Google TV launch

Despite the rise of the internet, television viewing is actually on the rise. So, rather than replacing TV, might the future be to combine it with online services?

Many attempts to do that have already been made of course, including by major players in the computing industry - but neither Apple TV nor Windows Media Center have 'changed the game'.

Perhaps Google TV, launched last week, will.

Google TV is a new experience made for television that combines the TV you know and love with the freedom and power of the Internet.

The motivation for Google to make the service work is clear: there's an estimated $70 billion dollars annual advertising to play for. And, with an open-source operating system already working successfully on Android phones, and a partnership with major high street brands including Sony, the launch of the service has received some rave reviews.

There's an overview of what Google TV could offer by Erick Schonfeld for TechCrunch.

Sony CEO Howard Stringer, who is “fairly giddy with excitement” about introducing a new kind of TV to the market, calls it “active television.” The Google TV experience as demoed today, includes a universal search box which scours both TV and the Web and delivers video from either source in the same user interface. That will be key to getting adoption.