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Open thread: Will Google TV change your viewing habits?

By | September 7, 2010, 10:32am PDT

Summary: Every tech giant—Apple, Microsoft, Google and others—wants to change your TV viewing habits. And they all have failed so far. Is there anything different this time?

Google CEO Eric Schmidt detailed his plans to conquer TV. In a nutshell, Google will be in your living room and allegedly change your viewing habits.

Sound familiar? Well it is. Every tech giant—Apple, Microsoft, Google and others—wants to change your viewing habits. And they all have failed so far. Your living room is a country that’s continuously invaded by superpowers. However, you still resist.

The big question: Will Google’s TV efforts be a hit? Or is it just another WebTV? Finish this conversation between Sam and I. I’m the cynical guy sitting on the couch drinking a beer while watching the Philadelphia Eagles. Sam is the Apple Google fanboy.

Larry Dignan: “Once you have Google television, you’re going to be very busy,” Schmidt said via this Wired story. “It’s going to ruin your evening.”
Larry Dignan: he’s smoking crack
Sam Diaz: no he’s not.
Sam Diaz: google tv is gonna rock
Larry Dignan: PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO INTERACT WITH TV
Larry Dignan: THIS IS WEBTV
Sam Diaz: yes they do
Sam Diaz: my wife is constantly yelling at those bimbos on the new jersey housewives
Sam Diaz: HAHAHA!!!
Larry Dignan: exactly
Larry Dignan: she’s not searching for their bios
Sam Diaz: once google gets past the set top box… they’re rule the TV
Larry Dignan: and there’s the fallacy
Sam Diaz: nope… but she is looking for all the related s**t
Larry Dignan: you’ll never get past the set top box
Larry Dignan: because we’re lazy
Larry Dignan: and as jobs says we have computers
Sam Diaz: the technology is already on the way. embedded broadband in the set
Sam Diaz: no no no… the days of computers are numbered
Larry Dignan: I don’t know I’ve got a bunch of widgets on my set
Larry Dignan: tried em once or twice
Larry Dignan: you see tv you want to veg
Larry Dignan: screw the interaction
Larry Dignan: none of these nerds get that
Sam Diaz: old guy alert! old guy alert!
Sam Diaz: east coast old guy alert! east coast old guy alert! east coast old guy alert!
Sam Diaz: you gotta start thinking a bit more silicon valley, pal

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Topics

Google Inc., Google TV, Larry Dignan, Sam Diaz, Sam, Tv & Home Theater, TVs, Personal Technology, Home Entertainment

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic.

Disclosure

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan has nothing to disclose. He doesn’t hold investments in the technology companies he covers.

Biography

Larry Dignan

Larry Dignan is Editor in Chief of ZDNet and SmartPlanet as well as Editorial Director of ZDNet's sister site TechRepublic. He was most recently Executive Editor of News and Blogs at ZDNet. Prior to that he was executive news editor at eWeek and news editor at Baseline. He also served as the East Coast news editor and finance editor at CNET News.com. Larry has covered the technology and financial services industry since 1995, publishing articles in WallStreetWeek.com, Inter@ctive Week, The New York Times, and Financial Planning magazine. He's a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism and the University of Delaware.

For daily updates, follow Larry on Twitter.

Talkback Most Recent of 59 Talkback(s)

