Google Plans To Completely Change The Television Landscape [Google's Schmidt Talks About Future Of TV; Believes The Internet Can Make It A More Personal Experience]

Posted on TFTS by Mariella Moon on Tuesday, 30. August 2011 under: Audio,Visual, Computers & Computing

Back during Edinburgh’s Television Festival, Eric Schmidt revealed the Google TV is coming to the United Kingdom within 6 months. But that’s not all he talked about. Schmidt talked in length not only about the future of Google TV, but also about the future of TV in general. His talk focused on how the internet would change television viewing, which is something that will likely happen as people become more reliant on the internet for many things.

“You ignore the Internet at your peril.”

The statement above, spoken to broadcasters, reeks of doom-mongering. However, Schmidt goes on to explain that it came from his belief that the Internet is fundamental to the future of television. “It’s what people want,” he says. Why? Because according to Schmidt, people want a more personal and more participative kind of television. He cites Netflix as an example, claiming 60% of Netflix views come from personalized recommendations.

So what does that mean for Google TV?

Online, through a combination of algorithms and editorial nudges, suggestions could be individually crafted to suit your interests and needs. The more you watch and share, the more chances the system has to learn, and the better its predictions get. Taken to the ultimate, it would be like the perfect TV channel: always exciting, always relevant — sometimes serendipitous — always worth your time.

If and when Google TV takes off, we’ll definitely be seeing a large shift in the television landscape as more companies clamor to join that space. How does Google TV’s concept sound to you?

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