LG releasing Google TV-based smart TV as Apple television rumors swirl

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  • Reply 21 of 49
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DrDoppio View Post


    Technically, it is very easy to achieve. I've read some related patents some 5 years ago.



    Content providers would understandably hate the feature, but I am buying the TV from a CE maker, not a cable company, right?



    That's not the issue. Google is not in the business of trying to spare you from ads and Apple would have an uphill battle convincing content providers to offer such a feature, unless you expect to pay more for the content.
  • Reply 22 of 49
    drdoppiodrdoppio Posts: 1,132member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FullOfFail View Post


    That's not the issue. Google is not in the business of trying to spare you from ads and Apple would have an uphill battle convincing content providers to offer such a feature, unless you expect to pay more for the content.



    I understand that. That's why I said "whoever gets it right, gets my money". I don't care whether it's Google, Apple, LG, some dude in his garage or some obscure maker in a communist country in Asia.
  • Reply 23 of 49
    z3r0z3r0 Posts: 238member
    GOOGLE OWNS THE GATEWAY (TO AN EXTENT...)



    Think Motorola Cable modems. There isn't a huge cable provider who doesn't support Motorola hardware. All Google has to do is slip Google TV onto them and face it users are lazy, they'll use whatever comes with the cable box.



    Apple will really need to convince users otherwise if that happens.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Firefly7475 View Post


    OK... so I may regret saying this, but I think Google TV may end up as the defacto "smart TV" platform standard.





    It's what the OEM's want...

    Well... sort of. I'm sure they would rather their own unique platforms, but with the threat of Apple TV looming it's not hard to imagine them coalescing around the Android platform.



    When you look at the major TV manufacturers (e.g. Sony, Panasonic, Sharp, LG, Samsung, Visio etc) most are already Android partners to some extent.



    The OEM's will also have the ability to differentiate through completely skinning the default Google TV UI.





    The technology may be "good enough"...

    Apple could create a more unique and user friendly TV UI than Google (e.g. Siri integration etc) but Google TV wouldn't be that far behind.



    Lagging by 12 months in the smart phone industry is a big deal, lagging by that much in the TV industry (where people switch out their TVs far less often) isn't so much of a problem.





    Google has the infrastructure...

    YouTube serves up almost as much Internet video as all other Internet sources combined.



    I'm not sure if there is any other company in the world other than Google that has the infrastructure and scalability in place to deliver a wide-scale content-on-demand video service.





    Google has a carrot for the networks...

    I've gone on about this ad nauseam in other threads about the iTV... a company needs leverage over the networks so they will provide them with the content they need (and at the price they need it) to be able to deliver the TV service that consumers want.



    One way to get leverage over the networks is to offer them a new (and larger) revenue stream, and one of the ways to do this is through enhanced advertising (e.g. in-program advertising or highly targeted advertising)



    Google know what your searches are. They know your browsing patterns, they know what you buy. Heck they can even scan your email for keywords.



    The ability to deliver targeted advertising is Google's bread and butter, and it happens to be something that Apple sucks at.







    But I'm not writing off Apple...

    Maybe Apple could do something totally unexpected and change the way we think about TV.



    Maybe they could find a way to carve out a lions share of the profit marketshare without the sales marketshare by offering a TV that syncs well with the Apple eco-system.



    Maybe they could even partner with a company like Facebook to deliver some targeted advertising that blows Google TV out of the water.



    Anything is still possible at this point.



  • Reply 24 of 49
    mstonemstone Posts: 11,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Firefly7475 View Post


    Google know what your searches are. They know your browsing patterns, they know what you buy. Heck they can even scan your email for keywords.



    The ability to deliver targeted advertising is Google's bread and butter, and it happens to be something that Apple sucks at.



    How is Google going to know who is watching the TV? Are we now going to have to log in to a Google account in order to watch? If a group of people are watching how will Google deliver targeted ads using any criteria other than what TV programmers already do? Ads will continue to be driven by the content of the show, nothing more. Our previous searches for information using our computers are irrelevant. The kids don't use Google on the computer at all but they see a lot of ads on those cartoon shows. According to your theory, they should be seeing mostly ads for antique motorcycle restoration parts since that is what I often search for.
  • Reply 25 of 49
    alfiejralfiejr Posts: 1,524member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by majortom1981 View Post


    Google tv with the new interface is pretty easy to use. Maybe a little easier then apple tv since google tv boxes have hdmi IN . No source changing needed



    yup. combing all your inputs onto a single home page is definitely one thing Apple needs to "emulate" to succeed. this is the biggest single missing piece of the current Apple TV.



    but that doesn't change my basic point: TV is a passive experience, not active. you want to search for anything as little as possible. you want scroll through those hundreds of cable/sat channels in the Guide as little as possible. you want to find something good on Netflix or Hulu without wading through pages of movie/show icons. you don't want to enter text. you don't want to fiddle with settings. you hate passwords. you didn't go sit on the sofa to expend any effort on anything. you just want what you enjoy ASAP by hopefully pushing just one button. instant gratification.



