Google to once again challenge Apple TV with Android-based set-top streamer, report says

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited June 2014
Ahead of Google's I/O developer conference on Wednesday, a report claims the Internet search giant is cooking up a new batch of Android-based set-top streaming devices with support for video, music and video games.

Supposed Android TV screenshot. | Source: The Verge


Citing sources familiar with Google's new play for the living room, The Wall Street Journal reports that the company is working on the initiative with multiple partners and will announce at least one of the rumored devices at its I/O conference tomorrow.

People who have seen one of the rumored devices say it bears resemblance to the Apple TV and Amazon's Fire TV, but runs a new flavor of Android dubbed "Android TV." Rumors of Android TV's existence first hit last October, with further reports claiming the OS will boast a stripped-down interface, push notifications, voice controls and more.

Google appears to be structuring the new Android TV model after its Android mobile operating system for smartphones. Devices will be branded by the companies that make them, but each will run a version of Android TV, unifying key features like game support and music playback.

It is unclear if Google will one day field its own set-top hardware like the Nexus brand of smartphones and tablets.

Sources say one of the platform's major features is support for games that are compatible with both mobile devices and Android TV. For example, a user may be able to start a game on an Android smartphone, pause it, then pick up where they left off on their HDTV. The streaming devices are also said to support remote control functions from Android -- and possibly other -- portables.

Google has been trying to shoehorn itself into the living room since 2010's Google TV flop. Two years later, it trotted out the $299 Nexus Q media streamer at the 2012 I/O conference, though that particular project failed before it hit mass market.

To date, only Google's $35 Chromecast dongle, which lets users stream content from other devices to an HDMI-equipped HDTV, has shown signs of life.

At the core of Google's thrust into the set-top streaming game is the company's ad business. The more Android devices in circulation, the more data can be gathered and the more ads can be served. To get eyes-on, however, Google must first introduce a product worth buying; a difficult proposition given strong competition from Apple, Amazon, Roku and other established brands.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 50
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    Of all the things Google does wrong, nothing is more laughable than their TV crap. It epitomizes what kind of company they are:
    -Throw noodles on the ceiling and see what sticks
    -Be quick to try to adopt and be "FIRST!" and then don't support or do it completely half assed. Maybe even call it "beta" so it's allowed to be half assed
    -Repeat

    Google TV
    Nexus Q
    Chromecast- although the google drones will march in here and tell us this isn't a chromecast replacement, just another streamer in addition to chromecast. *yawn* oooook
    This thing
    Not to mention the week they tried to turn the television industry on its head only to get shut down immediately. Talk about not thinking through a damned thing they do.

    Why would anyone [I]ever[/I] want to buy yet another Google Television streaming device?
  • Reply 2 of 50
    noivadnoivad Posts: 186member
    Seems like Google is following the route Microsoft took of rebranding and reintroducing something that flopped the previous x-times as an %u201C{insert-Apple-product-here}-killer%u201D only to receive a lukewarm reception and mixed reviews. In a few years they will try again as MS did with the Slate, Zune, Windows CE%u2026 etc. All this did was tell people who paid attention not to buy into a platform that wouldn%u2019t be around in 5 years. Google is also building an abandonment track record with many google services that shut their doors. Savvy customers, the ones that are the opinion makers among their social circles, will steer clear after being burned yet again.

    Apple, wisely, just iterated the brand name %u201CAppleTV%u201D from more of an expensive set top box more similar to a Mac Mini, and didn%u2019t break forward compatibility unless it needed to nor confuse consumers by changing the name every year. Apple wisely supports iPhones back to the 4 to run the current iOS (7). When iOS 8 comes out, the 4S will be the oldest phone supported, showing a track record of at least 4 years of updates, and a continuity of apps since the app store opened.

    All this new version of the previous Android set-top box will do is fracture the market and alienate more current and former customers when they find their new phone won%u2019t work with a Chromecast in a few years %u2014 when Google drops support for Chromecast in some future version of Android, and tell people to upgrade to Android TV or whatever they are calling it by then,
  • Reply 3 of 50
    crysisftwcrysisftw Posts: 128member

    Google I/O is an escape from reality for analysts.

