According to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) filings, both Asus and Netgear are working on Google TV devices. There hasn’t been any official confirmation or denial from either company but news outlets have picked up the scoop and reported it widely. Based on the filings, it can be deduced that both the companies are developing devices which will run Google TV. While Netgear’s involvement came as no surprise, most experts were caught off guard by Asus.
With the end of the year looming, both companies would be eager to unveil the developments. Already, five other companies have been signed up to provide Google TV to customers all over the world. Getting Asus and Netgear on board means Google has seven providers. Consumers can choose to purchase the hardware they need to set up Google TV from any of the seven companies according to their preference.
The filings show that Asus is working on a dongle called Qube which is designed to work with Google TV. Furthermore, the company is also in the process of developing a few apps which will be compatible with Google Play. Qube is touted to be a media streamer in the vein of Nexus Q, only better. Asus is one of the reliable companies when it comes to consumer gadgets and their involvement with Google TV would take it to a whole new level.
As far as Netgear is concerned, they are working on the Netgear Neo TV Prime which is a set top box that allows users to stream Google TV. The pictures on the FCC site also show that the device already has a remote control which features buttons for different services like YouTube, HBO Go and Amazon. Netgear’s involvement with Google TV has been known for a while so it doesn’t surprise many industry insiders.
In fact, the device developed by the company to work with Google TV has already entered the beta testing phase. This could mean it would be among the first devices to roll when Google announces the launch of the service. Till then, it is a game of watching and waiting. Needless to say, more news related to Google TV will hog the headlines in the months to come till Google decides to finally release it to the public.
So, if you were interested in subscribing to Google TV, you have two new set top boxes to select from developed by Asus and Netgear. And if you can’t wait-Sony have just released their Google TV box:
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