Google TV and the Future of the Industry

On May 18, 2010, Google shook the world with a promising announcement: Google TV is coming to bridge the gap between conventional mainstream media and the Internet. If both Google and the TV industry play their cards right and are able to understand each other, Google TV will hopefully bring the TV industry into the 21st century and allow it to find a path to its survival and financial prosperity in the new economics of the digital era.

"Right on your TV screen, you simply tupe in what you're looking for... anything you're looking for, and Google TV will find it. It's basically an entertainment hub that searches all of your channels, recorded shows, YouTube, and other web sites."

While it is not a cure for cancer and our suffering as consumers of TV networks is not as important as ending poverty, it really is exciting for someone to finally put an end to the tiring routine of browsing channels and revolutionize our TV experience by allowing us instead to be able to just search, click and play!

Paradigm Shift: The time has come, no more delays, no more excuses

In any case, it is going to be interesting, a lot more interesting than the introduction of Hulu or Apple TV, and the game is about to change in significant ways. The TV industry has had years to adapt: It completed the migration to digital technology and has timidly tested the waters of online access to their content with the limited offerings of abc.go.com, Hulu.com, nbc.com and others using a model based on advertising, which is natural and familiar to them.

Perhaps Google TV will provide the push they need to finally jump (or be thrown) into the deep rewarding waters of global access to content by a global audience.

As the Google TV ad says...

"if the web is so smart, and our TVs are so fun to watch,
Why do we have to choose?
Why can't they work together?"

The two articles below explore the impact of Google TV's introduction on the future of YouTube (or viceversa) and the role of the TV networks in the future and success of Google TV.