    i'm exaggerating of course, but not that much. the current trend of adding more options and choices to smart TV's and Google TV is totally in the wrong direction. more choices require more effort. more complexity requires more thinking. only 10% of frequent TV users want that. the other 90% want TV to be as simple and easy as possible.



    actually there is huge potential for a Siri UI to make TV simple and easy like that. you would just chat with it - using it as your very smart helper that does all the thinking and searching for you - until you found what you like. so Apple would need to reinvent the remote control. an iPod touch with Siri and AirPlay would be the perfect Apple Television remote.
  • Reply 26 of 49
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by rtdunham View Post


    I worry about Apple's ability to execute a slick "smart" TV, based on my experience with the AppleTV (gens 1 and 2). Two observations:



    1) I'm on a 20Mbps broadband service, but frequently have tv shows and movies interrupted, from hiccups to stalls requiring restarts. That's worse than the normal broadcast experience and it doesn't bode well for streaming.



    2) More troublesome (in terms of inattention to detail) are movie descriptions that don't fit in the space allotted to them on the AppleTV. At least I can't find a way to navigate past a second screen of text. I had to pull up only three movies, at random, before finding an example: Go to "The Chaos Experiment". The text describing the movie ends in an ellipsis. But by using the up arrow, you can bump to a second screen to continue reading. Unfortunately, that page of text also ends in an ellipsis, and I can't find a way to get to the third (and final?) page of descriptive text. That's a hell of a user experience!



    If Apple's iBook showed only parts of the texts purchased or viewed for consideration, people would find that intolerable. The fact that it happens frequently--and has been happening for years--makes me worry about Apple and TV. I guess I'm bitching because I expect better from Apple.







    Not sure about your second concern, but the first really has nothing to do with Apple. The blame lays with your Internet service provider. I used to have Comcast for broadband, which claims to have the fastest internet. Yet, Netflix would stall out probably at least twice during every show or movie I watched. Comcast was throttling the Netflix content, so Netflix would have to adjust the quality repeatedly. Comcast used to do the same thing with my Vonage phone calls. I am using AT&T DSL now and I experience the problem far less.



    At the end of the day, it doesn't matter how fast your broadband is capable of achieving if the provider is throttling your content. That is why Net Neutrality is an important issue. Companies like Comcast, that are billing customers to deliver their requested content to which the customers often are subject to a cap, think they should also be able to double dip and charge the parties their customers are requesting the content from. When the content providers don't pay, the content gets throttled.
  • Reply 27 of 49
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by z3r0 View Post


    GOOGLE OWNS THE GATEWAY (TO AN EXTENT...)



    Think Motorola Cable modems. There isn't a huge cable provider who doesn't support Motorola hardware. All Google has to do is slip Google TV onto them and face it users are lazy, they'll use whatever comes with the cable box.



    Apple will really need to convince users otherwise if that happens.



    I doubt this is as easy you make out. The cable boxes are made to the specifications of the customers. Namely, the cable and DSL providers. Many of Google's offerings compete with those same providers offerings. The cable and DSL providers aren't going to want Google's platform competing with their own (at least without taking a cut of the pie). Moreover, entrenched channels like HBO aren't going to be thrilled with competing with Google's channels. Many content providers caused Google's first Google TV box to fail because they blocked their content to the device.



    Google has always had a good relationship with Motorola. Google could have long before today gotten Motorola to put Google TV on Motorola modems if it was something cable and DSL providers wanted. Yet, you don't see this. Instead, Google is partnering with TV hardware makers.



    If the rumors are true, Apple would be trying to appeal to the market who wants al a carte programming. I am one of those customers. I don't have cable or DSL TV programming. I don't wish to pay for a hundred channels I have no interest in watching. I subscribe to Netflix and Hulu Plus. I also use Red Box. I also access the ESPN app to watch sporting events. I also watch free HD programming using a HD antennae. If I didn't recently buy an excellent Sharp LED TV, I would in heartbeat buy an Apple TV (in fact I held out on buying a TV for over a year hoping Apple was going to deliver such a product).
  • Reply 28 of 49
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Red Oak View Post


    I can't wait to see the remote



    So, LG is putting a UI interface on top of Google TV. Because that approach has worked so well with Android smartphones



    Not only that ... they are only guessing what Apple may do since Schmidt can no longer access secret Apple information for Google. So they are taking a risk just to try to be first. Hopefully if Apple are coming out with something it will be magical and leave Google in the dust.
  • Reply 29 of 49
    conrailconrail Posts: 489member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by czardmitri View Post


    I have an 8 Mbps (as tested) Internet connection, and I watch HD on the AppleTV without any issues. Just sayin'.



    11 mpbs here. Netflix is unavailable more than it should be, and stalls from time to time. Rented one movie from Apple which 24 hours to download before I could start it. That was enough. Thank the FSM for InDemandHD.
  • Reply 30 of 49
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Conrail View Post


    11 mpbs here. Netflix is unavailable more than it should be, and stalls from time to time. Rented one movie from Apple which 24 hours to download before I could start it. That was enough. Thank the FSM for InDemandHD.



