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Cable Technology Feature Article

September 10, 2012

After Unsuccessful Launch, Google TV Tries Again with Sony, Vizio

By Monica Gleberman, Contributing Writer


After launching its first generation Google (News - Alert) TV in 2010 to poor sales, Google announced it would be re-launching its televisions with revamped software and hardware with the hopes to attract consumers’ attentions.

Google TV was designed as a television platform that would integrate with Google’s Android (News - Alert) operating system to help create an interactive television experience more advanced that just streaming television through your computer. The first sets of televisions were released using x86 architecture processor by Intel (News - Alert) and received criticism for its high cost, lack of content and features and slow hardware.

Although Google tried to salvage its televisions by lowering the price by over 60 percent, the lack of revenue considered Google’s first attempt at releasing a television as a failure. Now, the company is teaming up with Sony to release two new television sets under Sony’s NSZ-GS7 product line.

Rich Jaroslovsky, writer for Bloomberg (News - Alert), had the chance to review the revamped television set and said although there are improvements, Google has a long way to go to rival its competitors. “The new Sony and Vizio units – along with an announced Google TV set-top box from China’s Hisense and a TV from LG with software built in – aim to differentiate themselves by not merely connecting your TV to the Internet but by integrating online video content with programming from traditional sources like cable and satellite.”

“While they’re considerable improvements over the previous generation, Google TV still has a long way to go…Only a geek could have loved the original Google TV. With this new generation, it has certainly become more accessible. But there remain easier and cheaper ways to watch online content on our television,” said Jaroslovsky.

Regardless of what Google releases, it still has a long way to go if it wants to dominate the market. When companies such as Apple (News - Alert) and Sony are able to supply their own content, it makes it hard for another company to come along and try to make money. Google said it plans on releasing its second-generation television sets later this year.

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Edited by Rachel Ramsey


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