In keeping with their promise to release more frequent Google TV updates, Google introduced Honeycomb 3.2 last week. The new software, currently for Sony devices only with the Revue soon to follow, provides the following improvements:
- It supports hardware acceleration, making apps with animation effects move faster
- It supports HTTP live streaming which will help with HTML5 video and make local media streaming through apps work
- Improvements to the way Google TV identifies channels will make it easier for app developers to use their own EPGs
- Chrome is getting a boost
This update will likely be one of many before the arrival of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, which is rumored to occur before the end of the year. Stay tuned to see what Google rolls out throughout the next year of Google TV.
[via GigaOm]
10 Responses to Android 3.2 Brings Google TV Up To Speed
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Great, that means I’ll get the Netflix error message even faster!
I hope the hardware acceleration and new streaming options will make the fireplace app actually work. That would be nice.
It’s still bush league compared to AppleTV or Roku.
What are the software developers doing, the system is underwhelling.
you dont understand how Google works. they release early and often. that means that little toy apps are the first to join the platform after partners. As interest develops more developers join in the apps will improve. The professional developers are taking notice. This barely a few months old and it has all the potential in the world. I can watch anything on my google tv even some of the thing hulu and the networks dont want me to. do you know why? because the entire web is on this. roku and especially apple are not open like that.
you can improve that app with gasoline and a match
i know the feeling. i hate comcast.
Out of all of the articles and reviews I’ve read regarding the Google TV product, none of them really do it justice, and I do not know why…
I got my Google TV product, and after losing track of the time, I was messing with this thing for several hours. Time was flying by because there was SO much to do with it. It was exciting, new, and an adventure…
Enough with the gushing… Here’s just a little bit of an idea of what this baby can do…
The Google TV is setup wirelessly with my AT&T router. Internet is set up within seconds. My AT&T DVR/Receiver is plugged into my Sony GTV box by HDMI cable, open a screen, identify the box – It’s set up within seconds. Open the App Market on GTV and download several functionality applications, and now my iPod Touch, Archos Tablet, and Cell Phone all have become the remotes for my TV, DVD Player, and GTV. My Picasa, Facebook, Gmail, Youtube, Netflix, Pandora, Click.com, BuddyTV, and many more systems are all merged into one system, easily controlled by my GTV remote, Cell phone, iPod, or Archos device. I create my home screen and have all of my favorite apps, programs, and channels on tv less then one click away. I can program my cell phone, iPod, and Archos with “hot buttons” where I press one button on the screen, and it pulls up the designated application, or TV channel automatically. I can program/personalize this device to do EXACTLY what I want it to be.
I can access every website that I normally access on my computer. I can watch every video I can watch on my cell phone, tv, or computer. I can plug in a wireless mouse, and keyboard and type emails from my couch, browse the internet from my couch, research the stock market from my couch. And, I can do all this while I’m watching TV in a PIP (Picture in Picture) screen…
There’s so much more – This is only the surface. The above ^^ paragraphs are only from a few hours of play time. I can’t wait til I can get back to it tomorrow when I’ll have all day to play.
Let’s not forget about the OnLive! application that is being created right now by OnLive (This was confirmed by the CEO of OnLive) where you will be able to play 150+ console games (Call of Duty?) with a $50 wireless controller made specifically for the GTV box. When this becomes available later this year, I will have no more need for my Xbox, or PS3.
Yes, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Google TV HAS revolutionized living room entertainment – Most people just don’t realize that the revolution is already here and happening.
@twitter-338982482:disqus
Why wouldn’t you get this?! =
We are close to 2 months out from this update and the Logitech Revue is still waiting for it. The 3.1 update introduced the market for us Revue users but caused many problems with shockwave streaming crashes. Hopefully this will be fixed in the 3.2 update. Please let us know what is delaying the update for the Revue. I’m looking forward to a faster Chrome experience and HLS.
Any word on when the logitech revue will get this?
The thing is that google itself does very very little. Appart from the youtube app there is not much going on for gtv. Developers notice THAT too… Successful and popular business models like onlive, autodesk & gameloft need to be approached directly. Many apps that can be sideloaded are still marked as incompatible in the google play store.
And not to bust a bubble but official google products are always LAST to update… it’s been a long tradition with android that unknown shanghai companies are always first to upgrade their products. Official Google TV devices are now getting 3.2 while you can already buy chinese Google TV devices with Android 4.0 & 4gb flash 1gb ram Arm9 or even Arm11 for about $ 60, don’t take my word for it just check out Alibaba.