Google TV is a discontinued

smart TV A smart TV, also known as a connected TV (CTV), is a traditional television set with integrated Internet and interactive Web 2.0 features, which allows users to stream music and videos, browse the internet, and view photos. Smart TVs are a techn ...

operating system An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common daemon (computing), services for computer programs. Time-sharing operating systems scheduler (computing), schedule tasks for ef ...

from

Google Google LLC () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company focusing on Search Engine, search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, software, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, ar ...

co-developed by

Intel Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the devel ...

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

and

Logitech Logitech International S.A. ( ; often shortened to Logi) is a Swiss multinational manufacturer of computer peripherals and software, with headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, and Newark, California. The company has offices throughout Europe ...

. It launched in October 2010 with official devices initially made by Sony and Logitech. Google TV integrated the Android 3.0/3.2 operating system and the

Google Chrome Google Chrome is a cross-platform web browser developed by Google. It was first released in 2008 for Microsoft Windows, built with free software components from Apple WebKit and Mozilla Firefox. Versions were later released for Linux, macO ...

web browser A web browser is application software for accessing websites. When a user requests a web page from a particular website, the browser retrieves its files from a web server and then displays the page on the user's screen. Browsers are used on ...

to create an

interactive television Interactive television is a form of media convergence, adding data services to traditional television technology. It has included on-demand delivery of content, online shopping, and viewer polls. Interactive TV is an example of how new informatio ...

overlay on top of existing online video sites to add a

10-foot user interface In computing, 10-foot user interface ("10-foot UI"), also known as a 3-meter user interface (especially for international marketing), is a graphical user interface designed for televisions. Compared to desktop computer and smartphone user int ...

, for a smart TV experience. Google TV's first generation devices were all based on

x86 architecture x86 (also known as 80x86 or the 8086 family) is a family of complex instruction set computer (CISC) instruction set architectures initially developed by Intel based on the Intel 8086 microprocessor and its 8088 variant. The 8086 was ...

processors and were created and commercialized by

and

. The second generation of devices are all based on

ARM architecture ARM (stylised in lowercase as arm, formerly an acronym for Advanced RISC Machines and originally Acorn RISC Machine) is a family of reduced instruction set computer (RISC) instruction set architectures for computer processors, configure ...

processors and with additional partners including LG,

Samsung The Samsung Group (or simply Samsung) ( ko, 삼성 ) is a South Korean multinational manufacturing conglomerate headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea. It comprises numerous affiliated businesses, most of them united under the ...

Vizio Vizio Inc. (stylized as VIZIO) is an American publicly traded company that designs and sells televisions, sound bars, viewer data, and advertising. The company was founded in 2002 and is based in Irvine, California.Lawton, Christopher, Iwatani ...

and

Hisense Hisense Group is a Chinese multinational major appliance and electronics manufacturer headquartered in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China. Televisions are the main products of Hisense, and it is the largest TV manufacturer in China by market ...

. In 2013, more second generation Google TV-supported devices were announced by new partners, including

, Netgear,

TCL TCL or Tcl or TCLs may refer to: Business * TCL Technology, a Chinese consumer electronics and appliance company ** TCL Electronics, a subsidiary of TCL Technology * Texas Collegiate League, a collegiate baseball league * Trade Centre Limited ...

, and Asus, some of which include

3D video 3D films are motion pictures made to give an illusion of three-dimensional solidity, usually with the help of special glasses worn by viewers. They have existed in some form since 1915, but had been largely relegated to a niche in the motion pict ...

support. Google TV was succeeded in June 2014 by

Android TV Android TV is a smart TV operating system based on Android and developed by Google for television sets, digital media players, set-top boxes, and soundbars. A successor to Google TV, it features a user interface designed around content discover ...

, a newer platform which shares closer ties with the Android platform and has a revamped user experience integrating with

Knowledge Graph The Google Knowledge Graph is a knowledge base from which Google serves relevant information in an infobox beside its search results. This allows the user to see the answer in a glance. The data is generated automatically from a variety of so ...

, and providing

casting Casting is a manufacturing process in which a liquid material is usually poured into a mold, which contains a hollow cavity of the desired shape, and then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a ''casting'', which is ejected ...

support from mobile devices. As of June 2014, the Google TV SDK is no longer available, ending any future software development for existing devices and effectively deprecating the platform.

