Google TV Update Announced

By: Cory Perrin
10/29/2011 04:15 PM ET

Google TV Update Announced – Google has announced a significant update for its TV entertainment software to bring Sony support that rolls out Sunday in the Android market. The technology overhaul brings a number of new features, including support for Android apps and a makeover of the user interface.

The company had originally said that the software update would come this summer and that it would be quickly followed by new hardware. Today, it said that would-be buyers will have to stick with the existing products from Sony and Logitech, or wait until early next year for second-generation products, which the company has said will come from Vizio and Samsung, among others.

“We think we’ve done right by taking a little more time to build a really strong platform,” company head Mario Queiroz said in a telephone interview. The Internet provider first previewed the new look for its product at its I/O conference in May.

The search engine giant said the update will be made available first to Sony products starting on Sunday, and shortly after that to those with Logitech-based products.

Initial sales of Google TV were quite weak since the product was announced, with hardware partners forced to slash prices — particularly Logitech, which has been selling its Revue set-top box for $99 in an effort to move its excess inventory.

Queiroz said that Google sees the TV effort as a long-term one, and notes that the company has doubled the number of people working on the project. However, the exact numbers on that has not been announced.

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Source: Google TV update announced, sony, android market