什么是谷歌电视?
This is another installment in our series of “什么是...?" 文章, designed to offer definitions, 历史, and context around significant terms and issues in the online video industry.
When it comes to premium content consumption, or over-the-top (OTT) viewing of internet video on your home flat panel, conventional wisdom may be wrong. 我们倾向于认为“少即是多”，并倾向于使用一台设备解决所有问题, from our smartphones to our laptops. 然而，OTT市场还没有成熟到足以宣布一个无处不在的技术或平台是明确的赢家.
There are a number of OTT platforms and technologies in the market today. 谷歌电视 从它的潜力和缺点来看，它是一个值得更好地理解的重要工具吗. But what exactly is 谷歌电视?
简而言之, 谷歌电视 is an OTT platform, designed for use with a remote control and/or keyboard interface, that lets consumers view both user-generated and consumer content. Whether through third-party applications from the Google Play store, the Chrome web browser, or integrated applications such as YouTube, 谷歌电视的目的是在客厅里提供在线视频内容或游戏.
Beyond just this general description, 虽然, a few reasons exist to pay attention to 谷歌电视, 尽管去年该公司将其唯一的谷歌电视产品从市场上撤下，被一家消费电子产品制造商批评为“测试版软件”.
Android and 谷歌电视 are Siblings, but not Twins
谷歌电视 is often confused with Android OS, 这是一个手机和平板电脑操作系统，为谷歌电视提供了一些基础. 通常, when reviewing a set-top box product, 我们注意到一些消费电子产品制造商将使用Android来模仿谷歌电视的界面.
These manufacturers may have their own reasons for using Android, 然而，他们为什么不直接使用标准化的接口，这仍然是个谜. In the beginning of 谷歌电视, 谷歌最初的想法是为所有谷歌电视机顶盒提供一个参考平台, 这样原始的谷歌电视固件就能在所有消费设备上一致地运行.
Why is 谷歌电视 Important?
One reason we continue to cover 谷歌电视, despite its up-and-down relationship with CE device manufacturers, 谷歌似乎致力于推进该平台的发展, having launched version 2.0 of the 谷歌电视 specification in late 2011, then updating to version 3.2012年11月0.
谷歌对谷歌电视的看法远不止已故的史蒂夫•乔布斯对苹果电视机顶盒的“爱好”视角. As the owner of YouTube, the most-visited online video portal, 谷歌看到了在客厅提供改良版在线体验的潜力.
这家搜索巨头也意识到了25岁及以下人群的一个趋势:高中生和大学生进行的绝大多数搜索往往从YouTube主页开始，而不是从谷歌主页开始. 的原因, 似乎, 这些年轻消费者是将视频视为娱乐还是教学体验, rather than using text-based sites for the same purposes.
The Argument For a Single Smart TV Interface
Despite CE manufacturer claims to the contrary, 普通消费者并不认为联网电视或“智能电视”是消费优质或OTT内容的唯一设备.
In fact, the vast majority of smart TVs aren't even connected to the internet. One reason for this may be a limitation of the sales process, 消费者可能不明白智能电视可以在联网的蓝光播放器上取代Netflix观看节目. 另一个原因可能是蓝光播放器可能已经充分连接到互联网, so the smart TV becomes redundant.
然而，另一个原因可能是集成智能电视平台缺乏标准化的接口——当你看到任何两个制造商的智能电视之间的用户界面差异时，就会很明显——这使得消费者很难掌握机顶盒上的各种接口, DVD播放器, 和智能电视.
谷歌电视的价值，至少在理论上，在于它解决了这三个问题. 让我们用索尼, 唯一一家一直致力于谷歌电视的公司——从一开始到现在——作为谷歌电视如何解决这些问题的案例研究.
第一个, as proven by Sony with its initial integrated smart TV/谷歌电视 platform, 消费者希望拥有一台既能播放OTT内容又能播放传统有线电视的设备, satellite or over-the-air broadcasts.
第二个, 考虑到索尼也推出了一款蓝光播放器和谷歌电视的组合设备, 现在已经停产了 NSZ-GT1 谷歌电视盒, 消费者不必在两个机顶盒中选择哪一个来观看内容. 除了, the GT1 also has the ability to link to other local devices, such as a DLNA server, to play content trapped on local computer hard drives. DLNA代表 Digital Living Network Alliance, 一个在连接计算机方面做得相当不错的行业联盟, network-attached storage (NAS), and set-top boxes across Wi-Fi and LAN Ethernet networks.
最后, 不管消费者选择的是配备谷歌电视的索尼平板电视还是机顶盒, or opted to have both, the user interface remained constant between the devices. 谷歌电视用户界面的加入似乎让消费者放心, as it behaves similarly to another Google operating system, the Android OS for handset and tablet devices.
The 谷歌电视 Hardware Conundrum
Sony's move to have a consistent interface, 通过谷歌电视, provides the company an opportunity to launch new products, including the recent NSZ-GS7, 它在GT1的基础上进行了扩展，去掉了蓝光播放器的功能，并且缩小了70%的物理尺寸.
不幸的是, 索尼谷歌电视产品的电视版本还没有被2012年的型号所取代. 考虑到索尼选择了基于谷歌电视 1的集成谷歌电视解决方案.0规范, 在谷歌电视 2中添加额外的功能时，原来的硬件并没有达到预期的效果.0规范.
也, 看来索尼承认谷歌电视可能需要一个专用的, mature chipset to run both current and some future versions, 而英特尔在2011年底退出集成电视芯片组市场的决定，也给随后推出的智能电视/谷歌电视系统泼了一盆冷水.
幸运的是, 另外两家公司——marvell和联发科技——也在加紧生产芯片，填补英特尔留下的空白. Marvell的Qdeo video processors were shown in use at the 2012 IBC show in Amsterdam, and the 谷歌电视-powered reference design received an IBC-sponsored award.
We All (Still) Need Set-Top Boxes
这一切都是要说的, at least for the near future, 谷歌电视机顶盒路线看起来比另一款集成的谷歌电视智能电视产品更有可能. 2013年晚些时候，我们应该会看到谷歌电视至少回归一款集成智能电视产品, but for now we all still need boxes.
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