History

* 2010 March – Media outlets reported that the Google TV project was underway, although the partnering companies did not confirm their involvement in the venture until later. * 2010 May 20 – The Google TV project was officially announced at the 2010

Google I/O Google I/O (or simply I/O) is an annual developer conference held by Google in Mountain View, California. "I/O" stands for Input/Output, as well as the slogan "Innovation in the Open". The event's format is similar to Google Developer Day. H ...

conference on May 20. Google stated that the new platform would be incorporated directly into new high-definition television sets and Blu-ray Disc players by

, although set-top boxes would also be developed by

. The company indicated that the new systems developed by Sony and Logitech would be powered by

Intel Atom Intel Atom is the brand name for a line of IA-32 and x86-64 instruction set ultra-low-voltage processors by Intel Corporation designed to reduce electric consumption and power dissipation in comparison with ordinary processors of the Intel ...

based CE4100 consumer electronics

system-on-chip A system on a chip or system-on-chip (SoC ; pl. ''SoCs'' ) is an integrated circuit that integrates most or all components of a computer or other electronic system. These components almost always include a central processing unit (CPU), memo ...

. It also stated that a "fully optimized" viewer experience would be available through the

Dish Network DISH Network Corporation (DISH, an acronym for DIgital Sky Highway) is an American television provider and the owner of the direct-broadcast satellite provider Dish, commonly known as Dish Network, and the over-the-top IPTV service, Sling TV ...

, although the platform would operate through any provider. * 2010 May – Sony announced that it would be releasing its Google-enabled Sony Internet TV product lineup in the fall of 2010, including standalone TV models and set-top units with integrated Blu-ray Disc drives. * 2010 November 10 – Dish Network announced that its Google TV solution was available to customers. Dish Network's Google TV solution, which requires a DVR integration service, includes the

Revue with Google TV, a small set-top box. * 2010 December 15 – Google announces the first Google TV update, with some bug fixes and four major improvements: namely

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...

streaming catalog, Dual View, Remote Control App for Android Phones and Movies search results. * 2011 May 10 – At Google I/O it is announced that Google TV devices will be updated to Android 3.1 Honeycomb, will have access to the Android Market, and have some application updates. * 2011 June 18 – Google acquires SageTV, a home media software developer. * 2011 August 26 – Google has announced Google TV would be officially released in Europe in January 2012. * 2011 October 28 – Google TV starts the roll-out of Google TV 2.0, with the Android 3.1 operating system and access to the Market. * 2012 January 8 – It is announced that the new generation of Google TV devices will run on a variety of

ARM In human anatomy, the arm refers to the upper limb in common usage, although academically the term specifically means the upper arm between the glenohumeral joint (shoulder joint) and the elbow joint. The distal part of the upper limb between t ...

SoC designs. One of the key suppliers is Marvell with their Armada 1500 platform. * 2012 January 10 – Sony Corporation plans to bring Google TV to Canada in Summer 2012. No exact released date has been announced. Sony marketing director, Stephane Labrousse has stated that Sony will start selling Google TV based products in Europe in September 2012. * 2012 April 19 – Google updates the TV and Movies app to include social features * 2012 June 25 – Sony plans to release Google TV in Europe in September 2012 with the network media player ''NSZ-GS7'' and the Google TV-integrated

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of s ...

player ''NSZ-GS9'' where it will first be released in the UK. * 2012 October 12 – Google video demo of Google TV version 3 is leaked. Version 3 features include an improved ''Primetime'' TV guide application, as well as a companion Android application. Voice based TV and web search for models that include a microphone. A Movies & TV Play Store application which will offer, for purchase, streaming video. * 2013 January – Google TV version 3 begins to be rolled out to most Google TV devices. * 2013 May 15 – Google announces that 2nd generation Google TV devices (using ARM CPUs) will be eligible to receive an update to Android 4.2.2 and the latest version of Android Chrome instead of Desktop Chrome. * 2013 October 10 – Report suggests Google will rebrand Google TV to Android TV and that approximately one million Google TV devices are in use. * 2013 October 11 – Google confirms Google TV version 4 will eventually receive native Chromecast like functionality. * 2013 October 24 – LG televisions with Google TV begin to receive the Android 4.2.2 update.

