Google prepping 'Android TV' set-top box with stripped-down interface, voice input and notifications

Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited May 2014
According to supposedly leaked documents, Google is readying a new contender for the living room in Android TV, a set-top box with an easy-to-use card interface, voice controls, push notifications and more.


Source: The Verge


In a report on Saturday, The Verge confirmed rumors from October that said Google was looking to rebrand Google TV under the Android moniker. The new platform, however, is said to be much different from the company's Google TV flop and will be more in line with offerings from Roku, the Apple TV and the new Amazon Fire TV.

While the exact nature of the acquired documents was not revealed, quotes lifted from the papers suggest early drafts of promotional material:
Android TV is an entertainment interface, not a computing platform. It's all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction." It will be "cinematic, fun, fluid, and fast.
Powered by Android, the experience is said to be more along the lines of a standard set-top box, not a blown-up version of an Android smartphone or tablet. To that end, Google is apparently moving to a card-based interface that looks to riff on the Apple TV's GUI.

One Google document claims it should never take users more than three clicks or gestures to get from the home screen to new content, The Verge said. In addition, the system will boast a universal search function that can quickly find content across content delivery services as well as individual apps.




Android TV is basically a stripped-down version of Google TV in that it eschews features like VoIP, cameras, touchscreens and NFC support for a simplified system with a built-in framework for third-party apps and content. As seen in the screenshot above, Google is already partnering with Internet streaming firms like Hulu to build out Android TV's initial offerings. In addition, Google will bring big screen access to its own apps like Google Play Movies, YouTube and Hangouts.

Hardware for the device was not outlined in the report, though voice search via a physical remote control is said to be an included option. Amazon recently unveiled an identical feature as one of the main draws of its $99 fireTV.

Finally, Google is expected to keep the Chromecast platform alive as a separate product offering, but this means app developers will need to create content for more than one platform.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 152
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    Can't wait until the next Apple TV. Getting more excited everyday.

    What was this article about again?
  • Reply 2 of 152
    chris_cachris_ca Posts: 2,543member
    If it does't work the 1st time, change the name and try again...
  • Reply 3 of 152
    pazuzupazuzu Posts: 1,728member
    andysol wrote: »
    Can't wait until the next Apple TV. Getting more excited everyday.

    What was this article about again?

    How tired the current APPLE TV actually is?
  • Reply 4 of 152
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member

    BOOM!

  • Reply 5 of 152
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chris_CA View Post



    If it does't work the 1st time, change the name and try again...

     

    This is way more than a name change, but I also this the name change will actually prove quite important for this product. Branding and naming matter. If iPhone was called the TX75LL390 it wound't have seemed anywhere near as accessible to consumers.

  • Reply 6 of 152
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    ireland wrote: »
    BOOM!
    Boom what? That Google leaked this right after Amazon announced their box? That the UI looks like Xbox? That's it's basically just copying what every other STB/console device does? Honestly I'd be curious to know how many people come home at night and curse their TV interface. It seems tech companies these days are tripping all over each other trying to find what the next big thing is. Yet none of them are doing anything that makes you go WOW or holy shit. It's all variants of the same things.

    Though now that we're getting notifications on our phone, wrist and TV I expect Google to design a bathroom mirror that displays notifications. and maybe showers and refrigerators too. Make sure every minute of the day wherever you are you get notifications.

    At what point do people start switching off?!?
  • Reply 7 of 152
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    ireland wrote: »
    This is way more than a name change, but I also this the name change will actually prove quite important for this product. Branding and naming matter. If iPhone was called the TX75LL390 it wound't have seemed anywhere near as accessible to consumers.
    How is this different than what Amazon announced other than it's the Google play ecosystem rather than Amazon Prime?
  • Reply 8 of 152
    droidftwdroidftw Posts: 1,009member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post



    According to supposedly leaked documents, Google is readying a new contender for the living room in Android TV, a set-top box with an easy-to-use card interface, voice controls, push notifications and more.

    ...

    In a report on Saturday, The Verge confirmed rumors from October that said Google was looking to rebrand Google TV under the Android moniker.

    ....

    Powered by Android, the experience is said to be more along the lines of a standard set-top box, not a blown-up version of an Android smartphone or tablet.


     

    This can't be right.  The Verge needs to get thier stuff together.  DED, in a very lengthy article written almost a year ago, assured us that Google was ditching Android and trying to distance themselves from it.

  • Reply 10 of 152
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member
    Here we go again. Yawn.

    Go ahead Google, just add to the confusion for consumers who buy crappy Netflix boxes. I'll wait for something truly innovative.

    We're ready Apple.
  • Reply 11 of 152
    mcarlingmcarling Posts: 1,106member
    I hope Apple will release the new Apple TV before Google releases its copy.
  • Reply 12 of 152
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    rogifan wrote: »
    How is this different than what Amazon announced other than it's the Google play ecosystem rather than Amazon Prime?
    The big difference is Google didn't announce anything.
  • Reply 13 of 152
    pazuzupazuzu Posts: 1,728member
    jkichline wrote: »
    Here we go again. Yawn.

    Go ahead Google, just add to the confusion for consumers who buy crappy Netflix boxes. I'll wait for something truly innovative.

    We're ready Apple.

    When????
  • Reply 14 of 152
    snovasnova Posts: 1,281member

    ..but, but, Chromecast.

  • Reply 15 of 152
    I'll just keep my chromecast
  • Reply 16 of 152
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    snova wrote: »
    ..but, but, Chromecast.

    It's understandable why Gogole would ditch GoogleTV. They created a horrible product and they are now scaling it back to a more realistic concept with a new name, but Chromecast has a modicum of success so why create this competitor to it. We know that Chromecast is really built from Android, not Chrome OS, so what is the key difference here? The HW? I don't get how this is going to help Chromecast going forward unless they are also ditching it in favour of Android TV.
  • Reply 17 of 152
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    GoogleTV, Chromecast, Android TV....


    That company is a disaster.
  • Reply 18 of 152

    Screw them both and go with chromecast

  • Reply 19 of 152
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    gatorguy wrote: »
    The big difference is Google didn't announce anything.
    Then I'm not sure what the BOOM is for.
  • Reply 20 of 152
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    chris_ca wrote: »
    If it does't work the 1st time, change the name and try again...

    That's Business 101.
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