Google took a step into the world of television Thursday with the introduction of Google TV, an Internet-enabled TV platform that will be available this fall in devices from Sony and Logitech.
Sony will sell HDTVs and Blu-ray players with Google TV capabilities, while Logitech will sell a companion box that can be hooked into existing hardware. All three devices will be sold at Best Buy stores nationwide. Pricing information was not revealed.
Google made the announcement during the second day of its Google I/O developer conference; a keynote that also included the officially unveiling of Android 2.2.
Google TV will also be integrated with DISH Network.
A demonstration of the technology was marred repeatedly by a weak wireless signal, but when it did connect, executives showed off the service's search functionality. Using a "special universal remote", a search bar will pop up on top of the TV screen.
Searching for the show "House," for example, will show you the next time the show is on TV, allowing you to program it to your DVR. It will also display results from the Web. Search returns will also provide Internet options – if there are no scheduled airings of "House," users can switch to streaming episodes available on Amazon or Hulu.
Want to know more about the show? Search the Web as you might on your computer, while also continuing to watch live TV on a small screen in the right-hand corner.
One of the more interesting features is the ability to use your Android-based phone as a remote, and to speak your commands. Pairing the phone to Google TV over Wi-Fi, users can talk into the phone and get results on the TV screen. Multiple phones can be used at the same time, and users can send content from their phones to the TV.
Google also demonstrated a translation tool that will let users select a language and receive translated captions for whatever program is playing on live TV.
A YouTube executive also showed off YouTube Lean Back, a YouTube TV channel of sorts that will automatically start playing a personalized feed of videos when you click to it.
Under the Hood
The Sony and Logitech Google TV devices will be powered by an Intel Atom processor. During a question and answer session with partners, Intel chief executive Paul Otellini said the chip is a "version of Atom" that includes "specialized circuitry" around the Atom to optimize TV viewing.
On the software side, Google TV has three main components, said Rishi Chandra, a Google product manager. First, the service will initially run Android 2.1, though it will eventually be upgraded over-the-air. Not surprisingly, the browser is Chrome, and lastly, Google TV will include Flash 10.1.
The mobile version of Android Market will work on Google TV. Apps currently in the market should work on Google TV if they do not require phone-specific hardware, Chandra said.
Google called on developers to start prepping Google TV-ready apps. Google will release the Android Market with over-the-air updates as well as the Google TV SDK and TV Web APIs in early 2011, Chandra said. By summer 2011, the company will open source the Google TV platform into the Android and Chrome source trees.
The CEOs from all of Google TV's partners joined Google CEO Eric Schmidt on stage at the end of the event for a Q&A event.
After a few jokes about the Apple controversy, Schmidt asked Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen why Flash was so important.
"I think it really is about engaging experiences on the Web, and the convergence of getting that content and applications to any device," Narayen responded. "It's been a ton of work with Sony and with Google to really make sure that it's optimized for the respective platforms."
Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer said the company was "fairly giddy with excitement" about working with Google and pledged to "expand into other hardware and beyond."
Those who do not want to purchase a new HDTV can opt for the Logitech companion box, said CEO Jerry Quinlan.
"If you're one of the 60 million HDTV households in the United States, you are a target for this product," Quinlan said. "All you need is an HDMI input."
Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn predicted an "enormous appetite" for these devices, which will be available in time for the 2010 holiday rush.
"This is really the first seamless experience I've seen that actually allows the source to be absolutely agnostic behind the TV and you're able to pull up the things you care about in real-time," Dunn said.
Android 2.2, Froyo
Google TV was not the only announcement on Thursday. The company also officially unveiled the next version of its mobile platform, Android 2.2, or "Froyo."
Vic Gundotra, vice president of engineering at Google, said that Android now gets 100,000 daily activations, up from 60,000 per day in February and 30,000 last year.
Thursday's release promises a speed bump of two to five times, Gundotra said. It also includes enterprise-level features, tethering, support for Flash Player 10.1, and an "update all" feature for apps.
On the enterprise front, Android 2.2 works with Microsoft Exchange for things like auto-discovery, integration with global address books, and security, Gundotra said. There are also new APIs for device management, which will allow developers to build apps that do critically important tasks, like remote wipes.
Google has also enabled tethering and portable hotspots with 2.2. Having multiple devices "shouldn't mean added complexity and yet another bill," Gundotra said. "You should, at the platform level, be able to enable tethering."
Google also promised a speed bump in the browser. "We can claim that Froyo has the world's fastest mobile browser," he said.
The release also includes support for Adobe's Flash Player 10.1 public beta and AIR developer pre-release.
"It turns out that on the Internet, people use Flash," Gundotra said.
Google also unveiled an "update all" button for apps so users don't have to manually update apps one at a time.
Gundotra used HTC's new EVO 4G phone from Sprint to demonstrate the new capabilities – before giving one of the smartphones to everyone in the audience.
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