Google has launched a program known as Google TV with the aim of capturing a bigger share of the $70 billion spent in the United States every year. Sony will unveil a line of televisions while other partners will provide other hardware and connectivity. Logitech, for example, will provide the controller and companion box while Dish Network is said to provide the connection.

Limited testing had been done by Dish Network. It is believed that Google TV will become widely available in the fall of 2010 in set-top boxes, Blue-Ray players, and of course, television. While there are no clear guidelines about how advertising will work on the new medium, demonstrations show that companies that advertise in display ads and paid clicks will enjoy television exposure as well.

Consumers who use Google TV to search the web would see the same ads that are displayed on their personal computers. This means that people can switch from the internet to television programming without navigating inconvenient on-screen directories. People can use a search box on television that is similar to those found on the web.

According to Rishi Chandra, this innovation makes television “a natural extension of the Web”. Indeed, the innovative and user-friendly features available on Google TV are bound to attract people from all walks of life. Many wonder though, why would Google invest so much in this idea? After all, consumers can watch videos, search the web, and see endless advertisement on any regular PC already. It seems though that the idea behind this is that “video should be consumed on the biggest, best and brightest screen in the house, and that is a TV.”

There is one issue of putting everything on high definition though. It was pointed out that YouTube videos are not the kind of high-quality videos that one would want on a large screen. But on the other hand, Google TV models opens up a world of opportunities for advertisers and advertising agencies. If more people start to welcome this platform on their living rooms, it can begin to grow organically as others follow suit.
Another notable aspect of Google TV is that Android phones can be used to control television viewing through voice searchers. Anyone who’s using an Android phone to use a YouTube video, for example, can connect that video on Google TV directly using a Wi-Fi connection. One thing is certain; developers will start to build apps for Android.

Google’s ambition to go beyond its internet dominance might be impressive but it is not actually the first company to dream up such a scheme. Both Microsoft and Apple have already tried to convince consumers to use the internet through television, set-top boxes, and servers. Their forays have not always been successful. It is without a doubt though, room for growth, better innovations, and sharp marketing in this industry.