Set to take over TV... Google launches its own interactive television service

Set to take over TV... Google launches its own interactive television service

Internet king Google is taking on entertainment giants including Sky, Virgin and Apple TV with the launch of interactive telly.

Electronics maestro Sony has teamed up with the web company to create Google TV which will allow families to watch their favourite programmes, shop, tweet and surf using just one screen.

For £200, hi-tech Brits can buy a set top box which will stream footage from the internet onto their TVs but allow them to check their emails, look up information and play games using a bespoke remote controller or their Android phone.

Poised to revolutionise the way we watch TV and browse the internet, the new system which turns the telly into one multi-tasking watch-and-surf screen could take a massive bite out of the tablet market.

Ben Law Sony’s category marketing manager said: “It will enhance the whole internet experience.

“For example, sports fans watching a big game will be able to access team information which will appear over the action so you can see both.”

Or users can create a smaller screen in the corner of the TV so they can watch a soap and do the family shopping, check prices or tweet comments about what they’re watching from the Olympics to X Factor.

The key to easy internet access is a dual sided remote with a touch pad cursor on one side and a full keyboard on the other.

Google-owned YouTube will be used to stream footage onto TV screens and Suveer Kothari, Google’s head of global TV distribution said: “We think there’s going to be huge benefits from bringing the internet to TV.

“Google TV attempts to address the problem that there’s not really a great experience to access the internet on your TV screen which is a similar problem we saw in the smartphone market five years ago.”

The set top box also has voice control and access to Google’s Play Store which offers a host of apps.

It’s taken two years to fine tune the Internet Player for its UK launch and there are plans to bring out a Blu-ray version for around £300 in October.

Gildas Pelliet, Sony’s European head of marketing, said: “Entertainment content is available through so many channels and sites, and Google TV helps consumers easily find what they want to watch, listen to or play with the freedom of the internet and using the familiar Chrome search engine technology.”

Rival Apple TV is half the price at £100 and relies on iTunes to manage the content and playback with access to film site Netflix.

Tech website pocket-lint.com said: “Unlike Apple TV, Google TV is designed to be a much more web-oriented experience.

“This box is not just about video playback, it’s about letting you browse and interact with the internet from the comfort of your sofa.”