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Google Announces Google TV for Fall 2010 Launch

I use my AppleTVs and love them for what they do. I have one in the living room and one in my daughter's bedroom.

I have ripped all my DVDs to them and I can play any movie I want at the touch of a button, or any Disney movie I want for my daughter without having to switch DVDs at her whim.

I also download TV torrents and stream them no problem. That's all I want and need for it to do and it does it flawlessly, with the added benefit of being able to rent stuff off iTunes. I knew what it could and could not do going in and I was satisfied with what it could do.

Now, if Apple were to release an App Store powered AppleTV that let you do some gaming, added Netflix streaming, and upped it to 1080P that would be fantastic, and I think that's the direction they are headed in. Build in a DVR/Tuner and let me throw my cable box out would be icing on the cake.

I can see them letting you use your iPhone or iPad as a touch device/controller for it as well. The iPhone already feels like an old NES controller when you hold it sideways anyway. :)
 
Currently i see no use for a tv with web browser for me. I don't see myself having a keyboard on my tv and my GF starts surfing while I want to watch a show.

I prefer watching TV and having an ipad for websurfing at the same time.
 
Nice cartoon / CGI and the best product demo ever.

NOT.

Looks like Google is copying Microsoft's strategy of vaporware.
 
macUser2007 said:
LOL, you must like mobile sites and blue Lego icons.

Me, I prefer the REAL WEB.
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You obviously never used an iPad.

I don't even remember even been sent to a mobile site on the iPad. And there are no blue legos. In its space there are gaps.

Btw some browsers have flash-blocker built in, and many people seek out flash blockers.
 
jerkstore99 said:
Are you kidding me? You have an AppleTV, and you love it, but you have no interest in Google TV? Isn't GoogleTV what would happen if Apple did what you are suggesting and put more effort into it? I don't understand it at all. Just because it is by Google doesn't mean you automatically have to hate it.
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I wouldn't say Google has put more effort into it. Only that they've come at it from a different direction. Apple's was "get iTunes on the TV" while Google's appears to be "get search on TV".

I would choose Apple's POV just from logic. A quick app on an iPad (connected to a wifi cable box) fixes the main issue with Comcast for example: poor menu system and poor remote.
 
Avatar74 said:
I really hope that the product isn't as convoluted as this ad.

I tend to read, still, unlike a number of people who want the Cliffs Notes version of everything these days. But I found this commercial difficult to follow. What are they trying to say that can't be said in two or three images and no words?

I'm seeing the images, then trying to keep up with what this generically-friendly guy is saying in the voice-over... and I can't remember a damned thing he told me. All I've got in my head is a jumble of images and something about how confusing it is to search for your favorite show on a DVR.

Here's where Google's going to fail compared to Apple. Apple has a pretty good grasp on how to get a message across. It doesn't matter that the message might not contain all the caveats therein or whatever complaints that a narrow niche of geeks can think up. What matters is you see two or three key images that immediately tell you what the product is, what it does, where you can use it. People aren't as dumb as most companies want to think. Show them a few images and they can easily figure out where in their lives the product might be useful. And since that differs for everyone, it's far simpler letting their imagination run with the basic image in their mind, rather than trying to explain in 30 to 120 seconds every single purpose, person and function the product serves.

Show me, don't tell me.
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EXACTLY my thoughts.
 
hopefully this will finally make apple go somewhere with the appletv. If not i hope this does what everybody wanted the appletv to do.
 
doctoree said:
As an Apple stocks holder Im very happy of Google stupidity of announcing everz of their products MONTHS in advance giving Apple enough time to react. But this is not the only thing I like about Google. The other things are for example that most things they do fail, while most things Apple does do not. Compare Googles (much higher) stock price with apple's I think it will soon be reveresed with Apple essentially havong Google stock price and vica versa.
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If the stock market wasn't such a crap-shoot, I'd suggest you not own individual stocks if your comment displays your level of financial knowledge. But it is, so best of luck!