  • Reply 4 of 50
    noivadnoivad Posts: 186member

    Hey look, Apple Insider’s text parse can’t handle actual apostrophes and quote marks — Um, UTF-8 anyone? (Did that em-dash even work?)

  • Reply 5 of 50
    noivadnoivad Posts: 186member
    Ah I see. Comments made on the article page with UTF-8 characters are garbled.: while those made within the forum are decoded correctly. testing%u2026 testing%u2026
    %u201C%u201D%u2018%u2019%u2013%u2014 \"; Drop Tables;
    Well at least that doesn’t get by
  • Reply 6 of 50
    magman1979magman1979 Posts: 1,292member
    HAHAHAHAHA!!!

    OK, this made me laugh for real... Is Google really that stupid? They want to rebrand and repackage that flop of a TV settop box that looked like a tennis ball and called the Nexus (something) from a while ago and now claim they're going to give Apple TV a run for its money?

    Google, stop trying, you and Pinachi are just embarrassing yourselves further.
  • Reply 7 of 50
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    magman1979 wrote: »
    OK, this made me laugh for real... Is Google really that stupid?

    "That's Google alright. For a stupid company they sure do dumb things."

    700

    Oh man, the amount of funnies that pop into my head when thinking of how to finish that sentence!
  • Reply 8 of 50
    constable odoconstable odo Posts: 1,041member

    It's almost certain Wall Street will cheer it like they do everything else Google does and proclaim it as another product Apple has to worry about.  The pundits will figure that both Fire TV and Google TV working together will certainly put Apple out of the streaming box business for good.  Watch Google's share price rise when this new streaming box is announced and is hailed as a leading legitimate contender in the streaming box race.  All Apple has is that old single-core AppleTV against the new quad-core Android challengers with their powerful graphic chips to play all Google Play games compared to AppleTV's zero games.  Guaranteed the news media will write about Tim Cook's failures and the death of Apple.

  • Reply 9 of 50

    This reminds me of an episode of The Big Bang Theory where Howard does a "card trick" insinuating that he can telepathically find a card selected by anyone and Sheldon tries all sorts of things to do the same trick.

     

    The Apple TV itself was not Apple's finest hour upon release and it took time for it to evolve. That didn't stop Google from trying so many times to compete with it.

     

    One thing I'd give credit to Google for is that it can recognise a threat when it sees one.

  • Reply 10 of 50

    Sometimes it takes longer than 1, 2...150 times to get some things right. You keep trying Google you will make it one day.

     

    I wonder what would happen if you plug a Chromecast into this new device...

  • Reply 11 of 50
    gtrgtr Posts: 3,231member
    [IMG]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/44994/width/250/height/250[/IMG]

    Edison would be proud.

    Google are well on their way to 10,000.
  • Reply 12 of 50
    waybacmacwaybacmac Posts: 309member

    Apple - Apple TV

     

    Google - Google TV, Nexus Q, Chromecast, Android TV

     

    More clear proof that Apple can't innovate  :no:

     

    /s 

  • Reply 13 of 50
    robmrobm Posts: 1,068member
    Lazza, surgy n derrick hit it out of the park again ...........

    Weeeeee - watch that turd sink faster than the titanic

    Bad metaphors I know - but wtf :D This is beyond lipstick on a pig.

    edit: maybe that should read - splat on the bat.
    Manufactures dress accordingly ....
  • Reply 14 of 50
    v900v900 Posts: 101member
    Actually, more like: "More clear proof that Google can't do a decent product."

    They haven't developed a successful product since launching Gmail, even though it's close to a decade and half a dozen major product launches ago.

    (Android doesn't really count, since it was an acquisition, and most of the work has been done by others...)

