Google, the company that seems intent on becoming a force in anything that uses electrons, said Tuesday that it expects to expand its Web TV service across the globe. CEO Eric Schmidt said at the big IFA consumer electronics show now in Berlin that he expects other TV set manufacturers to join Sony, which is scheduled to launch Web TV in the U.S. beginning this fall. Samsung has recently said it is considering releasing TV sets with the Google software.
Schmidt said that the Android-based software, which allows the Web to be viewed on a TV, is available free. “You should expect that other TV manufacturers would love to have this product,” he told reporters. The U.S. launch is designed for a Sony high-definition TV, a Sony Blu-ray high-definition DVD player, and a Logitech set-top box.
Your Smartphone as Remote
A Google remote control is in the works, which is expected to include a full QWERTY keyboard, a mouse or pointing device, and a variety of TV-related buttons. But there are also plans for users to be able to use a smartphone as a remote control, such as an Android-based phone or Apple’s iPhone. This means that voice-recognition commands, through the smartphone, could control your TV.
The Google software is designed to work with Intel chips in the sets, and the service will include video-on-demand from Amazon, Netflix, Hulu, and Google-owned YouTube. YouTube is expected to offer popular feature movies on its service sometime this year, which, in conjunction with Google’s TV service, means that the search giant will directly become a competitor on that front with cable systems, other online movie services, and TV networks.
However, the timeline may be delayed. The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Google’s talks with the major movie studios “did not go as smoothly…