Just curious about google tv

[bloodrop]

Ok so basically with google tv you can browse for online content and see it on your tv. How is that different from having a laptop connected to your tv through hdmi and going to sites like hulu or youtube? or even downloading movies? Except for google tv having a cool interface I don't see the point of getting one. Now if the google tv can de-scrambled channels then I will immediately get one

Thanks for your replies

 

[IRunGameEP]

Google TV intergrates the Internet ontop of your TV. It controls your DVR, it has its own "whats on" where it breaks everything down into categories, you can stream anything from your network to your TV, and they are going to open the Android Market for it so it will support apps just like the phones. Your cable box runs through it, so it can control your TV, Cable box, AV unit, and use just one remote. I've had it since Christmas, and now that Ive played with it for a few days, watching TV without it sucks.

 

[bloodrop]

You mentioned having a cable box. Do you need one to connect to the google tv box or can you just plugin the coaxial cable straight to the google tv box?

 

[rhippler]

there are no tuners in the device. it sits between what ever device you use to receive a TV signal(TiVo, Dish, Cable, etc.), using an HDMI connection. it will also control the device via IR or in some cases USB.

 

[mike87d]

Google TV intergrates the Internet ontop of your TV. It controls your DVR, it has its own "whats on" where it breaks everything down into categories, you can stream anything from your network to your TV, and they are going to open the Android Market for it so it will support apps just like the phones. Your cable box runs through it, so it can control your TV, Cable box, AV unit, and use just one remote. I've had it since Christmas, and now that Ive played with it for a few days, watching TV without it sucks.

I'm with you on this. As a DISH Network employee I've been able to play around with the device since early September, and as a DISH customer I was able to pick it up in October for the $179 price point (Logitech Revue). I'm not sure if you have DISH, but DISH worked with Logitech on creating the Revue so that the integration with the DVR and Guide would be seamless - and it is. Being able to do a search on something, schedule a DVR recording, and in the same stroke pull a page on the internet about it is just amazing, even after having it for 3 months.

 

[IRunGameEP]

I have Time Warner cable, and it works well with my DVR. Right now I cant search my DVR, but it integrates well. I hit the DVR button and it pops up and lets me do anything i could do with my cable remote (but with the Sony remote). I can still trigger the DVR through the interface, and anything else in the guide. Its definitely worth taking a look at. I have my own little problems with it right now, but hopefully with the release of the Android Market, they will go away. Ive slammed Google as a whole a few times, I dont really agree with letting all the hardware companies have there own version of the OS, but...I guess you could always root and do whatever you want (hopefully). Some features I really like, and some others really just drive me crazy because theyre so half assed. Im hoping in the next update a lot of them are fixed

 

[bloodrop]

I wish they had a tuner so I would get the nice menu. I'm not going to pay 10 extra a month for the cable box just to have it hooked up to the google tv. When they make boxes that can be hooked up directly to the coaxial cable then i would consider buying one. Until then I would just keep connecting my laptop to the tv with hdmi.

 

[Alberto_jr]

What? So if you don't have cable (dish, cox, ect) google tv won't work? I ONLY have dsl at home and was hopeing to just connect the revue directly to my tv. Can someone clarify this for me?

 

[Malachi42]

I don't have cable and my Sony Blu-ray set-top GTV works just fine. What they're complaining about is that if you don't have a cable box you can't watch cable TV on your GTV.

I do think it is disappointing that it doesn't have a built in tuner because that means I can't watch OTA TV on my GTV. I have to switch inputs on my TV and use its built in tuner. Fortunately for me, I don't watch TV at all except for local news and so that's not really a problem for me. Though, if someone comes out with a GTV set-top box with a built in tuner, I might get it.

 

[StrifeJester]

Some of the TVs with GTV built in should remedy this, whenever you are in the market for a new TV maybe take that into consideration. The set top boxes are just that since the stand-alones are not quite designed like a VCR.... Yet. I am sure somewhere along the way someone will think of a way to use it like one or it will get built in with the internet connected TVs.

 

[Hizorse]

Anyone know if it works with Charter cable, DVR function that is?

 

[StrifeJester]

Right now as far as I know the integration doesn't work for searching your DVR but since charter generally uses Motorola boxes it should be able to do the IR blasting for it.