Google TVs confirmed from LG, Samsung, Sony, Vizio
updated 05:50 pm EST, Thu January 5, 2012
Google TV partners at CES 2012 already revealed
Google has removed the mystery from who its Google TV partners will be at CES with a full listing ahead of the show. Some using chips from Marvell and MediaTek, TVs from LG, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio will all run the Android-based TV OS. Vizio's sets will be behind closed doors, but the rest should be public.
Few hardware details were given out, although LG will be using a self-developed L9 chipset. Sony's launch will make Google TV available in "several countries" and will finally have Google TV leave the US. Canada, the UK, and parts of Europe and Japan are the most probable candidates.
The launch isn't universal and will leave out companies like Panasonic, but it helps explain Google chairman Eric Schmidt's beliefs that most TVs would use Google TV by mid-year. Although doubtful that most TVs will use the platform given that the OS may skew towards higher-end sets, it could make Google TV difficult to avoid for those buying within a certain price range.
Google TV in its first year has been broadly considered a failure. The decision to use Intel chips raised prices, and the lack of third-party apps often meant an Apple TV not only had more features but was more useful in practice. Google TV's full, Flash-capable browser was supposed to be its advantage, but it became a liability as most major providers blocked it and left the available video mostly to YouTube and independents.
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sony, industry, gadgets, digital imaging, Android, LG, Samsung, Apple TV, Vizio, Apple, Google TV
Moderator
Joined: Aug 2001
Here's the difference
between Apple and Google: the original Apple TV was modest and hardly perfect, but everyone I ever met who owned one loved it. It has (arguably) improved in various ways with each revision and is now a both a mainstream hit ("hit" being a relative term to its previous sales levels, but it has gained mainstream acceptance) and a hacker's dream toy.
Google TV, OTOH, debuted with mostly stolen (okay, "unlicensed") content that subsequently got blocked, and everyone hated it. Now they are once again revamping and trotting out a new version, only this time they are forcing consumers to pay for it whether they want it or not. Nice move.
We'll see what approach Apple takes if the rumours are true about their own HDTV entry, but my guess is it will be different.