Why a new set top box with Blu-Ray Player?
Why not just wrap it all up in PS3, sales for Sony, Google claim sales as well?
Google TV will be coming to Europe this September, two years after the little loved web telly service was launched in the States. Sony is bringing the online advertising giant's offering over here, initially through a €200 (£167) set-top box and later in a Blu-ray Disc player, French daily Les Echos reports. Both gadgets will …
I haven't seen the updated Google TV software but I was quite familiar with the original version that flopped in the US (even demoed it a couple of times). It was probably the best interface for browsing the web on the TV that I have seen but I could see very little need or demand to browse the web on a TV screen and that was before tablets were widespread. As a general TV/lean back UI it was awful. From what I've read about the update it has improved things but not enough. Maybe Google will fix it for launch but I'm not holding my breath.
I think 3 million for Europe is a big overestimate unless it includes large numbers of TVs with Google TV built in. Then the numbers will depend on the model ranges it is included on and the price premium so will depend on the hit that the manufacturers and Google are prepared to take to establish the platform.
Having said that for the UK it is still quite likely that it will sell more the Youview! 200K boxes over 12 months is my estimate for each of Google TV and Youview in set top box/blu-ray form (TV sales could be extra).
I'm very torn as Google knows far to much about us all already and if it succeeds it will get a massive amount of TV viewing data but many of my friends are working hard on getting content to make the platform a success so from that point of view it is a shame it won't do well.
Price I think is the key problem here (as seems to be the norm for Google TV).
If these boxes were £50 they'd be worth a look. As it is a RaspberryPI with XBMC would be a better media centre I think, and for the less technical a WDTV box or existing console/connected TV/connected blu-ray is fine.
I'm hoping for Google's sake that it isn't just Sony that are releasing this new generation of GoogleTV boxes.