Google Launches Delayed Broadband Internet TV Service into the UK

Google has today announced the UK launch of its new Google TV (IPTV) service, which uses your existing broadband ISP connection and special £200-£300 Set-Top-Boxes (STB) to deliver internet and online video / film content directly to your home television.

The service, which was originally supposed to launch during early 2012, appears to have faced delays following complaints about a lack of content and poor user interface design that complicated its earlier introduction into the US market.

According to Google, customers in the UK will.. “be able to pop live TV into the background while you read up on The Guardian’s website with Chrome, catch up on the latest episode of EastEnders on the BBC iPlayer, view Lauren Luke’s latest make-up tips on YouTube, and choose from the hundreds of apps optimized for TV in Google Play“. Nothing special.

Google is expected to face pressure from the forthcoming launch of YouView, a similar UK subscription-free and broadband ISP based video-on-demand and catch-up TV service. Apple also has a rival AppleTV service, which hasn’t really taken off. Meanwhile many modern Tablet computers, Smartphone’s and internet capable TV’s already have similar facilities built-in.

Suffice to say that the UK IPTV market is undoubtedly both a complicated and tough nut to crack. Never the less Google’s first STB devices, which will arrive from Sony (related product details), are due to go on sale in July 2012 and others from different manufactures should follow later this year (October 2012).

Google TV
http://www.google.com/tv