Remember how Microsoft tried to integrate the internet on the television with that crappy WebTV (aka MSNTV) box? Well it seems that Google finally has figured out how to make such a move successful:
Google Inc. believes it has come up with the technology to unite Web surfing with channel surfing on televisions.
To reach the long-elusive goal, Google has joined forces with Sony Corp., Intel Corp. and Logitech International. The companies unveiled their much-anticipated plan for a "smart" TV on Thursday.
...
... Google was able to conduct a series of Internet searches in a drop-down box that appears at the top of television programs. The search results pointed to Internet videos and other content related to the television program on the screen.
A telecast of a sporting event can be shrunk into a small "picture-in-picture" box so a viewer can look at statistics or other material about the game on TV.
Viewers can also make search requests by speaking into a remote that runs on Google's Android operating system.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt described the potential of the Internet TVs as mind-boggling, although he acknowledged it might be difficult for some consumers to grasp at first. That's one reason he said Google decided to team up with Best Buy, which offers a "geek squad" to deal with complex technology.
"You have to actually see (the Internet TV) to get excited about it," Schmidt said at a news conference.
I guess that's why I'm not at all excited about it.
And like I'm really going to trust Geek Squad to help me out with anything.
-Deozaan
I'm VERY skeptical. I don't see it being worthwhile.
I think that there's a fundamental mistake going on. WebTV was stupid because it was way before its time.
Google Inc. believes it has come up with the technology to unite Web surfing with channel surfing on televisions.
And putting the Internet on TV is still stupid. Google has only found a new way to be stupid.
Microsoft tried to stick a Formula 1 engine in a VW Bug.
Now, since TVs have improved, Google is trying to stick a Formula 1 engine in a full sized sedan.
It's still going to be boogery.
The demonstration of the new technology didn't go smoothly at a Google conference for about 5,000 software programmers.
So many people in the audience were using the conference's wireless access network that Google ran into repeated problems showing how its technology is supposed to toggle seamlessly between the Web and television programming. Google finally had to plead with the attendees to disconnect their smart phones from the wireless network.
Once it got enough bandwidth, Google was able to conduct a series of Internet searches in a drop-down box that appears at the top of television programs. The search results pointed to Internet videos and other content related to the television program on the screen.
And apparently it still is if they can't figure out how to do a demo... Get a dedicated line perhaps?
But doing a search is that big a deal? And related videos? If you're watching something, isn't it kind of, ummm... channel/Internet *surfing* to go off on another video? Seems to me like a very novel way to become even more annoying.
Once it got enough bandwidth, Google was able to conduct a series of Internet searches in a drop-down box that appears at the top of television programs. The search results pointed to Internet videos and other content related to the television program on the screen.
A telecast of a sporting event can be shrunk into a small "picture-in-picture" box so a viewer can look at statistics or other material about the game on TV.
THAT is "revolutionary"? Oh (^#$ off. We've got another Steve Jobs here. Sigh...
Viewers can also make search requests by speaking into a remote that runs on Google's Android operating system.
Now that actually sounds promising and worthwhile. Voice activation is way behind where it should be.
TV is yesterday. Television sets are yesterday. They just don't have decent resolution. Put something from your computer on it, and it's either horribly small and cramped, or it's unreadable because it's blurry.
I'd like to see TV on the Internet. THAT would be exciting.
Why not have computers with really really big monitors, and multiple monitors? Keep whatever on 1 screen, and do the surfing on screen 2?
It just seems like a whole lot of same-old-same-old rehashed with new hype. Pumping more ads into TV doesn't seem very exciting to me.
I suppose my point is Internet on TV was dumb before, and it's dumb now. TV on the Internet (for real) would be cool.
