Google CEO Eric Schmidt discusses Google TV with CEOs of other companies. (Creative Commons)

At the annual IFA show in Berlin, Google announced Wednesday that its Google TV platform will be released sometime during the fall. This announcement, which trailed the release of Apple’s similar product by about a week, has web-surfing enthusiasts excited.

Google TV will allow the user to browse the World Wide Web through the use of the Google Chrome browser on a television set, forever unlocking the massive stockpile of media on websites like Hulu and Youtube.

The Google TV platform will be built-in to a lineup of new HDTV sets that will be built by Sony, all using processors made by Intel, with interface devices made by Logitech.

In addition to televisions with Google built-in, Logitech will be making set-top boxes that can be used with any existing television set, much like the recently-released Apple TV box.

While there have been no prices stipulated by Google, one thing has been made sure: web access will come with zero extra cost.

There are already some competitors on the market in the Smart TV industry.

Apple TV garners a great deal of interest. As in typical Apple fashion, the user-interface is extremely intuitive, easy to use, and offers exactly what they believe the viewer wants, with no unnecessary excess features. Also in typical Apple fashion, the content available through the Apple TV box is limited to exactly what Apple wants you to be able to access.

Other competitors, including Boxee, Roku, and Verizon’s FiOS, are all falling behind in the race to bring the Internet to your living room. Whereas these services select certain sources of media from the Internet, Google TV will allow the user to find, stream, download, and watch anything that is accessible on the Web.

With an intuitive, sharp design, a virtually infinite source of material and hardware made by some of the best manufacturers in the world, it looks like Google TV will be the victor in this battle to control your Smart TV entertainment.

The only question that remains is this: with Google now a powerful player in the Internet, telecommunications and television markets, what facet of our lives will the company take over next?

To reach reporter Devon Meyer, click here.

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