A New Way to look at TV

It's been 5 months since we have been waiting patiently for Google TV and it's  here. If you are a comcast customer like myself you understand how important this is. This just puts me one step closer to telling Comcast where they can stick their cable service. Of course this will not eliminate cable altogether but it's a start.  Its all about personalizing your TV experience and Google is mastering the process. Here are some of the features courtesy of google.com/tv:

1) The web is now a channel

With Google Chrome and Adobe Flash Player 10.1, Google TV lets you access everything on the web. Watch your favorite web videos, view photos, play games, check fantasy scores, chat with friends, and do everything else you're accustomed to doing online. Plus, the world's best websites are now being perfected for television -- check out our Spotlight gallery for examples.

2) A new world of apps for your TV

Google TV will come pre-loaded with apps like Netflix, Twitter, CNBC, Pandora, Napster, NBA Game Time, Amazon Video On Demand and Gallery. Starting early next year, apps from Android Market will work on Google TV as well.

3) Your phone = remote control 

Your Android phone or iPhone can be used to control your Google TV in place of a remote control. Use your voice to search, and even use multiple phones to control the same TV. No more fighting over the remote!  

3) Fling a video to your television

Find a great website on your phone and want to show it to everyone? Now you can. "Fling" what you're watching, listening to, or doing on your phone by sending it to your TV with the press of a button.
 

4) Watch it now

Never miss a show again. With Google TV, you can access over 40,000 shows and movies whenever you want with Netflix ($8.99 a month) or Amazon Video On Demand (shows start at 99 cents!).

5) YouTube perfected for TV

YouTube is great on the web, but it's even better on television. With YouTube Leanback, you can watch videos without ever clicking play -- just sit back and watch all of your favorite YouTube content, personally chosen for you, in full screen HD. You can even create new channels on the fly.

6) Watch and browse,
simultaneously

With Google TV, you can browse the web or open an app and watch TV on the same screen. Check your fantasy football stats while watching the game, check your @replies on Twitter during American Idol, or purchase a product online right after you watch the ad. It's just like picture-in-picture mode, but with the web and the TV. 

7) TV gets a homepage 

Turn on your television and you'll instantly have access to your favorite channels, apps, podcasts, and websites, thanks to the Google TV home screen. The home screen is customizable for you, by you, so that you can always change your preferences.

8) Create a TV playlist

Want to watch something, but don't have time right now? Send it to your Google Queue and watch it later. You can also subscribe to your favorite websites and video podcasts, add YouTube videos, and more. It's like building a DVR for the web.

9) Record from the search bar

If you're a DISH Network subscriber using Google TV, you’ll enjoy many enhanced TV and DVR features, including recording a show right from the search bar and being able to search all of your recordings at once.

10) Rock out in your living room

Listen to your favorite music on the best speakers in your house by creating a personal radio station on the fly with Pandora or listening to any song, any time, with Napster.

11) The ultimate picture frame

Turn the biggest screen in your house into a beautiful, high definition photo gallery. Now your TV can stream photos from Picasa, Flickr, and every other photo-sharing site. Plus, you can access any public gallery, not just your own.

12) Over-the-air updates

How many consumer electronics products go up in value after you buy them? Google TV updates itself automatically, so you'll get new features for free.