Make no mistake, Apple and Google both want to be the gateway to your TV. Back in May, Google officially announced its TV initiative. Just yesterday came rumors in this New York Times blog post that Apple is working to revamp its failed Apple TV.
Google and Apple, like many folks recognize that the long awaited merging of our PCs and our TVs has to come eventually, and there is definitely a growing sense that the joining could be finally near. That Google and Apple are fighting for our attention in this area proves it must be a worthwhile area to exploit.
Look at the PS3
Those of you who have PS3s have recognized this power for some time. When my son connects his game system to the TV, he can access the internet and get services like Netflix, which we can’t get on our TV without connecting the PC to do it. Everyone recognizes that it will be a heck of a lot easier if you can access popular services directly from your TV, and that’s exactly what Google and Apple are attempting to do.
It’s All About Ads
Why are they so hot to do this? Well it’s probably another ad selling channel. Google of course has been famously in advertising for many years. You could say it’s more of an ad selling company than a search one, but it could use some of the Google services like search to help us online. Imagine, for instance being able to conduct a Google search across the Comcast On Demand library instead of manually searching in each section for each show or movie you want to see.
Apple could begin selling its new iAds in this channel too and it would dove-tail nicely with the new iPhone and iPad for a total media experience, something that Google as a software company couldn’t offer.
Hulu and Netflix
Meanwhile, Hulu was announcing a new expanded pay service this past week and Netflix has had an online/offline model for some time time. That all these ideas are coming together at the same time cannot be a coincidence. But we need to break down the barrier that currently exists for most of us between our TVs, PCs and media viewing devices like the iPad to make a seamless link between them.
If Apple or Google can finally succeed in getting the PC and the TV together after years of speculation that just such a merging was close, it would be a huge break-through. For now, we have some nice ideas from two clever and powerful companies, but if they can pull it off, the lines between our PCs and TVs will be all but erased.
