The Internet/television hybrid service Google TV will see a European launch in 2012 according to Eric Schmidt, Google executive chairman. Schmidt added that revisions to the previously released U.S. version were forthcoming, and that a big announcement would be made "shortly."
Speaking to The Globe and Mail after the Edinburgh International TV Festival in Scotland, the chairman described Google TV's current iteration as a "beta" and downplayed the considerable criticism the service has received since its launch late last year.
"Google typically brings out beta versions, and they're not for the faint of heart, and I think that's what you saw," he said. "We were not able to get the product perfect before we shipped it."
Just weeks after Google TV was live, the company began revising its software. In light of the decision, it requested manufacturers such as Sony and LG stay quiet about their plans to incorporate the program into more TV sets. News about the code tweaking played second fiddle to other bad press. Five cable companies, including Fox, CBS and NBC, blocked their online shows from appearing on Google TV. Viacom also dissented, saying only that it would "continue to evaluate Google TV to identify opportunities where it may make sense to optimize our Web content for the platform."
Gina Weakley, spokesperson for Google, towed the company line last December despite the content pulls, saying, "we are very happy with the launch of Google TV."
Schmidt has now owned up to the fact that Google isn't quite as happy as it originally let on, saying flat-out that the experiment was "not a huge success." However, he refuses to throw in the towel.
"Virtually all the television manufacturers on their very high end will eventually adopt Google TV," said Schmidt. "The issue is getting that started, getting the applications built and so forth, and that's taken quite a while."
We'll soon see if Google can get its act together. (via Cnet)
