Google TV: I’m late in the runnings for Web to TV solutions, but I recently just got in the mix on Netflix. Excellent service, so far, and I am certainly taking advantage of all the cool things it has to offer right now. So what’s next? I think Google has the answer with Google TV.

Google TV will be a software addition that runs on top of your current infrastructure. Google is looking to have this embedded into several technologies such as Sony and Samsung TVs, DISH cable boxes, as well as external set-top boxes provided by Logitech. Hopefully this service will be open sourced or patch applicable as I have an LG HDTV using Yahoo! widgets that I cannot stand! Being able to use another product versus the one that comes standard on TVs will definitely up Google’s marketshare in this new realm.

So who is Google looking to take on in this new venture? Well right now there are a slew of challengers in this market, but the big names you can always expect to hear are in this too, Apple’s AppleTV and Microsoft’s Media Center. Now AppleTV hasn’t been doing as well as they have hoped but they constantly revamp their strategies and have been rising. Microsoft has a strong competitor with Media Center as it’s built into their OS and Xbox360. Currently this is what I am running and I find it to be amazing. If Google can prove that what this realm is missing is the power of Google Search in Web to TV then we can expect Google to begin claiming some market share.

Applications are going to play a major role in the adaptation of this software into living rooms as well. Currently, Netflix knew full and well that gaming systems were the perfect place to offer up those services at, and while Google TV will also offer Netflix, it needs to offer way more. I’m talking Netflix, Pandora, Last.FM, Hulu, Zune, etc! It’s going to have to out do everyone else in the sense of there not being a service that it can’t run! I’m definitely a fan of Google products, but it’s going to take a lot for me to not use my Xbox 360 at this point as I already have one. 

In fact I think the game changer is going to be weather or not this software will be available to manipulate current TVs with. If I can replace or switch out the software from Yahoo! to Google on my TV then I will do it without any hesitation. But as far as me buying a new TV or purchasing an external device… I just don’t see that happening… but I love the thought, so I hope my TV can be reprogrammed.

Click the above pic to watch a video from Google that formally introduces the concept of Google TV.