Google TV launch hardware looks to be expensive, clunky | Hacker News Reader

Google TV launch hardware looks to be expensive, clunky

arstechnica.com

20 pointsevo_918 comments

The basic problem becomes obvious once you compare the device shown on this page with the Web TV hardware from 1997 (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2325942,00.asp): They both have a similar looking keyboard. A TV interface with a keyboard is bound to fail. The interaction has to be minimized.

But what to do if we want to enter search terms, etc., you ask? How about using your smartphone or iPad to do it. That way they could have also reduced the cost from the ridiculous $300.

If this is so obvious why didn't they do it with GTV? They made the mistake of partnering with a hardware maker (Logitech) who has a stake in selling more equipment, not less and is not exactly known to make the simplest remotes. After years of TV remote development from Logitech, I think still the most intuitive and comfortable remote is TiVo's.

Smartphone integration for typing is a great idea for a set top. XBMC needs this!

Is the Sony controller-keyboard-remote-thing IR, or RF? It might be tricky to type and point it in the right direction if it's IR.

Other than that I don't see the problem with it, all the complaints seem to be the typical new-Apple-fan snobbery (like the fact that making things out of plastic is now apparently déclassé even though my favourite Apple designs, from eMate through to the new Apple TV, via UFO Airport and dalmatian iMac, are all made of plastic).

I'd probably have bought something like that controller for my XBMC setup if it had been available at the time. My many Apple remotes weren't really up to the job so I had to buy one with a few more buttons.

A startup I worked at 10 years ago (Ucentric, acq: Motorola) learned the hard way that keyboard interfaces are bad for TV control. Even mouse-based cursor movement (we had a keyboard with a little joystick nub thing) didn't work very well.

The arcade-style text entry (like Tivo uses) works best for 99% of the audience. Some more tech-savvy users will use or want a keyboard, but the majority of users STILL just want a couple of buttons and simple options. It's really a (fun) UI design challenge.

That remote irks me for one reason:

Sony's already made a small keypad and a remote for the PlayStation 3... Duct taping them together would be strange, but it would still look (and probably work) better than that Jaguar-esque oddity.

I've been working with this hardware for a month. I have not been impressed. The GTV interface itself isn't bad. The Google TV team have really been working their asses off for the last few weeks cleaning stuff up and fixing bugs.

Some of the downsides are basically around performance in the browser. The hardware in question (pictured in the article) has only about 2-3x the javascript performance of an iPhone 4. CSS transitions and animations work pretty well. The other big downside is the keyboard. Its a cheap plasticy thing thats hard to type on and feels like it was made for $4.

I am anxiously waiting for different companies to start making some very performant hardware for it. I think the OS has a lot of capabilities, but I can't recommend getting this particular hardware.

What do you think makes it problematic that it has "only 2-3x the javascript performance of an iPhone 4"?

I could see problems if its 2D or 3D graphics were slow, but Javascript? Are you thinking of specific sites that require lots of it?

I have been developing a GTV-specific webapp for it. I have not seen any native apps yet, other than Chrome itself and one for Amazon. It's problematic because webapps are meant to be a big part of the GTV ecosystem. I had to greatly cut back on many several features of our app because of performance hits with js. My 2-3x number comes running sunspider on my iPhone and the GTV hardware simultaneously. In some instances while browsing the same sites, it felt that my phone was faster. Another issue I completely forgot to mention is the abysmal performance of Flash. Yeah, GTV supports it. The Flash runtime is, typically, the worst part of the user experience yet again.

I find it interesting that Apple's recent offerings of the iPad and AppleTV are surprisingly price competitive.

I know people have been getting their hate on for that Sony Remote for GoogleTV, but I thought a blackberryesque keyboard was probably needed for a web surfing device. Entering text on a PS3 using the standard remote or an Apple TV with its even more spartan remote becomes a chore quite fast.

All of Apple's iProducts are price-competitive; it's just taking people a long time to unlearn the "Apple is expensive" meme.

iProducts are expensive if you factor in the iTunes media sales/rentals, vs. free content on something like hulu, pandora (or bittorrent). While Apple TV makes sense if you use it as a Netflix box (although everyone has an xbox360 or ps3 already for that), renting TV shows looks quite expensive.

I have a very hard time seeing anything that requires a keyboard as being any kind of success outside of the techie community.

Typing on a TV screen sucks, it sucks a lot.

One of the major problems is seeing what you are typing. With desktop zooming/hardware accelerated UI, it's not so bad. I have a 27" iMac and wireless keyboard and mouse that I use from a sofa 6 feet away. The major drawback with this set-up is the lack of mouse-only zooming (have to hold down cmd).

My cable provider just updated their software so that I can find on-demand shows by using T9 style prediction (i.e. press 1 three times to make C). It's a million times better than paging through long alphabetical or chronological lists and that's despite the software being relatively clunky.

I'm not wanting to write the sequel to war and peace, I'm just trying to navigate a ridiculous amount of content. I need text entry.

Fair point, I tend to think of typing things into the XBox or the wireless keyboard on my HTPC (which annoys me whenever I have to use it), but I've used Tivo search before and it's not bad.

This looks dreadful. Why would I want yet another box and remote connected to my TV, especially when it looks as cumbersome as this to use?

Who is this actually aimed at?!

"Sony is expected to launch a line of Google TV-powered Bravia HDTVs sometime this month"

Sounds like you won't need an extra box if you have a new tv. As far as the remote -- I'm guessing they're going for "one remote to rule them all," with GTV driving all the other boxes you might have.

Realistically though I don't think this is expected to be a v.1 hit, I think they're learning the way Apple have been with Apple TV over the past few years.

It's clear that streaming movies and shows via the internet to a TV, along with possible other services, is going to be big business one day.

This is just the big boys warming up, trying to work out what works and what doesn't and jockeying for position.

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