I don’t have cable. I don’t even have a TV. I pay a couple of bucks a month for a Netflix subscription, use Pandora, and watch whatever I can find on Hulu.
I don’t find myself lacking for things to watch. Cable, it seems, is not long for this world. Since Google is riding the wave of alternative TV sources, it might just put the nail in the coffin for cable as we know it.
Google TV
Google tries to get its hands into everything, and television hasn’t proved to be immune. It makes sense, though; so many of us spend more time on computers and mobile devices than sitting in front of the tube. And even when we’re “watching TV,” we’re plugged in to social media.
I mean, all of Bravo’s shows have little hashtags in the corner (#rhonj, anyone?). Stands to reason we’re soon just going to cut out the middleman.
How does it work?
Google is going to bring streaming of television away from different sites and conglomerate it. They’ve gotten a lot of channels involved already, and they’re working on bringing on the four major networks as well. Also, many apps (like Twitter) are formatting specialty programs to appear on Google TV.
How will it be delivered?
There are rumors that Sony will be releasing a line of flat-screens that will come pre-loaded with Google TV. For consumers, this means they will simply show up, buy the television, and not have to hook up cable.
It will, of course, require an Internet connection. However, the added stress of having the cable guy come out and hook everything up for you is taken out of the equation.
What’s the catch?
Google seems to have become the golden goose of our time. But as of right now, the company’s having a little trouble getting the major networks on board. This means they haven’t achieved the seamless integration they’re going for. But they’re working on it. It’s going to be interesting to see how Google TV unfolds.
Cable providers could be in trouble, even if the major networks don’t jump on board. It could make people less inclined to buy upgraded packages and so on. They could simply buy the basic cable packages and supplement with Google TV. There’s already been some talk of specialty channels like the NBA.
