature, he had "no doubt" Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs had been working on the concept, something that Sony would now be countering.
Adobe has followed up its cancellation of mobile Flash with a statement extending that end to TVs as well. The company would continue to give support to those using the Porting Kit to convert Flash to apps on TV, but it told GigaOM that it would press hardware makers to build native apps instead. It went so far as to indirectly suggest that Google TV had been taking the wrong route with its focus on the web until the Google TV 2.0 update.
In an odd decision, Google may go into traditional TV, insiders may have divulged Thursday. The YouTube owner would use its Google Fiber in both Kansas City rollouts to include TV and possible VoIP phone service, the Wall Street Journal was told. Early talks were said underway with Discovery, Disney, and Time Warner to supply content.
CBS chief Les Moonves may have inadvertently confirmed Apple's negotiations for a streaming TV service during the company's fiscal results call. He claimed that CBS had turned down a deal for a service because it would have split ad revenues. The executive didn't give details of what the service would have involved.
Plex, makers of a media sharing app for the home, has brought out details of its upcoming native app for Google TV. The app now falls under the entertainment app category and, on a basic level, lets owners playback local media onto HDTVs connected to a Google TV device over Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The app will tap into the myPlex cloud service to sync with the Android app, resuming playback where users left off on their smartphones.
Google has taken live its long awaited Google TV revamp as promised. The first wave brings Sony's Internet TV and its matching Blu-ray player, some of which should have the upgrade today. Sony has said all viewers should get the update over the next few days.
