ie8 fix
Click Here

Googling Google

Christopher Dawson
Home / News & Blogs / Googling Google

Sony gets Google TV right

By | October 13, 2010, 8:05am PDT

Summary: With prices that don’t induce convulsions and no set-top box, the new Google TV-powered Sony’s are just in time for the holidays.

While Sony’s new line of Google TV/Android-powered televisions aren’t cheap, they’re not too far out of line with other high-end, full high-definition LED TVs. In fact, at these prices, if I were in the market for a television, the Sonys would be on my short list.

As ZDNet’s Home Theater blogger, Sean Portnoy, explained this morning,

Pre-installed apps for the various devices include Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, YouTube, and Sony’s Qriocity streaming-video service. Also promised for later this fall is an app to control Google TV via select Android phones. Additional apps will become available via the Android Market early next year.

It’s obviously yet to be determined whether the Google TV interface will become a breakthrough success, but it looks like Sony’s off to a good start with Internet TV, especially since it hasn’t added its usual large pricing premium on new technology.

It’s that last line that will make all the difference. CNN called the 46″ TV’s $1399 price “hefty”, but with the included keyboard/navigation controls, WiFi, and a variety of inputs and outputs, the price makes me want to replace the 42″ family TV this Christmas. These prices will make a lot of people want to buy them for the holidays, which, of course, is Sony’s intention.

These TVs, with highly competitive features and prices, as well as access to the Web through a modern browser (Google Chrome), easy social media and multimedia integration, and a variety of Android Apps will do for Google TV what the Motorola Droid did for Android phones. If you’re buying a television anyway, why wouldn’t you want to have YouTube, Pandora, full Web access, Hulu, and Netflix streaming built in?

With Logitech’s set-top box, the high price and add-on/set-top form factor will doom it to geek basements. Sony, on the other hand, has essentially just made Android and Web access an expected feature on mid-range flat screen TVs. Competitors will need to add Google TV quickly (and do it elegantly and cheaply) if they want to keep up with Sony for the holidays.

Welcome to the land of web-enabled TV. Now how am I going to convince my wife that our TV needs replacing?

Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily e-mail newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.

More from “Googling Google”

Topics

Sony Corp., Google Inc., Google TV, TVs, Tv & Home Theater, Personal Technology, Home Entertainment, Christopher Dawson

Chris Dawson is a freelance writer and consultant with years of experience in educational technology and web-based systems. In 2011, he became the Vice President of Marketing for WizIQ, Inc., a virtual classroom and learning network SaaS provider.