PS compare P/E ratios to compare companies, not just price. though yes, GOOG is slightly more expensive on that comparison than AAPL...
Apple does have a much bigger market cap than Google, but for the most part are not competitors even though more and more they are pushing into each others space and competing.
 
Not really competitors

I wouldn't say Google has put more effort into it. Only that they've come at it from a different direction. Apple's was "get iTunes on the TV" while Google's appears to be "get search on TV".

I would choose Apple's POV just from logic. A quick app on an iPad (connected to a wifi cable box) fixes the main issue with Comcast for example: poor menu system and poor remote.
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Google is not really competing with AppleTV. Both are really trying to compete with the cable companies. And AppleTV is a "hobby" at the moment because the cable companies are solidly winning right now.

Nothing in this announcement makes me think that Google will have any better luck.

For either Google or Apple to make much headway in the living room, they need to be able to provide an experience which can replace a cable subscription. Otherwise, people will pay for cable and the Google box and the AppleTV remain simply niche products. At the moment, there is way too much money for the broadcasters coming from cable to make them willing to rock the boat by allowing anyone else to provide anything that's really competitive.
 
I feel like Google is trying to consolidate and simplify things...but it's not going to work and less we end up with a NEW video format and a NEW box under the TV.



Also, how the heck are you supposed to navigate this thing? With a keyboard on your sofa to enter text? How are you going to navigate menus? The most comfortable web "thing" on a TV I have used is the WiiMote for getting around on the internet, but entering text was still a b**** to do. (My one idea, though, would be to have an application on your Android phone, which you most likely would have on your person or near you while watching TV, and let the keyboard pop up there. Kind of like the proximity thing Apple is working on...)

I just don't see it catching on, with so many TVs coming out with web widgets soon it seems too complicated.
 
Wake up, Apple!

AppleTV users (myself included) have been telling you for years how to make a runaway success with AppleTV and dominate a whole new market. It's not rocket science - you have all of the pieces and have yet to take the initiative to put the puzzle together.

It's time to bring the hobby to life.
 
Honestly, I'd buy the Google TV over the Apple TV but I have no need for either at the moment.

I suspect the DVRs will get smarter then my cable company will simply upgrade our services.
 
Squirrel said:
How is this any different than all the other devices out there? I've got a MacMini attached to my TV, as well as a Roku box on an other TV. With Boxee, Apple TV, and other Set-tops, what is Google's angle here? I don't see an advantage.
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here is my slogan for Google Ad campaign "...With google you are not watching the TV... The TV is watching you!"

More ad, more ad, more ad... I gave up on google search... I use Wolfram Alpha + Bing as a search engine in the background... Gives me more of what I want... Fed up with this Google's Big Brother approach... And on top of it they are not creating, just sucking on Apple's Brains
 
I feel like this is already being done with some of the newer TVs from LG and Samsung and others that already connect to the internet. I feel like the only benefit from a Google dedicated TV would be the search function (which seems like it would already be there if the TV is connected to the internet). Maybe I am off base...?

I just don't feel like there is any true innovation here. Just Google's foray into the TV industry. Thoughts?
 
Consultant said:
Nice cartoon / CGI and the best product demo ever.

NOT.

Looks like Google is copying Microsoft's strategy of vaporware.
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You know, it only takes a short trip over to Engadget or Gizmodo to see photos and videos of the actual products and demos. This is not the only website covering this.
 
That was very vague and I don't like being talked to like I've never seen a computer before. That said, I can't wait...
 
Peace said:
No. It's a scheme for Google to mine more data from YOU.
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tinfoil_hat.jpg


roland.g said:
Google couldn't take over an ant farm with a water gun and an M-80 if it tried.
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what planet are you living on?
 
rawd said:
Uh my cable box PVR works fine. No thanks Google takeover
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God, do I hate my cable box and provider. The menu and interface is so ancient and the selection is complicated and hard to find and record what you want. The Tivo was great till they sorta stopped working on it, kinda, and it's fallen by the wayside. Also, your cable provider invades your privacy and logs your info just like Google and Apple Accounts do, if that is your concern...
 
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