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Google rumoured to be working on Android TV set-top box

by Mark Tyson on 7 April 2014, 11:00

Tags: Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)

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Following Apple, Roku, and most recently, Amazon's efforts to battle its place in the living room, Google is said to be working on the launch of a new set-top box to follow up its £30 Chromecast dongle. The new box is dubbed Android TV.

According to documents obtained by The Verge, a new Android-powered media platform which will help users gain easier access to movies, TV shows, music and more, from their living room TV screen, is being prepared for launch by Google. Video app providers are apparently building for the new platform right now and the box is reportedly an improved generation of Google's not-so-successful Google TV which was launched back in 2010.

Scrapping Google TV's attempt to turn one's TV screen into a bigger, more powerful smartphone, Android TV turns the television into an "entertainment interface, not a computing platform," says the document. "It’s all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction" and it will be "cinematic, fun, fluid, and fast."

Rumours are, Google is trying to simplify the new set-top box where they are encouraging developers to create extremely intuitive and easy to use software. The leaked screenshots provided in the report shows a minimal scrolling UI reminiscent of other popular set-top boxes with categories including movies, shows, apps and games. The UI can be controlled using a remote with a four-way control pad and a few other buttons.

The document highlights that it should never take more than three clicks or gestures to go from the homescreen to a piece of content and the device even recommends what it thinks the user may want to watch. Another easy access feature allows users to resume content they started watching on other devices as soon as they turn their TV on.

Apps including YouTube, Netflix, Hulu Plus, Pandora and Vevo are also shown in the screenshots whilst support for an extended list of Google services such as Hangouts is also planned for the box.

Similar to Amazon's Fire TV, the set-top box is said to double as a gaming platform where an optional gaming controller will be available. It will also support voice commands where content can be found quickly.

It is still unclear whether Google's Android TV software will be showcased in one of Google's own devices or if it plans to rely on other hardware partners, like it has done with Google TV previously. The platform will not replace its Chromecast dongle; therefore developers may have to build two different interfaces, once for Chromecast and one for Android TV. It will be interesting to see if Google manages to take over the living room space with the combination of these two devices in the near future.



HEXUS Forums :: 4 Comments

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Didn't they already do this with Google TV ?
HEXUS Article
It will be interesting to see if Google manages to take over the living room space with the combination of these two devices in the near future.
Yes, it will be interesting. Personally, knowing how nosy Google is, there's no way I'd have this in the house, and I'm not, under any circumstances, giving them data on my TV viewing preferences or patterns. It won't be taking over my living room space, because I wouldn't give it house room if it was free.
Saracen
Yes, it will be interesting. Personally, knowing how nosy Google is, there's no way I'd have this in the house, and I'm not, under any circumstances, giving them data on my TV viewing preferences or patterns. It won't be taking over my living room space, because I wouldn't give it house room if it was free.

Yeah Google are nosey, but they are just so damned useful.

Facebook TV would be another thing entirely, I get zero value back from their trying to snoop who I am.
Saracen
HEXUS Article
Personally, knowing how nosy Google is, there's no way I'd have this in the house, and I'm not, under any circumstances, giving them data on my TV viewing preferences or patterns.

OMG! Imagine Google knowing what you watched on TV, terrible indeed… Does *everything* have to become a privacy rant?

If they did a Chromecast+ that accepted casts but also accessed some Google services directly then I could see it having a purpose, otherwise it seems a bit redundant when Chromecast is so nifty and easy to use - all it needs is wider support from apps (although it's already doing quite well). Trouble I'm finding now though is feature double-up, I have multiple things attached to achieve full service coverage but then end up with 5 different ways of watching BBC iPlayer…