Disclosure

Christopher Dawson

Christopher Dawson is the Vice President of Marketing for WizIQ, Inc., by day and a freelance writer and educational technology consultant by night. Well, most of his colleagues at WizIQ are based in India, so really he's working with them whenever he can stay awake. He has worked for his local school district as a teacher and technology director, for the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and for Biogen, Inc. (now Biogen-IDEC, Inc.). He has also consulted with STATNet and Cytyc Corporation and retains close ties with X2 Development Corporation (now owned by Follett Software, the supplier of the student information system he administered for several years). Follett is paying him a monthly honorarium to act as a presenter for their "SIS Voices for Student Achievement" community (he produces occasional blog posts and hosts a monthly webinar on the use of student information systems to inform data-driven instruction and school-wide change. He regularly purchases and/or recommends Dell hardware. This is because Dell makes good hardware and has truly committed itself to education in innovative ways, particularly with their "Connected Classroom" initiative. It isn't because he has dealings with the company through his role at WizIQ (which he does) or because they have provided him with long-term loans of a variety of equipment for in-depth testing (which they have). Intel (reference designer for the Classmate PCs he has implemented in his local schools) has provided him with long-term loans of Classmate PCs for testing, as have Dell and Lenovo with their educational offerings. He may report on any of these companies as his experiences with them have direct bearing on educational technology; positive reports are not necessarily an endorsement and he receives no direct financial compensation from these companies or any others. Intel paid all expenses for his attendance at the 2009 Intel Classmate PC Ecosystem Summit which he attended as the sole representative of the technology press. He was invited to attend in 2010 but his wife would have killed him if he spent 3 days in Vegas geeking out and left her home alone with a new baby. Acer provided him with a 50% discount on an Aspire One netbook in early 2009 after he tested it for 30 days through their educational seed program. He liked the netbook at the time but it has since broken and sits unused in his office. Canonical sent him Ubuntu lanyards, t-shirts, and mousepads for his kids. He stole one of the lanyards and proudly hangs his keys from it and occasionally features his 8-year old wearing an oversized Ubuntu t-shirt on his Facebook profile. Gunnar Optiks sent him a pair of computer glasses to evaluate for a holiday gift guide. He is wearing them now as he types this because they never asked for them back and they rock out loud. Seriously - they work brilliantly and make it much easier to spend 20 hours a day staring at an LCD. If they ever asked for them back, he would fork over the $99 and buy a pair. Microsoft gave him 2 free copies of Office 2010 professional, a desktop clock, and a useless book on Office 2010 when he attended the launch of Office/Sharepoint 2010. He occasionally uses the SharePoint lanyard they gave him instead of the Ubuntu lanyard for his keys, but feels dirty afterwards. Adobe provided him with a pre-release version of the CS5 Master Collection for evaluation and ultimately provided a full, licensed copy for ongoing testing of educational applications of this admittedly expensive software. Like the Gunnars, if the license expires or they come out with CS6, he'd actually go out and buy it himself. Which is saying something, because he's actually pretty cheap. Any other companies wishing to send him cool things to evaluate, wear, or otherwise adorn his kids are more than welcome to; he promises to disclose it here if he keeps any of the stuff. Finally, because WizIQ is a virtual classroom and learning network provider, Chris, as VP of Marketing, frequently interacts with, seeks out deals with, and directly or indirectly competes with a whole lot of LMS, SIS, and other Education 2.0 companies. In general, he'll limit his reporting about these companies to news that does not impact his relationship with them or with WizIQ. If he reports on them, it's because what they are doing is newsworthy or worth the attention of his readers and not because he's trying to broker some deal, damage competition, or otherwise advance his position in his day job. LMS and SIS companies, along with other online learning communities, are a pretty important part of Ed Tech. If he stops reporting on them completely, there won't be a whole lot left. He'll be sure to call out any overt conflicts of interest if they are unavoidable. Finally, Follett Software Company pays him a little tiny honorarium every month to present on their SIS Voices webinars and to write the occasional blog or discussion thread for them. Since Follett recently bought X2 (maker of an awesome web-based SIS that Chris just happened to have used, served in advisory groups for, and frequently reported on), this is probably also worth disclosing.

Biography

Christopher Dawson

Christopher Dawson grew up in Seattle, back in the days of pre-antitrust Microsoft, coffeeshops owned by something other than Starbucks, and really loud, inarticulate music. He escaped to the right coast in the early 90's and received a degree in Information Systems from Johns Hopkins University. While there, he began a career in health and educational information systems, with a focus on clinical trials and related statistical programming and database modeling. This focus led him to several positions at Johns Hopkins, a couple-year stint in private industry, teaching high school math and technology, and 2 years as the technology director for his local school district. Most recently, he started his own consulting business and is now the Vice President of Marketing for WizIQ, Inc., a virtual classroom and learning network provider. He lives with his wife, five kids (yes, 5), 2 dogs, and a hateful cat in a small town in north-central Massachusetts. Although he is no longer teaching, his roles with WizIQ and ZDNet allow him to continue helping students and teachers add value to education with technology rather than merely adding to the bottom line.

Related Discussions on TechRepublic

Did you know you can take part in these discussions with your ZDNet membership?
Ask a Question Start a Discussion
44
Comments
Add Your Opinion

Join the conversation!

Just In

RE: Sony gets Google TV right
Joe1DISH 8th Mar 2011
Google TV is a great product. It is not web vs. TV; this is TV/web together. I work over at DISH Network where I first had the chance to you Google TV and I liked it. This makes it easy for me to use work online and watch my shows at that same time so I can stay up to date. This also has some great apps avail too. I recommend that everyone who is busy and not able to enjoy TV and being online then this will be your solution.
View in thread
0 Votes
+ -
IF
wkulecz 13th Oct 2010
If the first GoogleTV are anything remotely like the first Android phones were, you'd be a fool to buy one now.

Android phones pre-2.2 are crippled and updates for older phones are still mostly vapor.
0 Votes
+ -
Actually, the first Google phones were quite functional. Google of course
DonnieBoy 13th Oct 2010
has been on a tear, innovating at a very rapid pace, making the first generation OS seem dated, but, Google and carriers have been upgrading the OS for free.

