Let me first say that I’m a big enthusiast of GoogleTV. despite being disappointed with the poor deployment on Internet TV’s such as the Sony Bravia.
From that perspective it’s great to hear Eric Schmidt re-enforce Google’s support for the product, and the recent acquisition of Motorola Mobility sends the same message.
But when it comes to the UK I really can’t get my head around how Google could possibly displace Sky as the dominant player in the set-top box market.
With 15m UK subscribers to Sky packages are these customers really likely to want another device connected to their TV?
The answer could lie in collaboration. When it launches in the UK, Google TV is expected to incorporate both the BBC iPlayer and Sky Player.
The US has a more fragmented selection of satellite and IPTV partners so if Google TV can’t take off stateside what chance does it really have in the UK?
What do you think?
Connectivity is the key. Too many places have dreadful connectivity to this day. We’re in the centre of Manchester and still only get 4Mb. The impact on rich media consumption is huge.
Absolutely. Another reason why success may be a few years away.