Google TV Suffers Setback - Analyst Blog

Google Inc.'s (GOOG) Google TV has now been around long enough for the geeks to play around with it. And they have come back with disappointing reviews. While most were excited at the concept of wedlock between the TV and Internet, the marriage itself looks destined to be challenging.

An article on allthingsd.com was particularly enlightening, highlighting all the basic problems in the version 1.0 product, from the cumbersome keyboard/controller to the complex navigation. The system tried out was a Logitech set top box (“STB”) and remote control on a Sony Corp (SNE) TV.

Google has kept search as the main feature, enabling users to select a show from not just TV but the whole Internet. Even recorded shows could be searched, provided you were using a Dish Network Corporation (DISH) service.

However, while videos from TV shows on Netflix Inc. (NFLX) and Amazon.com (AMZN) look good, regular Internet videos do not come across very well. Additionally, Google does not support Apple Inc's (AAPL) iTunes, and the top video networks such as NBC, CBS, ABC and Hulu have blocked it out. So choices, too, are somewhat limited right now. Google intends to bring its Android apps to Google TV with future versions, which would add both features and complexity.

Google TV is also quite expensive, at $300 for a Logitech STB, or $400 for a special blu-ray player, or $600 for a Sony TV with built-in Internet. Competing offerings from Apple and Roku come for just $99 or $60, respectively.

Bad reviews and prices have kept consumers at bay, forcing Google TV to miss what could have been a strong debut this holiday season. Google, for its part, seems well aware of the problem, having delayed the showcasing of Toshiba, LG Electronics and Sharp TVs using its software, although Samsung and Vizio remain on track to launch their versions of Google TV at CES next month.

There are concerns that Google's sudden change of plans upset build plans for the big TV makers, and Google's relationships with partners have been called into question. It looks to us to be inexperienced handling of the situation, somewhat different from what we are accustomed to when it comes to Google. Not that anyone has complained.

We remain positive about Google's TV initiative, as we are positive about its mobile initiative. The company has been going full-throttle in its pursuit of growth, protecting its position in search and also expanding along with the market.

Google's shares have been allotted a Zacks #2 Rank, implying a short term (1-3 months) Buy recommendation. We are also positive about the company's prospects in the longer-term and encourage investors to accumulate Google shares.

 
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