Finally, Google TV will use the latest version of Android, so, the TV features are first generation, but, not the OS.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
Michael Kelly 13th Oct 2010
@DonnieBoy

The problem with the G1s (and I still have one) is the lack of internal storage space. I love the idea of a Google TV, but I'd also want HD-DVR capabilities, plus a built in 4 port cable card slot and at least 1 TB storage and ability to stream all of the above to other Google TVs. I'm not seeing that yet, and until then I won't be interested.
0 Votes
+ -
Also, Windows Phone 7, is not even where Android 1.0 was. Google TV will be
DonnieBoy 13th Oct 2010
much more mature than Windows Phone 7. Google TV after all, IS based on the most recent version of Android. It is only the TV features that are version 1.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
jorjitop Updated - 13th Oct 2010
@wkulecz

In any case, you would be a fool to buy any Android device. Do you really want Google to log all your television watching to add to their database? Is there any part of our lives that Google does not want to invade?
0 Votes
+ -
Seems pretty well sorted to me.
ArtInvent 13th Oct 2010
@wkulecz Reviews seem to say this is one of the better STB's out there. I'm sure everything will improve though. I'm assuming the software built in to the tv will be upgradeable, just like phones.
0 Votes
+ -
only geeks and nerds ...
banned from zdnet 13th Oct 2010
will buy a tv that comes with a keyboard. this is so doa and so obviously. it is ridiculous how much out of touch with reality these engineers and product people at sony are. just look at the sad state this company is in. losing money for years now, a weak shadow of its former self. and after they had to reduce the price of the psp go to $200 because of the ipod touch juggernaut they are now clutching at straws with some overpriced, geeky tvs. sad, just sad.
0 Votes
+ -
This is mainstream stuff. The masses are using social media and watching
DonnieBoy 13th Oct 2010
YouTube video. You do not seem to know what is happening in the world around you.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
minardi 13th Oct 2010
@DonnieBoy

Did you ever watch YouTube on a 55 in. HD TV? Sorry. You can keep your GoogleTV.
0 Votes
+ -
The masses?
becabill 13th Oct 2010
@DonnieBoy Who are you kidding? You actually think the *masses* are using YouTube? You think it's replacing TV?
Holy cow.
0 Votes
+ -
Guys, YouTube is mainstream. People spend a HUGE amount of time watching
DonnieBoy Updated - 14th Oct 2010
videos on YouTube. There are a lot of times that people sit around a computer watching YouTube videos together. Being able to do it in the living room on the big screen will just improve the experience.

And, People will NOT substitute YouTube for all movies and programming, I never meant to say that. Watching YouTube videos together will just be another thing people can to with their TV at times.

But, that said, YouTube will be adding streaming video services . . . .
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
hoaxoner 13th Oct 2010
@banned from zdnet
Most of that was due to poor internet connections and infrastructure. This may actually work.
0 Votes
+ -
And internet connections
becabill 13th Oct 2010
@hoaxoner are going to get better? on sub-space communication maybe?
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
Droid101 13th Oct 2010
@banned from zdnet
You are an idiot.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
czorrilla 13th Oct 2010
@banned from zdnet: We already know how much you hate everything related to google, so your comments are worthless....as always.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
DonRupertBitByte 13th Oct 2010
@banned from zdnet

Where's the evidence to back up your fiction? Oh, you forgot it...
0 Votes
+ -
evidence
banned from zdnet 14th Oct 2010
@DonRupertBitByte
here is my evidence wink
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/10/sony-google-tv-remote-leaked-designed-in-1980/
0 Votes
+ -
I agree
Economister 13th Oct 2010
I can see the appeal. One day you will not be able to buy a TV without internet access and a browser. Video and music streaming are the obvious apps. Limited web browsing is nice. I think casual gaming will soon add to the appeal. If you can play decent games on a smart phone, you can do the same on a TV. I can see multiplayer family games becoming a success, even simple board games, backgammon and chess. This is indeed the future of TV, despite the naysayers. Since TVs are already digital anyway, soon Goolge TV like functionality will only add a few $ to the manufacturing costs. I can see the future and I like it.
0 Votes
+ -
Good points. Sooner or later you won't need a PS2, XBox, or Wii. If they
DonnieBoy 13th Oct 2010
put quad-core Arms, high performance video, OpenGL, in these things, all but the most graphics intensive type of video games will be possible without buying a separate box.

