Google TV, a new set-top box and embedded TV platform, was announced at Google’s developer conference today.
It’s like.. well, it’s like AppleTV, but almost surely better. Has a full web browser, searches across various platforms, etc. Unclear if this has any kind of DVR features, but that would make sense.
Apparently it will be available this fall/winter, and will be embedded in some Sony and Logitech products.
On a related note, I recently found out that you can get many TV shows for FREE, right out of the air. No cable or nothin’! It’s like magic.
I kept thinking Baby Cakes was going to make an appearance in that video.
Someone please tell me when it’s safe for me to buy a new tv.
Thanks.
Wow, a search engine for the TV Guide, how thrilling.
Lame.
What do you mean “out of the air?” I have one of those antennas for my digital tv because I’m too cheap to buy cable and that only gets me three channels.
Callie, where roughly are you at? You should be getting way more than 3 channels with an antenna. What three do you get?
Some of the info here might be helpful:
http://questionland.thestranger.com/ques…
I’m on the hill by Trader Joe’s. I get CW11, Q13 and 22(?). It may be because the only windows in my apartment face North…
Why don’t you just fucking buy a video cable to tie your lap top with your TV?
This will be as wonderful as that cell phone Google had; what was that “iPhone killer” called again?
#7 hasn’t this been explained to you before?
It’s called Android. It’s not a phone, it’s an operating system. It runs on over 50 devices and has over 50,000 applications. There are also over 100,000 handsets activated per day.
Callie, There are two main antenna sites, one nearby you on cap hill, and one on Queen Anne Hill. I’m surprised you aren’t getting ch 9 also. I’m at Cherry and 23rd, and I get everything except 13. It’s likely that your antenna isn’t big enough or tall enough, as the hill is blocking the view to Queen Anne. However you might try simply rotating your antenna. I’ve found that some stations prefer one position, and for all the others I rotate the antenna about 90 degrees. I also put my antenna in my window sill– that helps a lot.
@7 Android phone sales have surpassed iPhone sales. Hardly a killer, but still notable.
@9: Getting 13 in Seattle is hard for nearly everyone. That’s why it’s also on 22-2 I believe.
Same problem that Callie has, different part of the U.S.
My dad and I spent a crapload of money trying to get a digital antenna for my grandfather’s house when the switch took place. He got 3 channels.
We looked everywhere for an answer and it boiled down to, “you’re in a bad area. Sucks to be you.” He got about 10 or so before the switchover.
Eventually we just bit-the-bullet and bought him cable. This whole thing seems more like a scam to get more people to pay for television than anything else.
@2 now.
This is where the pricing curve gets reasonable.
Just set your HDTV to antenna digital scan and you’ll pick em up.
@14: Not all of us have an HDTV.
Damnit, I JUST bought one of them Blu-ray players with Netflix built in. This would’a been a nice addition.
I can actually see the tower, provided it isn’t just a radio tower, from my bedroom window, high above… but in SF, unless you live on top a hill, you get absolutely zero channels “from the air.”
in soviet america, google tv watches you
@9 and others trying to deal with the weird transmitter grouping in Seattle: Consider two antennas.
Because of where the transmitters are, most people can’t use just a single antenna to get everything. If you don’t want to have to get up and fiddle with the antenna every time you change a channel, you can instead buy two antennas, a simple 2-way cable splitter, and the requisite amount of cables. Plug each antenna into one of the “output” ports on the 2-way splitter, and then run a cable from the “input” port on the splitter to your TV, Tivo, PC with tuner card, etc.
Essentially you’re using the splitter backwards to merge the signals from the two antennas. In rare scenarios that might cause problems, but for most people this will work perfectly. It’s what we had to do at the girlfriend’s apartment in Fremont before she moved, and it was the only way to reliably get Q13.
Does anyone realize what a pain in the ass it is to get a full web experience on your TV right now? I literally was just tearing my remaining hair out about how to do this at a reasonable price/capability. I will be purchasing the Logitech/whatever box. Google owns my ass and I love it.
@18: “it was the only way to reliably get Q13”
Q13 via 22-2 or via 13? I’ve found 22-2 comes in fine nearly everywhere around Seattle.