    Oh well, maybe they'll get it right on the fourth attempt!
  • Reply 15 of 50
    v900v900 Posts: 101member
    As anyone who've had a little hands-on experience with Android can attest to, Android-TV will be a nightmare.

    Especially consumers.

    Ever seen a TV hang or crash? Now you will!

    Obviously, there'll be the usual security-problems that seem to follow Android like flies buzzing a turd.

    Get ready for alarming news stories on malware on TVs as the first virus infections will hit Android TV.

    Shortly after followed by reports on angry consumers, whose 14 year old, 1337, Android worshipping kid managed to brick their TV, because he read a new ROM would make it less sluggish.

    Unfortunately content providers may probably try to lock up their content even more, as owners of Android TVs will follow the proud Android tradition of pirating every single 99 cent app, game, song and movie they can get their hands on.

    There's just something about that platform that attracts the clueless, immoral and cheapskates.
  • Reply 16 of 50
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member

    Not really sure what the point in malware on a TV would be.  What would they steal, your recording schedule?

  • Reply 17 of 50
    chipsychipsy Posts: 287member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Andysol View Post



    Of all the things Google does wrong, nothing is more laughable than their TV crap. It epitomizes what kind of company they are:

    -Throw noodles on the ceiling and see what sticks

    -Be quick to try to adopt and be "FIRST!" and then don't support or do it completely half assed. Maybe even call it "beta" so it's allowed to be half assed

    -Repeat



    Google TV

    Nexus Q

    Chromecast- although the google drones will march in here and tell us this isn't a chromecast replacement, just another streamer in addition to chromecast. *yawn* oooook

    This thing

    Not to mention the week they tried to turn the television industry on its head only to get shut down immediately. Talk about not thinking through a damned thing they do.



    Why would anyone ever want to buy yet another Google Television streaming device?

    It's pretty much undeniable that most of Google's TV attempts have failed miserably. I would content that the Chromcast is an exception for now. It's popular and works pretty good. Now if they would kill it then it clearly also is a failure, but at this moment in time that isn't the case.

    But I can't see me ever buying a Google TV product. It doesn't excite me for the least.

  • Reply 18 of 50
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    andysol wrote: »
    Of all the things Google does wrong, nothing is more laughable than their TV crap. It epitomizes what kind of company they are:
    -Throw noodles on the ceiling and see what sticks
    -Be quick to try to adopt and be "FIRST!" and then don't support or do it completely half assed. Maybe even call it "beta" so it's allowed to be half assed
    -Repeat

    Google TV
    Nexus Q
    Chromecast- although the google drones will march in here and tell us this isn't a chromecast replacement, just another streamer in addition to chromecast. *yawn* oooook
    This thing
    Not to mention the week they tried to turn the television industry on its head only to get shut down immediately. Talk about not thinking through a damned thing they do.

    Why would anyone ever want to buy yet another Google Television streaming device?

    It is a strikingly familiar situation for Microsoft and their pathetic attempts with iPad challenges ...
    Drum roll ... "and now ... as you hated the mark 1, mark 2 ... we now proudly present ... yes ... you guessed it .. the Surface Pro 3 ... even though the first two didn't, this one can!"
  • Reply 19 of 50
    I can't believe all the knee- jerk fanboy bashing of google here. With a low price point, an android tv stb has the potential to fracture apple's ecosystem because folks will be buying games and other apps for it. I'm an iOS developer but I've played around with android tv sticks for the past few years and there's huge potential. Apple have procrastinated opening up appletv to the point of being reckless - Apple TV should have had access to the App Store years ago, and there could have been a huge bigger user base now. Instead of bashing google, suggest bashing apple for being too slow taking appletv forward.
  • Reply 20 of 50
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    It is a strikingly familiar situation for Microsoft and their pathetic attempts with iPad challenges ...
    Drum roll ... "and now ... as you hated the mark 1, mark 2 ... we now proudly present ... yes ... you guessed it .. the Surface Pro 3 ... even though the first two didn't, this one can!"
    At least they keep the same name. Google is even sadder
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