Google should pay developers of many of the very popular Linux games to port to Android. SuperTux, Tux Racer, etc.
0 Votes
+ -
I had similar thoughts
Economister 13th Oct 2010
@DonnieBoy

Can you not play Doom 3(?) and basic racing games on a smart phone already? This is probably good news for Sony and bad news for Nintendo and MS. I can see a certain line of TVs where the price may vary depending on the gaming power you want and maybe there is a slot in the back where you can slide in a 2.5" HDD.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
hoaxoner 13th Oct 2010
@economister
Add some way to incorporate MS Kinect and a harddrive and boom, craziness.
0 Votes
+ -
Yes, I can see that, except...
Economister 13th Oct 2010
@hoaxoner

will MS be brave enough to use Android or WP7 (if they manage to get it on a web TV.)

I think the potential here is HUGE. $2-$5 games on a big screen digital TV will sell like hotcakes IMHO. This may make the MMPC obsolete. Just attach some NAS and you got it made.

The biggest problem I see is dual use web and cable/satellite. The cable/satellite companies will always insist on a box that they can control in between the signal and the TV. Maybe if enough content ends up on the web, they will lose that battle also.
0 Votes
+ -
perfect, even for the haters
Ray Hartjen 13th Oct 2010
Forever in the grasp of the "information age," this TV is perfect. Consumers have redefined how TV is experienced already - how many watch TV with a notebook in their lap. This TV allows us to bring in multiple data sets and allows us to connect - two way - with everything. It's new TV, defined.
0 Votes
+ -
Yes, I think with the release of Google TV, the TV space is now going to
DonnieBoy Updated - 13th Oct 2010
evolve rapidly after being very dormant for DECADES. We are due an explosion of innovation.
0 Votes
+ -
It more likely won't evolve all too much beyond
John Zern 13th Oct 2010
where it is today. DonnieBoy.

Youtube? Seriouslly? Sure its a mild distraction for a minute or two, but who really sits in front of their TV if they're into watching Youtube videos?.

You're giveing Google way too much credit: Google TV is not what people are asking for, and this will go the way of Nexus, Gears, ect: A nice idea, but not what people are actually interested in using.
0 Votes
+ -
You're working out the bandwidth issues, right?
becabill 13th Oct 2010
@DonnieBoy How many HD channels do you intend to provide?
Start innovating.
0 Votes
+ -
Guys, TV has not evolved for decades, and is ripe for innovation. No, it
DonnieBoy 14th Oct 2010
will not be people sitting around all day watching YouTube videos, but, blending traditional content with web content, using Google to search for content, a much more interactive experience.

And, right now, there are lots of households that have plenty of bandwidth for HD video. Remember, you only need one stream at a time for a TV.
0 Votes
+ -
How many do?
becabill 13th Oct 2010
@Ray Hartjen Those who aren't around a full sized TV?
0 Votes
+ -
TV evolution bad news for cable but Google not the answer
cantbeme 13th Oct 2010
I agree that television is certainly evolving and that having many options for delivery of programming is great. This is all bad news for cable unless they quickly evolve by offering ala carte packages. I don't see Google TV offering anything of value at all to more than a handful of consumers. The full web on my TV? BFD. I don't need to read ZD Net on a 46 inch screen, thank you. A clever program guide? Yawn. There are lots of those available. Ala carte programming is future of television. Apple TV, ROKU, Xbox- that is the future of television. Traditional cable and Google? No way.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
czorrilla 13th Oct 2010
@cantbeme For me it will be more confortable to read ZDNET in a 46' screen. Not for you, but it does for me.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
dave95. 13th Oct 2010
@czorrilla

You can just connect your laptop to the TV and read the web, as others are pointing out. That way you don't have to buy a $300 box or a new TV with Google.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
dave95. 13th Oct 2010
@cantbeme

In agreement. I am happy the cable companies are finally seeing competition but Google will only cater to a few geeks. The marketing already is all wrong from these guys, showing full size keyboards in the living rooms. When consumers think of keyboards they think of computers, not TV's.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
becabill 13th Oct 2010
@dave95. I don't see the use of a keyboard to be a problem, especially a wireless. People think of easy interactive TV (assuming that's what they want), none of this painful "on-screen" ABC keyboard crap foisted on us today. Think of it as a *really* flexible remote control, if you must. And for those people who don't want it seen, they can put a lace doily over it. If it's too complicated for Auntie Beatrice, She can get a smaller, limited-function version.
0 Votes
+ -
I can't see anyone buying one of these when in fact...
omdguy 13th Oct 2010
You could spend a couple hundred bucks on the new XBOX 360 and get all of this (plus more) including a world class gaming system.