  • to finish the interaction
    Larry Dignan: take your Google schmoozle butt off that couch, leave the beer, and go home!
    Larry Dignan: ps...you're fired! Go to work for Google!
    Sam Diaz: but, but, but...Google analytics didn't say I ran a risk of being thrown out and fired! What do I do?
    Sam Diaz: fingers frantically flying over his Android phone trying to find a way to type a resume on a 4 inch screen to send to the HR dept at Google...gives up, goes home and sinks on his own couch, using his Android phone as a remote to thumb through 500 channels of GoogTV...nothing on but ads, now in deep depression...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    wizard57m@...
    7th Sep 2010
  • continued
    Sam Diaz: in attempt to lift his spirits, contacts a few contemporaries at former employer ZDNet, namely Garret Rogers and Christopher Dawson (Zach Whittaker is just SOOO to young GenY!!)
    Garret: Don't worry bro, just "google" for a new gig! Have you updated to Froyo yet? I mean it is just so way much cooler than RIM!....
    Sam: Ehhh, thanks anyway, later!
    Christopher: Hey bud! Come and look at my new Apple gear!! I've given up the open source mantra, and Steve Jobs promised me a new propellor beanie! Look at all this way cool expensive stuff! Wow! I can browse the web on my Macbook Pro! Sure glad I leased this kit!
    Sam: No, no, Chris...I need help! How can I get back in Larry Dignan's good graces? Sheesh, you used to be somewhat helpful, now it's all "Mac this, Mac that". I need an inexpensive solution here!
    Christopher: You Windoze/Linsux LOOOOSER! Go ask Adrian Kingsley-Hughes!
    Sam: I would, but we all know AKH can't spell and gets the words all wrong and twisted around. Thanks anyway!

    And so Sam, now at his wits end, contacts Dana Blankenhorn...
    Sam: Dana, I messed up. Called Larry an east coast old guy...among other goofs. Any ideas to soothe things over and get my job at ZDNet back?
    Dana: Well, Sam...open source should have just the thing, granted it might not be free, but at least you can look at it and change it to what might or might not work.
    Sam: Thanks, Dana...anybody else you can think of that might have an idea?
    Dana: Well, if your looking for a Microsoft answer, get with Ed Bott. Want something "green", check with Heather Clancy (she's not bad looking either!!). Rachel King (also quite easy on the eyes!!) might have a good idea as well, especially for real world.
    Sam: Thanks Dana! Maybe some of you old guys aren't so misguided afterall.
    So, Sam checks in with Rachel...
    Sam: Rachel, I messed up, got canned by Larry. Any ideas how to mend this mess?
    Rachel: Yeah, Sam...we all heard...drop the fanboyism, and give Larry a signed promissory note to buy him the latest Windows Phone 7 when they are released if he'll hire you back!! That might get your foot in the door. Check with Mary Jo Foley for release dates of WP7. Leave your Android gizmos at home, and go ask Matthew Miller if you can borrow his 1997 Palm Pilot when you go apologize to Larry, that way you'll at least appear to appreciate older tech that just works!
    Above all else...don't mention Google! Or the fact that the Eagles will probably lose to Dallas this year.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    wizard57m@...
    7th Sep 2010
  • RE: Open thread: Will Google TV change your viewing habits?
    @wizard57m@... Well done. Bravo
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Larry Dignan
    7th Sep 2010
  • RE: Open thread: Will Google TV change your viewing habits?
    @wizard57m@... Best comment thread *ever* on ZD!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    brandons
    7th Sep 2010
  • RE: Open thread: Will Google TV change your viewing habits?
    @wizard57m@... Awesome post! I wouldn't trade it for a Mike Cox post.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    20kwfence
    8th Sep 2010
  • RE: Open thread: Will Google TV change your viewing habits?
    @wizard57m@... Now that is great! Bravisimo!
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Pete "athynz" Athens
    8th Sep 2010
  • Hold up
    In a nutshell, Google will be in your living room and allegedly change your viewing habits.

    First of all, I am not letting Google into my living room. Second, no they are not going to change my habits.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Cylon Centurion
    7th Sep 2010
  • moved
    moved and combined
    ZDNet Gravatar
    wizard57m@...
    7th Sep 2010
  • moved
    moved
    ZDNet Gravatar
    wizard57m@...
    7th Sep 2010
  • will not change my viewing habits because i'm never using it..
    'normal people' (non-nerds) don't want to twitter, surf, google map on their TVs.. etc TV's are for vegetating .. how many times do we have to go through this??? how many times can a concept be tried and fail??

    not only that.. TV watching is generally something people do with others.. people's family and friends tend to smack you in the head when you minimize the video of the season premier of so you can check your twitter..

    people can already do all of these things right now using a vastly superior system... smart phones, tablets sitting in your lap while watching TV.. everyone gets their own personal device.. you can share if you want and you don't annoy everyone around you..and you are all also enjoying the TV experience together as well

    people don't want googleTV or AppleTV or any of these services etc..

