Google recently partnered with Sony and Intel to develop a platform aptly called Google TV. Going beyond a simple Google app, Google TV will be available through a set-top box or an Internet-capable television. Though a foray into a larger television platform would make Google more accessible, there may not be a market need for such a platform. Others have failed to bring Web to the TV, so how will Google succeed where others have failed?
People may remember the short-lived WebTV service from the late 90s, which featured a similar set-top box and required a special keyboard and remote. In 1996, WebTV was expected to take home entertainment by storm, but didn’t live up to expectations – will 14 years make a difference? The Internet does have a lot more to offer in 2010 than it did in 1996, such as streaming video on YouTube and a large number of social networks, but there are already a number of Internet-accessible devices with the same features Google TV would provide.
PC World’s Ian Paul points out “There are many set-top boxes on the market today that can stream online video from YouTube, rent premium video content, and browse the Web, such as the three major gaming consoles (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii), TiVo digital video recorders, Apple TV, and the Roku set-top box.” With so many options already available, Google TV would need to provide incentives above and beyond what these products already do in order to persuade consumers to make the switch. For Google TV to take control of the Web TV market, it would have to incorporate aspects from every other system, such as recording video, ability to access a personal library of content, and providing a large amount of data storage to make everything run smoothly.
In addition to the competition a Google TV setup will face, there is also the question of overall need. High-tech consumers are getting rid of cable and satellite subscriptions and opting to use their laptops for every entertainment need. With a few cords and a wireless connection, consumers can create their own set-top box to surf the Web, watch movies and streaming TV shows, play games and listen to music – without buying any special equipment or boxes. Inexpensive apps that turn an iPod or iPhone into a remote control or wireless mouse also negate the need for special equipment. Google TV seems to be targeted to these tech-savvy consumers, so breaking into this market will be difficult from the start.
Aside from entertainment options, most Web content is very text-heavy. Unless users have a large screen TV and excellent vision, the user experience cannot translate from a small, close-range screen to a regular TV. This is largely where WebTV and similar platforms have failed — it is simply inconvenient and disruptive to the Web experience. To really make the experience worthwhile, consumers would need to invest in expensive equipment in order to secure the same experience one would have on the laptop or PC they already own.
One upside of Google TV is it’s rumored open source platform, which would allow developers to get creative and expand their offerings outside of apps for mobile devices. Still, the cons outweigh the pros. From what we know now, Google TV does not seem like it will add any value to the tech consumer market, and may end up like WebTV and its imitators. For now, Google should focus its efforts on what they already have to offer, such as continually improving the search experience, and making apps like Buzz and Wave more marketable and useful.
Image by Adrian Gtz from Stock.Xchng
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