The "multimillion channel TV"

Something you can't buy yet will be on your gift list next year. And you can thank the folks at Google for adding another gizmo to your entertainment centre. CNN.com refers to it as a platform. Google calls it the multimillion channel TV.

“Imagine turning on the TV and getting all the channels and shows you normally watch and all of the websites you browse all day — including your favourite video, music and photo sites. We’re excited to announce that we’ve done just that,”

The enabling device will be sold at Best Buy and elsewhere in the US this fall and through it the Internet will be delivered to the television, using a browser developed by Google. The platform will include voice recognition, allowing you to search for a favourite show or other content by naming it. That includes your own saved programming from a DVR. Google says that all devices created to support this development will have QUERTY keyboards but expects most navigation to use the arrow and enter keys. They've created an extensive web space offering advice to web site developers on how to design for television viewing. In what might be seen as a bit of a dig at Apple, Google says their platform will be open and will support the Flash video player, not a surprise given that they own YouTube, which has long favoured the Flash video format. Google isn't the first to offer a device that marries online to television and with price points as low as one hundred dollars (a digital video player from Roku) Google's device isn't likely to break the bank. Unfortunately, it won't be available in Canada this year.