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Brittany Bohnet, Google’s Product Marketing Manager, was given the honor of demoing Google TV at IFA, although more briefly than we would have liked. In the video (the demo begins at roughly 32:00), Brittany demonstrates streaming a YouTube video in 720p, shows off YouTube Leanback, talks about how to use the browser to search for something related to what you are watching, and reminds us that the Android Market is coming in 2011.
Also, she points out that users will be able to control Google TV with either an iPhone, or an Android mobile device. This demo does not reveal a whole lot that we don’t already know, but it is a worthwhile example of Google TV in action.
Source: Lifehacker | via SimplyGoogleTV
Google has a vision for Google TV which goes beyond just being able to search both online and within your cable or satellite providers hardware for what you want to watch. The search giant is also hoping that Google TV will become a social experience where friends and family can gather around in the living room and share their favorite videos, photos and websites. Most people have shared a YouTube video in an email or on a friend’s Facebook page at one time or another , which will be a breeze on Google TV thanks to the Android Market. However, a new web application called Dragontape, which allows users to drag and drop their favorite online content into sharable playlists, is poised to take sharing video on web-connected devices like Google TV to the next level.
There’s a lot of great stuff on YouTube, enough to lose yourself for hours watching related and unrelated content. The recently announced YouTube Leanback solves the problem of having to choose between related videos after each one is complete, but what if you want to assemble your own string of related videos for your own personal use or to share with friends and family?
That’s where Dragontape comes in. The application is still in beta and is lacking some major features like embedding and the ability to search multiple video sources (YouTube is currently the only option), but there are several nice features already built in, including a variety of social media options for sharing and the ability to retrieve and edit past projects. However, the company has announced future support for Vimeo, Dailymotion, Metacafe, and other sites.
The interface seems quite stable and easy to navigate, although there were several errors and crashes during testing. At this time, the application is run entirely in Flash, but IE and HTML 5 support is in the works. Here is the link to the test playlist assembled using various Google TV clips
Overall, this application has some great potential if certain key elements like the ability to embed are added later on. The social aspects are already in place, and this and other applications like it are exactly what Google hopes will be utilized by Google TV users. We look forward to seeing the finished product, and hopefully next time we visit Dragontape we can embed the final result for you.
Every Sunday, we recap the most important news of the week for those of you who need to play catch up. For all you soccer (or football, whichever word tickles your fancy) fans out there, the World Cup has officially ended. Now it’s time for you to check out some of the news you may have missed while you were catching all the action. This week, the big news was certainly the announcement of YouTube Leanback, which offers a continuous playback of videos based on search terms. Also high up on the list are the official photos and documents from the Logitech Revue’s FCC inspection. Here is the full list of stories featured this week:
In case you need more Apple TV rumors, here is another one
Study shows surfing and viewing simultaneously is on the rise
YouTube gears up for TV with Leanback, could see bright future with Google TV
Android 2.2 JavaScript speed tests are good news for Google TV
The Wall Street Journal discusses Google TV
Logitech Revue gets a little FCC treatment [photo gallery]
Source: PC Magazine
Earlier today, YouTube launched an experimental new service called “Leanback,” which will allow users to simply enter a search term and watch continuous content based on those keywords, in a manner very similar to the usual TV experience. The service is therefore targeted towards TV viewers, and will surely become a part of Google TV at some point in the future. Leanback was announced the same day YouTube rolled out its revamped YouTube Mobile site, which has added a vast array of new HTML5 support, in contrast to the Flash-based Leanback.
The most obvious contrast between traditional YouTube and Leanback, as previously mentioned, is the concept of seamless integration between pieces of content based on keywords. Unlike the usual experience, where you have to continously chose what to watch next, with Leanback YouTube will do the thinking for you, basing the flow of content on similar videos, what the user has liked or disliked previously, as well as content the user has uploaded.
Leanback will benefit from an extremely simple control process in which traditional arrow keys will determine navigation, while the “enter” key will control playback. Because of this, Leanback will be versatile across all platforms, be it on the Web, mobile devices, or TV.
There has been no official announcement of a mobile app as of yet, but the ultimate goal, according to Kuan Yong, a Leanback project manager, is for users to be able to continue along with the experience on any device from where they last left off. For example, you are watching Leanback on your TV, but need to pause the video and go to the store. While standing in line at the checkout, you could continue watching for a few minutes, and later return yet again using either your TV or computer.
Additionally, it has been made clear that, for the time being at least, advertising will not be brought into the equation, and while options for monetizing Leanback are being explored, the initial experience will be ad-free
Leanback is currently in testing phase, and can be demoed via the YouTube TestTube site.
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