Google TV, Apple TV: 10 Reasons Why They Want to Control Your Living Room

6. Apple is confused

Apple seems to be confused when it comes to living room entertainment. Steve Jobs said at his company’s event on Sept. 1 that consumers don’t want all the bells and whistles that services like the Google TV offer. Instead, they want simplicity. Apple is certainly providing that simplicity. But by doing so, it’s leaving far too much functionality on the table. It’s a mistake. And it speaks to what little Apple really understands about the living room.

7. Consumers are ready

Consumers weren’t necessarily ready for set-top boxes a few years ago. Bandwidth speeds were too low, content wasn’t all that compelling, and services such as Apple’s iTunes were holding much of the average consumer’s attention. But today, all that has changed. And people are looking for ways to do more in their living rooms. Google has realized that and plans to capitalize.

8. Ubiquity is key

A key component in Google TV is that it will be available on a slew of different devices. In fact, it will be made available on set-top boxes, in televisions and elsewhere. That alone should give Google the upper hand in the space, and drive development for the product. Ubiquity could be Google’s path to success.

9. It can be built into televisions

As folks who currently use services such as Netflix and Pandora on televisions now know, having content built into a television is a fantastic experience. According to Google, its entertainment platform will also be built into televisions. In fact, Sony has already signed on to offer Google TV in one of its sets. That’s good news for Google and it’s even better news for consumers that want to cut the clutter in their entertainment center.

10. The market is there for the taking

The set-top box market is undecided. No single company has been able to attract user attention to dominate that space. Apple hopes to do it with the Apple TV, but the chances of that happening seem slim. It seems far more likely that Google TV will reign supreme. And that will be due in main part to the company’s unique and viable vision.