Google updates Google-TV software with tighter YouTube integration

Google over the weekend updated its Google TV software to make it simpler to use and easier to find something worth watching, while adding closer YouTube integration and allowing more apps. Product Management Vice President Mario Queiroz and Director of Engineering Vincent Dureau said the updates were based on what they learned from the initial version of Google TV. “The initial version of Google TV wasn’t perfect, but launching it gave us the opportunity to learn. These are still early days, and we’re working hard to move forward with each update," they said in a blog post. According to Queiroz and Dureau, the new features include:

• A simpler interface where the new customizable home screen gets you to your favorite content quickly. And within “all apps" you can see all of your shortcuts, similar to your Android phone or tablet.
• Easier to find something worth watching, by improving search across the board for content from Live TV, Netflix, YouTube, HBO GO, and more. An app called “TV & Movies" lets one easily browse through 80,000 movies and TV episodes across cable or satellite, Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, and many other sites.
• Tighter integration with YouTube, making it fast and easy to get to HD-quality YouTube entertainment. Integration between YouTube and Google TV search means one can turn virtually any topic into a channel.
• Bringing more apps to TV, opening it up to the creativity of content creators through Android Market. Apps requiring a touch screen, GPS, or telephony won’t show up but 50 developers have seeded the Market with “cool and useful" apps for the TV.

Queiroz and Dureau said the software update will be coming to Sony devices starting early next week and Logitech devices soon thereafter. “We look forward in the coming months to announcing new software updates as well as new devices on new chipsets from multiple hardware partners," they said. — LBG, GMA News