Google TV, Take 2: Android Apps now on Smart TVs

I got my Google TV for free at Google Zeitgeist. I'm really, really, glad I didn't pay for it.<p>I was pretty excited when I got it, since I've never subscribed to cable, and watch most of my shows online.<p>Unfortunately, there's a huge issue with Google TV: almost every streaming content provider has summarily blocked Google TV's access.<p>So, if you buy a Google TV, what you're essentially getting is a fancy YouTube/Netflix player. Google has this pipe dream of YouTube replacing traditional and nontraditional premium content channels (cable, Hulu, Netflix)... but honestly, YouTube is a terrible user experience on the TV, since most videos only last minutes.<p>The thought of having to use that tiny controller-keyboard (the Google TV boasts an absurdly complicated controlled that kind of feels like using a PlayStation3 Controller, a smartphone from the early 2000's, and a TV remote, all at the same time) to navigate through the complex menus of GoogleTV every time my 3 minute YouTube clip ends is pretty unappealing.<p>Today, my GoogleTV sits collecting dust. I hooked up a cheap laptop to my TV through HDMI, and control it through VNC. It's a cheaper, easier to use, and simpler solution for watching Netflix and YouTube, and I even get to watch other things that I want to watch or download movies too.<p>The UI and platform improvements to GoogleTV are nice, but until they get some content providers on board, I don't see much point.<p>Right now, it seems like they're catching up with the AppleTV in terms of UI/UX... which is good, except when you realize that AppleTV is and was a failure as well.

I'm probably the only one, but I love the GoogleTV. Had it since early this year and use it absolutely every single day. It's always on, so it's always so easy to look up something on youtube, show somebody your pictures, watch a video from my NAS, look up a recipe or a place to visit on the web, etc.<p>At first I thought the full keyboard was a bit too much, but now I don't mind it at all, just makes it easier to find stuff online. I love it, can't wait for the update.<p>The fact that it's always on is the killer for me. One keypress and you're searching for whatever you want. Whenever people visit me and we're talking about something, I just press the search key and we can all search together for it, much more social then pulling up a phone and looking down. I love it, cant wait for the update.

I got a free GoogleTV from Google last December and I really enjoy it, especially after a software update that auto-installed earlier this year. My only disappointment has been not having time to try writing an app for it - this has been a busy year for me. (I wrote a simple web site <a href="http://cookingspace.com/" rel="nofollow">http://cookingspace.com/</a> 3 1/2 years ago to help me track nutrients in the meals I eat, and I had hoped to have time to write a custom rich client for this web app for my own use.)<p>I may buy the new version if the hardware is much better but I'll wait a while to see what any future software updates do for version 1.<p>Most of my use is with Netflix streaming, and I have considered quitting my Hulu+ account because they block use with GoogleTV.

I got a free GoogleTV from Google last December and I really enjoy it, especially after a software update that auto-installed earlier this year. My only disappointment has been not having time to try writing an app for it - this has been a busy year for me. (I wrote a simple web site <a href="http://cookingspace.com/" rel="nofollow">http://cookingspace.com/</a> 3 1/2 years ago to help me track nutrients in the meals I eat, and I had hoped to have time to write a custom rich client for my own use.)<p>I may buy the new version if the hardware is much better but I'll wait a while to see what any future software updates do for version 1.<p>Most of my use is with Netflix streaming, and I have considered quitting my Hulu+ account because they block use with GoogleTV.