Sony bringing Google TV to Australia this week

Google TV may have fizzled like a faulty firework after its initial launch in the US a couple of years ago, but that doesn’t mean the idea doesn’t have merit. Sony sure thinks it does, confirming it’s bringing the IPTV platform to Australia next week!

Google TV will be available through the Sony Internet Player with Google TV, the device plugs into your television via HDMI and lets you harness Google’s search power to find pretty much any online entertainment you could hope for. With a funky remote that features a full QWERTY keyboard, you can search for anything using the inbuilt Chrome web browser and hopefully be able to stream it from the internet to your television no questions asked.

The biggest potential problem with the service is that entertainment companies started to actively block the Google TV when it first launched in the US, and there’s no guarantee that the same thing won’t happen over here. While it might be fun to stream Masterchef online, if they decide they don’t like the idea of you watching it on your terms on a big TV, they can potentially block the Google TV from accessing the web videos.

That’s not to say it will happen, but if it does, you do end up with a potentially expensive YouTube streamer.

Mind you, a growing collection of apps will keep things interesting for a while.

The device is set to go on sale in retail stores on Thursday, although it will only be available with the purchase of certain BRAVIA TVs. Eventually, it will go on sale to the general public, and has an RRP of $349.

Web: Sony