SAN JOSE, Calif. – Logitech has dropped out of its partnership on GoogleTV and ended production of its Revue set-top box, according to reports. The move is the second blow for the search giant's connected TV platform, following Intel's decision to exit the partnership.
Logitech chief executive Guerrino De Luca called the Revue a "mistake of implementation of a gigantic nature," at an analysts meeting this week, according toone Web report. The $300 Revue launched in 2010 as the first product based on GoogleTV, but had a mixed reception and was later discounted to $99.
De Luca blamed poor quality of the Google software and Logitech's own missteps on the product's failure to gain traction. He said Logitech has discontinued production of the system and has no plans for a follow on.
Google engineers gave presentations on GoogleTV to packed audiences at its annual Google I/O event in May. At the conference, Google pledged to update GoogleTV with a version based on the Honeycomb Android 3.1 for tablets and to open an area on the Android Market for GoogleTV apps.
Late last month, Intel said it would get out of the business of making digital TV SoCs. Intel was the sole silicon partner for GoogleTV, and one of its SoCs was used in the Revue. One source blamed the high cost of the Intel SoCs as one reason for the Revue's failure.
At its May event, a Google product manager said Samsung and Vizio were developing GoogleTV products. GoogleTV was announced with much fanfare in May 2010 with partners including Sony, but broadcasters largely declined to join the initiative.
Cable TV operators are concerned platforms like GoogleTV could provide free alternatives to their paid services. Broadcasters have made many of their TV shows and movies available online through Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, but are finding online revenues are significantly smaller than broadcasting revenues.
In June 2010, EE Times-Confidential said it was skeptical of the outlook for GoogleTV for several reasons.
A Google spokesman said the company expects to announce multiple new system and chip set partners for GoogleTV in 2012 but would not say whether it would be in time for the Consumer Electronics Show in January. He reiterated that Dish Network, Samsung, Sony and Vizio remain partners.
One report said LG Electronics will launch a GoogleTV television at CES.
The goal of GoogleTV is not to provide a free alternative to paid video services including traditional broadcasting. Instead, Google aims to bring to the TV more Web content including a better YouTube experience and improved search and apps, he said.
Google released version 2.0 of Google TV on October 30, showing progress on those goals with a simpler interface, improved YouTube experience and search and support for GoogleTV apps.
All owners of Logitech Revue set-tops will get access to the GoogleTV software update, the spokesman said.
Google claims YouTube gets more than three billion views a day. "The top five channels on YouTube get the same number of average daily viewers as the top five cable networks," it said.
資料來源:http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4230544/Logitech-latest-to-switch-off-GoogleTV
留言列表
生技醫療產業 (1)