If you’re excited about Google TV, you owe it to yourself to watch this video demo which gives us the most polished look at the service yet. Specifically, it shows off how seamless Google’s universal search is and how Google TV integrates into a Dish Network digital video recorder. It was recorded by the blog Stuff We Like at San Diego’s Comic-Con last month.
Universal Search was one of the more intriguing elements of Google TV when it was first shown off. It allows users to search for live TV, online content, and DVR content all from one convenient search box. In the video, the representative shows how easy it is to search for a YouTube video, move to a DVR video, play some live TV, and then view a video podcast. The YouTube demo, in particular, was interesting because it was the first time I’ve seen Google TV running 720p high-definition video in full screen. It appears to play flawlessly.
Alternatively, the Google TV home screen offers up a variety of ways to get at content. It houses bookmarks for web pages (in a format resembling the Google Chrome new tab page), applications (it showed Pandora and Netflix), and something called the “Queue”, which compiles audio and video podcasts, as well as DVR content, in a single easy-to-consume list. There’s also a recommended podcast screen that will make it easy for users to find new shows.
Logitech expects to release its Google TV set-top box, the Revue, in the coming months. We’re still waiting for word on other Google TV devices, including when we’ll see it integrated in actual Dish Network boxes.