    -people want an on demand, a la carte service.. the are tired of paying cable through the nose for channels the don't care about so they can get movies or some premier movie channel that they can only get if they buy the super-duper-extra combo pack first.. people want specialty channels like e.g. HBO, these 10 shows, and access to 95% rental movies and shows and buy the odd show and movie and have access to all of them on any device i currently have..
    - buy music
    - access to live sports and events

    the first person to produce an on-demand a la carte service with lots of flexibility, plus a la carte live sports and events at a reasonable price wins... it's that simple!

    this could even be the cable company.. this has nothing to do with the internet.. people want a passive service.. not this interactive BS.. we've been around this bush before.. NO ONE WANTS IT.. people want a service to access to the media they want without being force to pay for stuff they don't care about
    ZDNet Gravatar
    doctorSpoc
    7th Sep 2010
  • RE: Open thread: Will Google TV change your viewing habits?
    @doctorSpoc You are spot on. Give me the ala carte menu! The only two things keeping tied to cable are live sports and disney for the kids. And my guess is most of the disney is on demand anyway. I watch TV shows on netfilx albeit a season or two behind.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    jhuddle
    7th Sep 2010
  • When I was still in School . . .
    @doctorSpoc

    Where we lived Warner Cable was testing the "new" interactive cable system called 'Qube'. They had interactive game shows, and would hold impromptu contests while you were watching specialized content.

    None of this was on demand, you had to wait for them to activate your console during the show(s) so you could respond. My brother and I watched one of the first Concerts on cable (The Rolling Stones during the Tattoo You tour). We even won a free copy of the LP (They gave away about 100 or so, I think).

    This was in the Seventies, in Columbus, OH. Fun times, but Warner eventually determined that it was not worth the effort (even though most Cable/Satellite remotes STILL have interactive buttons), and to this day, even DirecTV has only limited interactive capabilities, and is limited to mainly ordering content, and on demand movies, although you can bring up your local weather on DirecTV.

    In short, Interactive TV will NEVER take off. If I wanted to get on the 'Net, I'll grab my laptop while watching whatever show is on (That's what we do now, on the VERY rare occasions where we want info NOW, Mainly limited to ordering things off of QVC - Well, she makes me order HER stuff . . . happy ).
    ZDNet Gravatar
    JLHenry
    7th Sep 2010
  • RE: Open thread: Will Google TV change your viewing habits?
    @doctorSpoc I agree.

    Heck, if I want to use my iPhone to check my e-mail or twitter feed, I have to leave the room, because it disturbs my girlfriend! She wants to sit there and watch something, where she doesn't have to think. She doesn't want interactivity, she wants to unwind from the day.

    That said, she checks her e-mail about once a month. wink
    ZDNet Gravatar
    wright_is
    8th Sep 2010
  • RE: Open thread: Will Google TV change your viewing habits?
    @doctorSpoc

    Absolutely. And like many who commented - TV in our house is a social thing and No One in our house is going to put up with messing with the story unfolding on screen for any interactive stuff. I will sit with my lap top on occasion to check out IMBD.com to figure out "Who is that? Where have we ween him/her before?". Even that can annoy my husband who says "Remember when we just used to sit and watch the movie?"

    The independent personal devices are perfect for this type of 'interactivity'.
    ZDNet Gravatar
    Lila M
    8th Sep 2010
  • RE: Open thread: Will Google TV change your viewing habits?
    @doctorSpoc
    I agree completely. Ala Carte system or nothing. That is why I still have an antenna outside my house. No cable, nor satellite, nor U-Verse in our house. Too much money for junk we would not be watching. As it is we have NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, CW, MyNetwork, PAX (ion), and a couple religious channels ( one had 5 .1,.2...) and one independent, PBS (.1,.2) a shopping channel, a couple of Spanish language ones...no Netflix--more than I want there too. It would not be worth it, I can rent movies at Hastings, or RedBox, buy at Borders, Barnes and Noble, Hastings...
    ZDNet Gravatar
    dhays
    8th Sep 2010
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