YouTube on TV is something only Google cares about since most of the content is crap, or illegally uploaded, and the quality is dodgy even on a 24inch DVI monitor.

So, if I wanted to upgrade, I could pay around $900 for a Sharp 46inch LED (which is rated higher by several sources), spend $250 for a brand new XBOX 360 (bundled with games) and still come out less than what Sony is charging for this.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
spdrcrtob 13th Oct 2010
can you say PS3 enabled TV's with dual boot option to Android OS 2.5 or later? I see the future and it looks so bright....
0 Votes
+ -
Google can't get GMail right
rroberto18 13th Oct 2010
The big G has no customer service. I doubt Sony will be capable of, let alone desirous of playing that role for Google.
I wouldn't accept on online Help Forum and have to find a fix myself when spending that many bucks. Consumers don't just consume -- they need support. I predict this will be the Edsel of the big screen world.
0 Votes
+ -
And this is why Google TV will steamroll
ArtInvent 13th Oct 2010
As the article says, people will now basically expect a TV to come with Google TV or something like it built in. But at this point, Google TV is the Android of TV - unlike basically every other alternative, it's a free OS for any OEM to put in their chassis.

So people with old TV's they don't want to replace will have to spring for a $100-$400 box. But going forward, everyone buying a new TV will be getting gTV.

I'm not generally a huge fan of Sony, but their TV's always seem to be among the best. My last two have been Sony's. Add in gTV and it's even easier decision. I'm thinking this will be huge for Sony, much bigger than the whole 3D thingy. They sure need some kind of hit.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
Jimster480 14th Oct 2010
Its not that bad, but its still in the high end price range, which most people arent looking at during this recession.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
mswift@... 14th Oct 2010
So then I can have what I used to see in hotel rooms 15 years ago???? For that kind of money I can buy a good TV and an HTPC with a BluRay burner and still have hundreds left over. You can get the 40 inch internet capable Sony now for around $850 so for another $550 it will be 42 inches and say Google somewhere.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
BoloMKXXVIII 14th Oct 2010
All-in-one is rarely a good idea. IPTV is likely to change a lot over the next 5 years. Do you want to replace your $1400 TV regularly? Give me a relatively cheap STB that can be changed out without dumping the display.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
bigwev102@... 14th Oct 2010
It would be nice if they added a cable card slot!!! if i was in charge of Google i would by Tivo and integrated it into my google TV some people might not like Tivo but it indexing of TV shows is far more advanced than it competitors.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
RegReader 14th Oct 2010
Sony gets it PARTIALLY right. The Sony Google tv is cheaper than Sony's same size Bravia EX710 - and that's because the Google tv has inferior components that mean the screen doesn't handle motion as well. I'm disappointed. Unless they release a Bravia 710 with Google tv included I'll have to get the Bravia tv and buy the Blu Ray player (my current tv died a few weeks ago.)
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
eye4bear 16th Oct 2010
A browser and email and a keyboard for my TV, wait a minute, why that sounds like WebTV, like so 10 years ago...
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Sony gets Google TV right
Joe1DISH 8th Mar 2011
Google TV is a great product. It is not web vs. TV; this is TV/web together. I work over at DISH Network where I first had the chance to you Google TV and I liked it. This makes it easy for me to use work online and watch my shows at that same time so I can stay up to date. This also has some great apps avail too. I recommend that everyone who is busy and not able to enjoy TV and being online then this will be your solution.

Join the conversation!

Formatting +
BB Codes - Note: HTML is not supported in forums
  • [b] Bold [/b]
  • [i] Italic [/i]
  • [u] Underline [/u]
  • [s] Strikethrough [/s]
  • [q] "Quote" [/q]
  • [ol][*] 1. Ordered List [/ol]
  • [ul][*] · Unordered List [/ul]
  • [pre] Preformat [/pre]
  • [quote] "Blockquote" [/quote]
ie8 fix

The best of ZDNet, delivered

ZDNet Newsletters

Get the best of ZDNet delivered straight to your inbox

Facebook Activity

Blog Roll

Blog Archive

White Papers, Webcasts, & Resources
ie8 fix
ie8 fix