How many of us sit with our laptops on our laps and glance up at the television while we browse or work? Or is your home office in an area where your TV is behind you or a few crazy angled feet away? Truth be told we watch our computer screens but listen to the TV or we play music via iTunes (did someone just whisper Google Music streaming from the Cloud?) by hooking up our laptops.
As we glance, peer, wrench our necks in crazy positions or have our laptops heat up or hurt our laps, we don’t even consider that there might be an easier way.
Google has considered this and has developed Google TV. But what is Google TV, anyway? Do I have to get rid of my cable? Do I have another bill to add every month? What are the benefits?
Google is helping the economy by giving smaller manufacturers the opportunity to become profitable by creating new types of docks (but more on that later).
What is Google TV?
Google TV is an Internet TV platform or even more precise a software platform that manufacturers will have to integrate in their devices or individuals will have to buy a set top box to use. What that means is it marries Android and Chrome OS to give the individual one interface for television, full internet (including flash), apps (similar to those found on your smartphone or Tablet), and on demand movies (from companies like Netflix) and TV.
Google states that with Google TV you can “Download apps, browse the web, use your phone to change channels, create a playlist, watch Netflix videos, and more.”
Think watching CNBC or your favorite financial programs and being on Marketwatch at the same time, or watching HGTV and being able to find a retailer with the materials that you are hearing about or seeing a commercial and shopping for that product while you continue to watch TV. The possibilities are endless.
However at its core there is no TV with GoogleTV. For that you will have to have a cable box, satellite box or QAM Tuner. QAM tuners come in most new TVs. It is a format by which digital cable is transmitted. At the essence it integrates the Cable TV, Chrome browser, search, and apps all together.
Is it a necessity? Nah, it’s more of a nice to have. You will however be fascinated if you see it.
