Pinboard (guardiantech)

Sundar Pichai on the difference between Chromecast and Google TV >> AllThingsD

guardiantech — 2013-07-25T16:56:04+00:00

Liz Gannes:

So why two different devices? The new Chromecast dongle will be a sort of lightweight way to stream video on a television. Google TV, you probably already know about — though you probably don’t own as it’s not super popular. Soon, “it will be a full-fledged Android for television,” [Sundar] Pichai said, noting that he expects to announce many more partners at CES early next year.
The Chromecast costs $35 and has just 256k of memory (How little is that? It was the top of the line in 1983, according to an old link I just pulled up.). But that doesn’t mean it streams low-quality video; the default resolution is the industry-standard 1080p.
Where Google TV can provide “an immersive experience” that’s appropriate for gaming, Chromecast will have too much latency for gaming, Pichai explained.
So why make a new device that doesn’t do as much? To try to popularize the activity of watching Internet TV on a real living-room TV, said Pichai.
“It is shocking how much video is consumed on phones, tablets and laptops, but the TV usage just breaks off,” he said. (During prepared remarks, Pichai cited Sandvine data showing that YouTube and Netflix account for an estimated 49.4% share of all peak downstream internet traffic in the US.)

So Google TV is Chromecast, but with optional gaming? "Jump in the car with me, Google TV. We're going to pay a visit to your old friend Reader." (Thanks @HotSoup for the link.)

HTML5-based Smart TV operators hit a snag: YouTube >> ETNews Korea

guardiantech — 2013-07-07T22:12:47+00:00

According to industry insiders, Google has demanded HTML5-based smart TV operators should place the YouTube app on the main service page and pass Google US headquarters’ smart TV browser conformity tests.
The relevant industry is criticizing Google’s such rules as a violation of their right of choice. Smart TV operators have opted for HTML5 to escape from the clout of Android-based Google TV, so Google’s new requirements put brakes on HTML5-based smart TV operators.
An industry insider said, “Telling us where the YouTube app should be placed is an act of coercive sales tactics.”

Can take up to three months to get approval, apparently.

The measure of any tech product is how it handles... >> Benedict Evans

guardiantech — 2012-08-08T19:10:23+00:00

..going wrong. See the picture.

The Immobile Web >> Jason Grigsby

guardiantech — 2012-05-15T21:22:13+00:00

Slides from a presentation by Jason Grigsby about smart TV. The key problem with Smart TV right now: you can't know whether or what you're supplying content to.

Google TV is coming to Europe this September >> Gigaom

guardiantech — 2012-04-02T20:49:03+00:00

Sony will start selling Google TV-based products in Europe in September, according to a report by Les Echos.
The site reports comments by Sony France marketing director Stephane Labrousse that the CE maker will sell two devices: A set-top box which will go on sale for €200 ($266) and a box with an integrated Blu-ray player that will sell for €300 ($399).

UK launch also at the same time, it suggests.

The Guardian GoogleTV project, innovation & hacking. >> Dan Catt

guardiantech — 2012-03-21T23:37:39+00:00

Ex-Flickr core, now Guardian developer Dan Catt explains how and why and where and what he did the Guardian's Google TV project. (Note: he ignored the spellcheck on "cognitive".)

Scoop: Less than 1M Google TV devices in use >> Gigaom

guardiantech — 2012-02-29T21:41:36+00:00

Some neat digging around in Android Market stats yields that nifty data.

Still, the numbers clearly show that Google has some work to do. Even if you take into account that active devices don’t equal sold devices, it’s obvious that others have been doing far better. Apple has sold 4.2m Apple TV units, and Roku — despite missing its own sales goals — was able to sell 2.5m boxes by the end of last year.

(Also: should we quibble about whether "less" is correct over "fewer"?)

The story behind Rupert Murdoch's rants about Google and SOPA >> Forbes

guardiantech — 2012-01-19T04:50:01+00:00

At one point, according to sources with knowledge of the events, the presenter [at CES] was explaining the different ways to find content within Google TV: You can go through a “Shows and Movies” app that catalogs offerings from Netflix, YouTube, Amazon, etc., or else you can use standard browser-based Google Search. Murdoch asked what would happen if he were to search for a particular blockbuster film, and the presenter explained that the results would be the same ones you’d find in any Google search. Including links to content-pirating sites? Murdoch pressed. Yes, unless those sites have already been removed from search results in response to takedown requests, the presenter confirmed.

Murdoch took exception to that answer. Then he took to Twitter.

Given his existing antipathy to Google, unsurprising.

Where were all the Google TVs at CES? >> Online Video News

guardiantech — 2012-01-16T07:28:06+00:00

"...While it’s clear that the CE industry needs to do something to fight fragmentation between the dozen or so smart TV platforms, it seems unlikely that Google TV will be its savior in the near future. Google might have more partners than it did a year ago, but they’re hardly adopting the platform en masse. Unless something drastic happens, don’t expect that to change anytime soon."

WatchingTV Online: TV ownership declines for first time in Nielsen history

guardiantech — 2011-12-21T22:40:29+00:00

"According to Nielsen Media Research’s annual “Television Audience” report that was released this week, the number of households with a TV set will decline for the first time in the company’s survey history (which extends back to 1970). Entertainment Weekly reports. "The rising trend of TV ownership has been leveling off in recent years, and now the number has dropped from 115.9m homes in 2011 to an estimated 114.7m in 2012. As TV Barn pointed out, that’s a 1% decline despite the number of households rising."

Logitech 2012 business strategy (PDF) >> Logitech

guardiantech — 2011-11-13T22:27:05+00:00

This is where Guerrino De Luca, Logitech's chairman, announces that there isn't going to be a followup to the Google TV Revue, on which it lost a giant amount (but not $100m; that's a misreading). Worth reading through (note: it's a PDF) for other notes about the PC market and which users Logitech is targeting in the western PC market. The answer is really surprising.

With Motorola, Google TV just got a huge shot in the arm >> Online Video News

guardiantech — 2011-08-15T21:55:11+00:00

"According to Infonetics, Motorola Mobility was the leader in set-top box revenues last year, and was also tops in hybrid IP/QAM set-top boxes — that is, the boxes used by operators like Verizon that combine broadcast TV and over-the-top applications. By leveraging Motorola’s position with carriers, Google can better solidify its bid to expand Google TV and Android into the living room."