Google's plan to integrate television with the internet has given Hollywood executives the "jitters," reports the Los Angeles Times. Dubbed Google TV, the new technology will enable users to watch online video on television — something entertainment industry executives fear will cause a rise in piracy and a decline in advertising revenue. Google's head of TV technology, Vincent Dureau, says the company is simply "putting a browser in the TV," making it easier to deliver shows in ways "the studios and the networks are already doing" with sites like Hulu. Does Hollywood have reason to be afraid? (Watch a Google TV demo)
Yes, this makes Google a TV powerhouse: Google certainly poses a problem for Hollywood, says Alex Williams in Read Write Web. But that's primarily due to the entertainment industry's unwillingness to innovate with the times. Google's approach to TV is sure to become the norm. Unless Hollywood wholeheartedly embraces this sprouting technology, it will be headed for "obsolescence."
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