    I have 20 mbps here and Apple's HD content starts within seconds and runs great, it was just as good when I had the 12 mbps service. Netflix stutters and stalls and is unavailable so much it's ridiculous. Netflix simply sux...I only keep them because they have some cartoons that my kids like.
  • Reply 31 of 49
    hattighattig Posts: 860member
    Quote:

    an LG-designed Magic Remote Qwerty



    Well I guess we know that LG didn't have in-house smart TV plans until recently, hence deciding to use the so-far derided Google TV platform.



    I can only hope that the above remote control isn't as ridiculous as previous Google TV remotes.



    Compare this to Samsung, Sony and presumably Panasonic, who have been investing in their own smart TV platforms for quite some time, and thus don't need to panic-run to Google TV.
  • Reply 32 of 49
    hattighattig Posts: 860member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MoXoM View Post


    One issue that needs addressing is that the UI. Many customers find it very off-putting and complicated to navigate. Only Samsung seem to have a decent UI but there is still room for improvement.



    Don't worry, around one year after Apple finally release their smart TV, everyone on the Apple blogs and associated blog-o-sphere-thing will be claiming that Apple invented it and that Samsung merely copied the concept.
  • Reply 33 of 49
    firefly7475firefly7475 Posts: 1,502member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    How is Google going to know who is watching the TV? Are we now going to have to log in to a Google account in order to watch? If a group of people are watching how will Google deliver targeted ads using any criteria other than what TV programmers already do?



    Yes, you will need to be logged into your Google account.



    I'm talking about an on-demand IPTV solution, not a Google box sitting between you and your normal cable box.



    Ads are currently delivered based on the general audience, for example you're more likely to see a tampon ad during Ellen and a beer ad during the football.



    Although these ads may hit some of the desired audience, they waste a lot of ad space as well (in this example a pregnant woman watching Ellen or a recovering alcoholic watching the football)



    An IPTV solution allows advertising to be targeted to the specific user watching the program.
  • Reply 34 of 49
    herbapouherbapou Posts: 2,228member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by z3r0 View Post


    GOOGLE OWNS THE GATEWAY (TO AN EXTENT...)



    Think Motorola Cable modems. There isn't a huge cable provider who doesn't support Motorola hardware. All Google has to do is slip Google TV onto them and face it users are lazy, they'll use whatever comes with the cable box.



    Apple will really need to convince users otherwise if that happens.



    Its even worst since Motorola also control the iPTV boxes. At&T and Bell Canada are using them. So far they are running windows CE but I expect them to use Android at some point.
  • Reply 35 of 49
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer View Post


    Comcast?



    He's talking about Internet speed, true, but he is also talking about an annoying interface issue with ATV. It IS hard to see the summary info. Podcasts are not as straightforward to surf through either. It could be made a little better, yes.
  • Reply 36 of 49
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Lenovo has announced they're jumping in bed with Google on a 55" 1080P IPS, voice-controlled (for now only if you speak in Chinese ) smart tv running Android 4.0.



    From ArsTechnica:

    The smart TV, imaginatively named the K91, has a 1080p IPS display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and a built-in 5-megapixel camera to support face recognition. In addition to stock Android 4, the K91 will also run a second interface Lenovo calls ?the Sandwich UI? which can handle video on demand, ?Internet apps,? and regular TV programming. According to a press release, the TV will be controllable through speech as well as with a compatible tablet or smartphone. Photos of the TV?s remote have not been released, but it will have a touchpad, 5 directional keys, and a motion sensor.



    http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/...nch-tablet.ars
  • Reply 37 of 49
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    Lenovo has announced they're jumping in bed with Google on a 55" 1080P IPS, voice-controlled (for now only if you speak in Chinese ) smart tv running Android 4.0.



    From ArsTechnica:

    The smart TV, imaginatively named the K91, has a 1080p IPS display, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and a built-in 5-megapixel camera to support face recognition. In addition to stock Android 4, the K91 will also run a second interface Lenovo calls ?the Sandwich UI? which can handle video on demand, ?Internet apps,? and regular TV programming. According to a press release, the TV will be controllable through speech as well as with a compatible tablet or smartphone. Photos of the TV?s remote have not been released, but it will have a touchpad, 5 directional keys, and a motion sensor.



    http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/news/...nch-tablet.ars



    It's not enough that a device have a feature listed on a spec sheet it has to be usable.
  • Reply 38 of 49
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    It's not enough that a device have a feature listed on a spec sheet it has to be usable.



    None of us know yet how "usable" it is. Apparently it's already available for sale in China, and Ars plans a hands-on this week.
  • Reply 39 of 49
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Gatorguy View Post


    None of us know yet how "usable" it is. Apparently it's already available for sale in China, and Ars plans a hands-on this week.



    Hands on with a TV with that only understands Chinese commands? We'll be able to get some idea of the how well this works in latency and if we hear them repeating commands multiple times but I'd think most of it we'll just have to take someone else's word for it.
  • Reply 40 of 49
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SolipsismX View Post


    Hands on with a TV with that only understands Chinese commands? We'll be able to get some idea of the how well this works in latency and if we hear them repeating commands multiple times but I'd think most of it we'll just have to take someone else's word for it.



    I thought Ars was one of your generally trusted sources? Personally I'm interested in their opinion of it.
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