Google on your TV! Now if you get a recliner that's also a toilet, you'll never get up.

At a conference today, Google announced new “innovations” for Web content on your TV. Having teamed up with Sony, Intel, and Logitech to create the new technology that they hope will become the tool for adding web surfing to your nightly channel surfing. A demonstration was provided that was less than stellar until they convinced the audience of some 5000 to stop using the wi-fi connection in the conference room.

The idea of Web TV has always sounded good on paper… A means to incorporate web surfing into your viewing habits. The implementation, however, has come up lacking in each of the previous attempts. The inclusion of three hardware companies in the making of this rendition does give me some hope but will it be enough when the Web capable televisions go to market.

Based on any one of the hardware companies, I can’t imagine that the devices will be bargain priced. Google, however, would love to be able to belly up to the potential advertising revenue from such devices so perhaps we’ll see pricing go the route of gaming consoles where we’ve typically seen pricing well below production costs in order to push content which is priced more or less in the profitable range. Seeing Google’s profit reports from advertising last year ($26 million dollars) leads me to believe this might be the route they take.

Logitech will be the brains behind set top boxes for those of us who already have our nice televisions in place in order to be able to use the technology as well as remote control devices to make browsing easier. Sony will begin producing Blu-ray DVD players that work with the tech as well as teaming up with Intel to provide flat panel televisions with micro processors built in. And of course Google will be providing the Android OS to the project in addition to the Chrome browser.

If implemented correctly and using an OS that is more TV viewer friendly, I have no doubt a profit could be turned very easily. Make the device function with Netflix out of the box and you might even convince me that it’s a worthwhile purchase to go with all the other junk I watch on the web.

After all, perusing YouTube videos of Keyboard Cat on a large screen device should be enough to convince anyone.

Gritskrieg – End of Line