Google TV to offer web-browsing, apps on televisions

Internet giant Google has teamed up with chip manufacturer Intel and electronics giant Sony to create a new television platform for users to navigate the internet and specific applications designed by third parties.

The platform would allow users to purchase television sets, or set-top boxes, with the explicit purpose of browsing the web and providing internet-only video content, such as videos uploaded to YouTube.

According to reports from the New York Times, the Google TV platform is being developed with Intel, which is hoping to extend its dominance in the personal computer market to televisions as well. It is also understood Sony is hoping to increase its reach into televisions, where it has struggled against competitors such as LG and Samsung.

Additionally, the Google TV technology would allows users to access social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook, and would allows users to browse different web apps including Google’s Picasa photo library software.

It is understood the Google TV platform will be open for developers to create their own apps, similar to the mobile Android operating system. A software development kit should be released within the next few months, according to reports.

Additionally, it is understood Intel is hiring for Android developers for a project to move the company’s technology “from PC screen to mobile screen and TV screen”.

Computer peripheral manufacturer, Logitech, has been named as the chosen company to produce products for the Google TV platform, such as remote controls with small QWERTY keyboard.

Google hopes to take advantage of the growing internet TV market before it really begins to take off. As more consumers use media-based PCs and internet browsers on television, one insider said that “Google wants to be everywhere the internet is so they can put ads there”.

Google already offers some types of television advertising through satellite and cable television systems in the US. While the company says thousands have signed up for the program, some industry insiders have said the revenue generated from the program is small – providing justification for the Google TV offering.

It comes as a number of other companies including Cisco Systems and Motorola have entered the set-top box market, along with Apple and TiVo. While the market itself is small in Australia, in the US it continues to grow as users watch more content from sites such as Hulu.com and Netflix.

Anthony Wood, founder and chief executive of DVR manufacturer Roku, said in the report the Google TV box would be more expensive than most offerings and cost about $US200.