I Want My GTV 198
theodp writes "The NY Times reports that Google and Intel have teamed with Sony to develop a platform called Google TV to bring the Web into the living room through a new generation of TVs and set-top boxes. The three companies have tapped Logitech for peripheral devices, including a remote with a tiny keyboard. Based on Google's Android operating system, the TV technology runs on Intel's Atom chips. Google is expected to deliver a toolkit to outside programmers within the next couple of months, and products based on the software could appear as soon as this summer."
Re:Oh great, Sony (Score:1, Informative)
Seems odd that Google, who seems to opt for openness of platform when possible, has signed on with Sony. I guess how cumbersome and closed the project is will be determined by who's calling the shots. I mean, Sony already has a history of developing hardware for a company, breaking ties when the collaboration didn't suit them, and releasing the platform on their own. That's where the playstation came from in the first place. It was intended, at conception, to be a CD add-on for the SNES.
Re:Oh great, Sony (Score:4, Informative)
It depends on exactly which business unit within Sony they are teaming up with.
I recently broke down and bought a PS3 for two reasons: Blu-Ray, and Final Fantasy XIII. I made some interesting discoveries:
1) Compatible with any USB storage device. Compare to "no third party" locking of Xbox360 proprietary memory. (Wii uses SDHC I think?)
2) You don't have to buy an Eye Toy for the camera. Supposedly any UVC compliant USB camera will work.
3) Same for USB headsets
4) Same for Bluetooth headsets
5) Same for keyboards/mice for browsing and chat
6) Want a bigger hard drive? Put in any 2.5" SATA drive
7) Media playback is UPnP based and supports quite a few formats (MKV being the most notable exception). I can use the PS3 as a MythTV frontend!
That said, TFA talks about Hulu. Knowing Hulu, they will actively take measures to block out this new effort. See their intentional blocking of the PS3 as an example. (Now to view Hulu video on PS3, you need PlayOn or rtmpdump 2.x + ffmpeg + MediaTomb).
Re:Oh great, Sony (Score:4, Informative)
Net Neutrality applies to service providers delivering content, not the content providers themselves.
Re:Oh great, Sony (Score:3, Informative)
Hulu only blocked PS3 soon after they singed a deal with Microsoft...
I believe that's called Collusion in legal terms, and highly illegal in both the US and Euope. But of course it's Microsoft, so US enforcers turn a blind eye and have some nice donations...
No, it's a called a marketing agreement. Exclusive marketing agreements aren't illegal; collusion is working in concert to exert market power in order to raise prices in concert. Hulu/ MS agreements don't do this; as they aren't able to impact prices given the competition in the mrketplace.
Re:Oh great, Sony (Score:3, Informative)
That's because MSN was blocking competitors to one of their products.
Hulu, on the other hand, doesn't seem to offer any "set-top-box" solutions currently, and has consistently blocked anything from the "set-top-box" category whenever possible.