Among numerous other things, Google announced at Google I/O today that Google TV will get Android 3.1 and Android Market soon (as in this summer). This would make total sense, as one of today’s announcements was the launch of movie rentals in the Android Market. Perhaps this is just what Google TV needs to get going.
Yesterday, the company announced some new partnerships to expand it’s movie offerings on YouTube, which seem to extend into the Android offerings, making for a catalog of over 6,000 movies, including new releases. According to Danny Sullivan, movie rentals purchased through the Android Market can also be watched through YouTube.
Also new to Google TV are a couple of new hardware partnerships. Last year at Google I/O, when Google TV was first unveiled, Sony, Logitech and DISH Network were announced as partners (along with Best Buy, who would sell devices). Now, Google has announced that Samsung and Vizio have hopped aboard as new Google TV partners.
In other words, watch for an increasing number of Google TV devices. We’ve always said that availability on more devices would be key for Google TV adoption growth, and that seems to be the strategy indeed. Now, if they can just get Sony to put it on its Playstation consoles, it would really be in business (particularly as Microsoft gets further ahead with its Xbox – and Skype integration). Granted, Playstation isn’t shining its brightest at the moment.
Android growth continues to be phenomenal as the company pointed out today. Google TV getting more friendly with the Android platform should only help sales. A little marketing beyond one Kevin Bacon commercial might help too.
I have a feeling the whole movie thing will be a big selling point.
