What is Google TV in Australia?

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This was published 11 years ago

What is Google TV in Australia?

By Adam Turner

SEARCH giant Google has its eye on our lounge rooms but what exactly is Google TV?

The Australian version of Google TV isn't a television, it's a set-top box. This little box doesn't even include TV tuners for watching live broadcasts. Instead, Google TV aims to bring the best of the internet to your television.

Google TV.

Google TV.

Initially Google TV was a joint project with entertainment giant Sony, dominant chipmaker Intel and accessories king Logitech. It aimed to build Google's Android smartphone software into a range of home-entertainment gear, with a TV-friendly makeover. Android already powers the biggest challengers to Apple's iGadgets.

Despite plenty of hype, Google TV got off to a lacklustre start in the US. Now Sony and Google are attempting to revive the concept, with Sony releasing a tiny Android-powered Google TV set-top box in Australia. Australians can't buy Sony's Google TV box yet. For now you'll only get one bundled with Sony's new high-end HX750 and HX850 Bravia televisions.

Google TV.

Google TV.

Unlike your typical set-top box, Sony's Google TV box isn't designed to take up another video input on your television; you plug your digital set-top box or personal video recorder to the Google TV's HDMI input. Then you connect the Google TV's HDMI output to your television. You also need to connect the Google TV box to the internet. If you want to watch live television, or watch something you recorded previously, then the Google TV stays out of your way. But when you call on it, it can overlay menus on top of what you're watching, a bit like the way digital television gear can display the electronic program guide on the screen while you're watching.

So why would you want Google TV? Many televisions, Blu-ray players and games consoles with "smart TV" already let you enjoy an impressive range of online content, including catch-up TV, movie rentals and subscription music. Google TV isn't designed to replace these features but, rather, to complement them.

One of Google TV's key features is Google's Chrome web browser. It includes Adobe's Flash plug-in, letting you browse websites and watch online video. The Google TV remote control even has a trackpad and full QWERTY keyboard on the back. Along with the Chrome browser, you can install a range of Android applications - letting you watch online content, play games and interact with Facebook and Twitter. A handful of Android apps are optimised for Google TV and Google has engaged in discussions with Australian content providers.

Traditional television and smart TV features are a "lean-back" experience - you select content and then sit back to watch it. Google TV is about "lean-forward" interaction with the web, Sony Australia gadget guru Paul Colley says.

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"Google TV is the first good web experience on the TV," Colley says. "It does picture-in-picture really well.

"Come the Olympics, you might want to watch the marathon while at the same time browse the Olympics website for details about the athletes. "

The Google TV set-top box can't actually interact with what you're watching. That will come when the software is built directly into televisions and video recorders, as already seen in the US. At this point the internet will start to feel like just another television channel, letting viewers enjoy the best of both worlds.

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