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Google to Phase Out Google TV, Move Ahead with Android TV

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Google has always been quick to cut what isn't working, and Google TV is overdue for cutting. According to an unnamed industry source quoted by GigaOm, Google and its hardware partners are phasing out Google TV, although they're moving ahead with a more flexible Android TV. Not just a rebranding, the Android TV platform will soon run a newer version of the Android operating system, letting developers use the same APIs for mobile and TV. Android TV also lacks the stiff requirements of Google TV, such as a QWERTY keyboard. Device makers will likely be able to choose which Google services to support. Google and its partners use the terms Android TV and Google Services for TV, perhaps showing that Google hasn't yet decided how to brand the platform.

Google hasn't commented on Google TV's future. While the Google TV blog makes no mention of the change, it also hasn't been updated since June.

Besides Android TV, Google is succeeding in the living room with Chromecast, the $35 device it released in July. Simple, inexpensive, and easy, Chromecast is everything that Google TV wasn't. Google TV may have been a failure, but with Android TV and Chromecast, Google is making big inroads in the living room.

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