Google TV Launching In Europe Early 2012

Saying that a Google TV announcement is imminent, Eric Schmidt made an appearance at the Edinburgh International TV Festival as he filled in for Shine Group founder Elisabeth Murdoch as keynote speaker. During Friday’s MacTaggart Lecture, given for the first time by a television industry outsider, the Google executive chairman said Google TV plans to launch in Europe early next year, with the UK a top priority. Many more partners are expected to join the fledgling TV service soon, Schmidt said, and the company is already in talks with UK broadcasters. He said U.S. networks that balked at Google TV earlier this year haven’t reversed their position, and hopes the service won’t face a similar problem in Europe. In his keynote, Schmidt also named three trends to watch: mobile, local and social — a nod to Google’s recent acquisition of Motorola Mobility as well as a desire to personalize TV content and services. “Soon, your typical Internet user wont be indoors with a PC; theyll be out and about on their cell phone,” Schmidt said. “Reflecting this, new genres of online content and services are emerging. If content is king, context is its crown. … And if you think all this is exciting, or frightening, remember, this is only the beginning. In technological terms, were scarcely at the end of the first act of the Internet age.”