Goodbye Cable, Hello Google TV

About four months ago Google announced Google TV, a new platform similar to Apple’s web-to-TV product, Apple TV (sorta). Google TV differs in that it’s actually an internet experience on your TV, built for your TV. Bringing the experience of the internet into the living room isn’t a new concept, it’s just taken some time for anyone to actually get it right.

Has Google done it right? Well, we don’t know yet but early impressions would lead us to believe so. If Google TV can succeed where others have failed, it might have the power to tip the internet vs cable TV scales in a new direction. Read on for more details and our thoughts on Google TV.

Internet on the TV

The internet and the TV have had a struggle going on for quite awhile now, especially with regards to cable and satellite TV providers. Many have tried for several years to bring the internet into the realm of the living room TV, but it’s never quite panned out. One point of failure for many of those who’ve attempted this is they tried to bring the desktop version of the internet on to the TV, which just doesn’t work well.

Where more recent attempts at bringing the internet to the TV have succeeded has been the user interface; getting rid of the desktop experience and molding the internet into a living room entertainment experience. Examples of this would be the Apple TV, Xbox and Roku. It has to be easy and it has to be dang near instant (just like regular TV).

Google TV takes the success of these platforms a step further in an attempt to bring many of the separated services (Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Twitter, Pandora etc) into a single, powerful and expandable platform. By expandable I mean that they’ve applied the concept of apps, just like you’d find on your iPhone or Android phone, to the TV. This is what could make the Google TV platform a potential game changer.

Internet vs Cable / Satellite Providers

As I briefly mentioned earlier, there’s been a struggle between the internet and the living room TV with relation to your typical TV providers such as cable and satellite. Internet media providers such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon and YouTube have been drawing nearer to replacing typical TV service providers and they don’t like it. They’re loosing customers because customers are realizing they can get nearly the same content through the internet, which they’ve already been paying for.

Personally, I don’t own a TV. Not because I don’t want to own one, but because I can get all the content I want (TV shows, movies, etc) via the internet. Now why would I pay for cable TV service only to get the exact same content? That being said, I do want a TV, but only once I can access internet content with it. I’m not talking about just a few services either, I’m talking about most or all of them.

Google TV, thanks to its app-centric design, will bridge that gap for me, giving me exactly what I’ve been looking for and exactly what many others have been waiting for. Bye-bye cable subscription!

Google TV

The best way to give you a taste of what Google TV is, is Google’s YouTube video sneak peek.

Next up, visit the Google TV website and click “Take the Tour” to flip through the slides. It’s really the easiest way for you to see what Google TV really is. But make sure you come back here!

Apps

So, as I mentioned before, Google TV takes what we already know works so well (remember the iPhone?) and applies it to the TV—apps. This is going to give developers the ability to make the most of our TV’s potential and create an entirely new and exciting experience, powered by the addiction that is the internet.

Mobile Devices

No, you won’t be taking Google TV with you (yet), but you will be able to use that expensive iPhone or Android phone as a seriously powerful remote that’ll make yesterday’s remotes look like children’s toys. Taking it a step further, however, you’ll be able to “fling” content to your TV.

TV Shows, Movies, Music and More

Right out of the gate Google TV will be ready to access not only your Netflix or Amazon instant streaming services, but also content from providers like CNBC, HBO, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, NBA Game Time and more that’ve already gotten on board with Google TV. This is a huge step towards success already!

Google TV’s not just about video though, it’ll also have apps for music and social media from VEVO, Pandora, Napster, Twitter, YouTube, Picasa, Flickr and more.

What do you think?

I tend to be an optimist with new and exciting technology but Google TV is really showing some spectacular signs of being a real hit already. Google TV, from impressions thus far, will be able to bring the internet to your TV in the way it should be—easy, entertaining and ready for the future. Needless to say, I’m excited—and I might buy a TV thanks to Google TV.

See the Google TV blog fore more info. and future updates.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts whether you’re excited, skeptical or you just don’t give a crap, so leave a comment below. Thanks!