Features

Google TV leveraged many of Google's existing products. Google TV's operating system, a customized version of Android 3.0/3.2 designed for TV, provided the underlying foundation, allowing developers to create applications that extended the system's functionality. Google's Chrome browser provided a gateway to the Internet, allowing consumers to browse web sites and watch television in tandem. Consumers could access

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

CNBC CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sh ...

, and content from other providers through the Chrome browser. Android and

Apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus '' Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ances ...

smartphones and tablet computers could be used as remote controls for Google TV. Google TV products shipped with wireless remote controls with a full

QWERTY QWERTY () is a keyboard layout for Latin-script alphabets. The name comes from the order of the first six keys on the top left letter row of the keyboard ( ). The QWERTY design is based on a layout created for the Sholes and Glidden ty ...

keypad. An update in November 2011 allowed access to

Google Play Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android (operating sys ...

and enabled search to find content from live TV, Netflix, YouTube, HBO GO, Amazon, and more. Xyologic has compiled a list of the early Google TV apps with the largest number of installations. As of November 2012, the most installed apps were

Napster Napster was a peer-to-peer file sharing application. It originally launched on June 1, 1999, with an emphasis on digital audio file distribution. Audio songs shared on the service were typically encoded in the MP3 format. It was founded by Sh ...

Pandora Radio Pandora is a subscription-based music streaming service owned by Sirius XM Holdings based in Oakland, California, United States. The service carries a focus on recommendations based on the " Music Genome Project" — a means of classifying in ...

and

Partners

The Google TV platform was provided by Google to

OEM An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces non-aftermarket parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. It is a common industry term recognized and used by many professional or ...

s for incorporation into their consumer products. The first generation of consumer devices were produced by

and

. The second generation of consumer devices were produced by Sony, LG (see

LG L9 The LG L9 is a SoC for Smart TV devices made by LG Corp. Specifically, it will be paired with the Google TV platform. It includes a dual-core ARM architecture CPU and a quad-core GPU. LG also produces a phone called the LG Optimus L9, this is n ...

SoC),

, NetGear and Asus. The third generation of consumer devices was announced by LG at 2013

International CES CES (; formerly an initialism for Consumer Electronics Show) is an annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). Held in January at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Winchester, Nevada, United States, the event typ ...

, with the announcement of their TV models.

Devices

First generation

Second generation

Reviews

Competitors and controversies

Cable providers as well as content providers did not participate in the Google TV platform due to it allowing access through a web browser rather than authenticated apps which could enforce

geolocation Geopositioning, also known as geotracking, geolocalization, geolocating, geolocation, or geoposition fixing, is the process of determining or estimating the geographic position of an object. Geopositioning yields a set of geographic coordinates ...

and international copyright restrictions.

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...

, ABC,

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

, CBS/

The CW ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

and

Hulu Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television seri ...

blocked Google TV enabled devices from accessing their web content through the platform's entire life. As of November 22, 2010, Google TV devices were also blocked from accessing any programs offered by Viacom's subsidiaries. Of the cable and satellite providers, only

(formerly

Echostar EchoStar Corporation is an American company, a worldwide provider of satellite communication and Internet services through its Hughes Network Systems and EchoStar Satellite Services business segments. EchoStar is based out of unincorporated Ara ...

), had embraced Google TV and promoted it by offering customers a discount on the Logitech Revue. In contrast, the Android TV ecosystem has all the major American television networks and streaming providers' apps. In January 2014, Google filed a

UDRP The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (UDRP) is a process established by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) for the resolution of disputes regarding the registration of internet domain names. The UDRP curren ...

case against the owner of domain names androidtv.com and xbmcandroidtv.com. The domain names were owned Exo Level, Inc. and were registered with

GoDaddy GoDaddy Inc. is an American publicly traded Internet domain registrar and web hosting company headquartered in Tempe, Arizona, and incorporated in Delaware. , GoDaddy has more than 21 million customers and over 6,600 employees worldwide. The ...

in November 2006. In March 2014, Google's case was denied.“Claim Number: FA1402001542794.”
National Arbitration Forum decision via UDRP Search

Version history

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Google Tv TV Interactive television Products introduced in 2010 Smart TV mt:Google TV