People of Lava introduces first Android TVs
updated 10:25 am EDT, Mon April 5, 2010
People of Lava introduce Scandinavian Android TVs
Sweden-based People of Lava has introduced the first family of Android-powered TV sets. The range, called Scandinavia, includes 42-, 47- and 55-inch LED-backlit sets with 1080p resolution and Google's mobile OS on a small system inside. Like on an Android-powered smartphone, users can access YouTube, Google Maps, weather, the time, a calendar and web browsing.
People of Lava promises that an app market will be available with TV-specific titles in the future. The sets will also have integration with Facebook, Twitter and regular e-mail. Each set has a USB port for playing digital content locally and an Ethernet jack to provide the Internet access. There will be three HDMI ports, a DVB-T digital TV tuner and bundles of both a remote and wireless keyboard. Android 1.5 is preloaded, while an 833MHz ARM Cortex A8 chip provides it unusually fast processing compared to most phones.
The first set to be produced will be the 42-inch model. While shipments start in September, some sets can be purchased earlier in the summer as part of a beta testing program. Pricing will range between $2,000 and $2,500 for the 42-inch version, and it will ship globally.
