[Advanced] The Future of TV (2)

Rishi Chandra
Director of Product Management, Google TV

The Adapters

Preloaded in certain smart TVs or available as a separate device, Google TV is a platform that allows users to navigate both online video and a cable or satellite TV package.

Lessons learned at Google TV

1. SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY
"At first, users thought the overall experience was too complicated. We narrowed it down to an application model, where if you want YouTube, you just open up the YouTube application. We also made sure the experience you got on your TV felt like a TV experience. So when you're flipping between YouTube channels, it feels as simple and fast as flipping between TV channels."

2. HELP DEVELOPERS
"Companies were already creating great apps for Android phones and tablets. We realized it was important to structure Google TV so that it was easy for developers to adapt those existing apps to TV.

3. IMPROVE DISCOVERY
The discovery engine debuted with our software update last fall. We're now working on a feature that--with your permission--uses information from your Google account to infer movies and TV shows you might like and recommend them to you."

4. GET HARDWARE FEEDBACK EARLY
"Google TV comes in several forms--sometimes built directly into a TV, sometimes in a separate set-top box--and there's a learning curve with creating hardware. One big lesson we learned with Android is the earlier we start engaging with manufacturers, the better, because it gives hardware makers more time to iterate and improve their products."

5. UNITE THE DEVICES
Sometimes you're going to discover what to watch on a phone or tablet or PC, so the ability for all these devices to work really well together is something else that we believe is going to be fundamental for shaping our road map going forward."


Notes and Vocabulary

Avner Ronen CEO, Boxee:
I think big changes are coming. It’s a humongous industry. Compared with music and publishing, it dwarfs them. And it has a huge effect on culture.”

simplify v. keep it simple
to make (something) easier to do or understand

flip v.
to turn (something) on or off with a switch

discovery engine
search engine

debut v.
to appear in public for the first time
to show or provide (something, such as a product, television show, etc.) to the public for the first time

infer v.
to form (an opinion) from evidence : to reach (a conclusion) based on known facts
to hint or suggest (something): imply

curve n.
a curved line on a graph that shows how something changes or is affected by one or more conditions

iterate v.
to say or do again or again and again

road map n.
a map showing roads especially for automobile travel 
a detailed plan to guide progress toward a goal

humongous adj.
extremely large: huge

dwarfs them
it makes them look very small

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