Google TV? What’s that?

Google TV?  Is it a boxee clone?  Is it a tv service?  Is it a magical box containing the secrets to life, the universe, and everythig?

Not quite, but it is pretty magical all the same.  At Google IO this week Google announced Google TV, a software platform that will be installed in TV’s, set top boxes, and even a DISH box.  GTV has a few basic requirements for it’s hardware: An Atom (or better) processor, Bluetooth, IR (with a transmitting “blaster”), Wi-Fi, and Ethernet, discrete GPU, HDMI-out, all while supporting a keyboard and a pointing device, as well as more traditional remotes.  All of these products should start to arrive at Best Buy by fall of 2010.

What makes GTV different?  When you want to watch a show just use the Google-ish search page and GTV will either turn the channel on your receiver or go to the web and find it for you.  It will also integrate very closely with Android (you will be able to use your phone as a remote and even use it’s voice recognition features to change channels just by talking).

GTV will have access to the entire Android app store and although some of the cellphone apps won’t look “great” on your tv, but with the SDK being available 2011 means we’ll be seeing tv-specific apps soon after GTV becomes popular.  Apps got a little applause from the crowds at Google IO, but when the big G announced that GTV would support Flash (the real kind with games and movies) the earth shook just a little bit.

Google hasn’t even begun to tell us everything that Google TV can do and it already sounds like an amazing platform.  Are any of you going to be looking to Best Buy this fall?

About Jesse (The Pen of Doom)

A small time blogger with big time dreams and a love for everything geek.
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