Is Google planning a TV that searches on what you watch, while you watch?

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 05 May 2010 09:16

Opinion and Analysis

Google is reported to be about to unveil Dragonpoint, Android-based software for TVs that will allow them to search the web and pull down videos and other programming from web sites, but it could do much more.

These functions themselves are already available. Swedish company, People of Lava, last month announced the first Android-based TV set that will enable users to access the Internet and to download apps from PoL's own app store.

And last month also Telstra and LG announced that a range of LG TV's would be able to display Big Pond movies via the Internet.

But what would make the Google offering really interesting would be if it were to be combined with something Google talked about nearly four years ago, but of which nothing has been heard since. It was a system that ran on a PC, analysed the TV sound and then initiated a Google search to pull down results relevant to the TV programme.

Reports at the time suggested: "For example, during a time-out in a live sporting event some viewers may enjoy reviewing highlight footage, while others may prefer to view a parallel program to watch player profiles and statistics before being automatically returned to the sporting action once the event is back underway."

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