LG announced (via The Verge) a new proprietary chipset dubbed “L9″ that will be powering Google TV devices from OEMs in 2012. There are not many details regarding the new chipset, which will also be used in LG’s 3D television lineup, but you can expect “enhanced 3D” and much faster performance thanks to support for quad-core GPU and dual-core CPUs.
The company is also showing off its new lineup of Google TV-powered smart televisions at 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. LG did not specify plans for pricing and release, but to Venture Beat the TVs are expected sometime in the first half of 2012.
Did you think Google TV was only going to be in-style for 2011? That is not the case. Google outlined some of its plans for this year’s CES, where it will show off the next Google TVs to come out this year. Most notably, Google announced that LG would be added as a hardware partner. In LG’s press release (available after the break), the company said it would use the new Cinema 3D FPR technology, along with the new Magic Remote QWERTY in its Google TV lineup.
LG Google TV’s most attractive feature is its ease of use, thanks to the combination of its Android-based user interface and the Magic Remote Qwerty designed by LG. LG Google TV’s user interface and main screen have been designed for convenient browsing and content selection. Multi-tasking is also possible, as the search, social networking and TV functions can be run simultaneously. The user interface can be accessed using the Magic Remote Qwerty which combines the user-friendly benefits of LG’s Magic Remote with a QWERTY keyboard.
Equipped with LG’s own CINEMA 3D technology, LG Google TV provides a home entertainment experience that is immersive, comfortable and convenient. Based on LG’s own Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) technology, CINEMA 3D glasses are battery-free and lightweight.
Google also said that along with LG, both Sony and Vizio would demonstrate new hardware at CES. We are looking forward to next week, where we will be live on the show floor. Stay tuned! (via Engadget)
Marvell could not quite wait for Consumer Electronics Show 2012 to spill the beans this on its huge GoogleTV win. The ARM-based processor company will have its Armada 1500 chipset at the heart of upcoming GoogleTV 2.0 solutions.
Most of the processor details are below, but the big news is that Google is going with low cost/low heat ARM processors for its next-generation set top boxes rather than Intel, who dropped out of the set top box market. With Marvell, Google should be able to compete on price with Roku, AppleTV and the other players in the market, and more importantly, it should be able to persuade TV manufacturers to include the low cost chips into hardware designs.
Marvell boasts that the Armada 1500 does 1080P 3D, as well as Flash – even though Adobe’s long-term plans outside of the desktop market are murky at best.
It does not appear that Google will build its own devices (although, the image above makes for interesting conversation), but it will continue to OEM out Google software. In a statement, Mario Queiroz, VP, Product Management Google TV said: “The Google and Marvell teams have been working closely together to bring our combined software and chipset technologies to market to grow the Google TV ecosystem of manufacturers and devices. Marvell-powered Google TV solutions will enable powerful products to be brought to market at attractive prices.”
Eric Schmidt recently said Google hopes to have GoogleTV embedded in the majority of SmartTVs by the summer of 2012, so this is a very aggressive rollout plan. We expect to hear much more at CES, where most consumer electronics companies release product plans for the upcoming year.
Another interesting tidbit: GoogleTV appears to be fully underneath its YouTube wing with media contacts listed for YouTube press people. The full press release is available below. Read more
Set-top box maker Roku -one of Google TV and Apple TV’s biggest competitors- unveiled a new iteration of its award-winning Smart TV solution today. However, this time, they shrunk it down to the size of a USB stick that allows you to plug it right into your TVs MHL-enabled HDMI port. The device, called the Roku Streaming Stick, packs in built-in Wi-Fi, a processor, and memory, and includes all of the features currently available in their current set-top box.
According to Roku’s press release, the new cable-free, smaller form factor is ideal for delivering smart TV capabilities to consumers who typically do not replace their TVs often. That model differs from both Apple and Google, especially with Apple expected to launch an HDTV and Google pushing the GoogleTV platform built-in to TVs from vendors like Sony:
Today’s Smart TVs become outdated in just a couple of years because as software evolves the hardware needs to be upgraded to keep pace. While short hardware product cycles are expected with mobile devices such as smart phones, consumers generally keep their TVs for six to eight years. By moving the streaming platform to a stick that’s easily replaceable, consumers no longer have to worry about their large-screen Smart TV becoming obsolete before its time.
Official pricing has not been announced, but CEO Anthony Wood told All Things D the device would be available in the second half of 2012 for between $50 and $100. Roku also plans to have TV vendors bundle the Roku Streaming Stick with new TVs. Read more
A report today from USA Today claimed the “big buzz” leading up to Consumer Electronics Show 2012 is smart TVs, specifically due to the biggest TV vendors anticipating the launch of an Apple branded HDTV. On the Google TV side of things, Sony TV Vice President Brian Siegel cleared up some misconceptions and said HDTVs integrated with Google TV are among their best-selling TVs.
Google TV has come under criticism since its launch for having a clunky user interface and meager app offerings, among other issues, but that has not hindered sales of Sony TVs incorporating it. “They’re among the best-selling TVs we have. Media has done a real good job of beating it up,” says Brian Siegel, Sony TV vice president.
However, Siegel noted there are “lots of opportunities” to improve their Google TV offerings, but said built-in Google search is providing them with “good insight” on user behavior for the latest run of new smart TVs. He declined to comment on whether we would be seeing new Google TV-powered products or updates from Sony during CES. Read more
A new application in the Android Market available for GoogleTVs running 3.0 and up will allow users to stream content from the iPad or iPhone using Airplay, Apple’s wireless streaming feature built into iOS.
After downloading the 99-cent app called “Airtight“ to Google TV, users will be able to stream videos and pictures by selecting a device from within the Airplay UI on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch (pictured above). Unfortunately, mirroring, DRM protected video, and music is not supported. Users will of course need the latest Google TV update to access the Android Market.
Apple has nothing to do with the app, and the developers said they are looking into methods of including music and the rest of Airplay’s functionality in a future update. We will keep you posted.
