By A Swedish company called People Of Lava currently have a prototype for a product they call Scandinavia – the first ever Android TV! The concept is awesome and we’re obviously excited, but is it practical? We’ll have to wait and see. As the FIRST Android TV it probably won’t be THAT practical – but who cares, we want one.
After launching a 42-inch version in September, People Of Lava will follow it up with a 47-inch and 55-inch version. You’ll likely be paying $3500 or so for the privilege of accessing YouTube, Weather, Facebook, Twitter, Maps, E-Mail and other apps directly from your television. Speaking of which, People of Lava will be launching their own Application Store where you’ll be able to download apps made specifically for the television! They may have some difficulties filling that up with content, and that goes without saying there will be no Android Market access, but we hope they’re able to optimize for the 42-inch+ screens.
Here is the full press release:
Swedish manufacturer launches world’s first Android TV
Sweden’s People of Lava beat everyone to the chase to launch the world’s first fully interactive internet TV. Following the launch at IFA Berlin in September, the new People of Lava “Scandinavia” will hit the stores, complete with Full-HD LED display and a fully integrated Android platform. But starting already early summer, selected early users will be able purchase and evaluate the Scandinavia TV through a beta-test program. And discussions are already ongoing with potential future partners and developers for content and media.
The Scandinavia TV set is the embodiment of People of Lava’s vision to build a machine that goes beyond push-TV to become “a window to the world”.
– Think of it as a device that provides all the functionality that you would expect from an Android
smart phone, combined with the quality and definition you demand of a high-end Full-HD LED
TV set, says Christian Svantesson, co-founder and CEO of People of Lava.The Scandinavia Android TV – which will first be released in a 42” version, followed by 47” and 55” – is built without compromises. It features top-of-the-line components and is carefully put together by hand to ensure the kind of quality that customers expect from a People of Lava Full-HD LED TV set. Its Android platform and internet capabilities provide a wide range of functionalities, including:
Out of the box Android TV applications such as:
– YouTube, Google Maps ,Weather, Time, Calendar, Internet Browser
– Downloadable Apps, both free and from coming App-store:
– Facebook, Twitter, Email and more…
– Internet connection
– USB connectionThe Scandinavia TV is unique in many ways. Not the least in the design and materials. People of Lava have worked with the German office of the well-respected design-firm Designit to capture the sprit of the company in the design. The materials have never been used in televisions before – a nearly natural material, with a very deep gloss, and hard as stone, otherwise mainly found in exclusive kitchen and yachts.
According to current plans, this is even the first TV to be built in Sweden for several decades – thus bringing a proud Swedish tradition back to life. For this reason, People of Lava has set up their own assembly-line at their offices in Stenungsund, outside of Gothenburg.
The price of the Scandinavia 42” will be between €2,000 and €2,500 at the global sales-start in September.
They also have a page that lists tentative specs:
Television
+ 42“ / 47″ / 55″ MediaTV
+ Full-HD 1920*1080 pixels
+ Backlight LED
+ PAL/SECAM, DVB-T with Common Interface
+ Inputs:
– PC RGB
– CVBS
– S-Video
– Component
– 3 HDMI
– 2 Scart (DP Connector included)
– USB slot
+ Outputs:
– Coaxial Audio
– Earphone
Television+ Built-in AndroidTM platform
+ Out of the box applications: YouTube, Google Maps, Weather, Time, Calendar, Internet Browser
+ Free downloadable applications: Facebook, Twitter, Mail… (With more coming on App Store)
+ OS: Android 1,5 Cupcake (upgradable through Internet)
Hardware+ Processor: SOPC100 (Cortex A8) 833MHz
+ Wireless keyboard
+ Optional USB periphials
+ Operating voltage: 100-240V AC, 50-60Hz
Embedded media-player+ Video player
+ Audio player
+ Image viewer
+ Video-formats: MPEG4, H.264 HD (720p), 3GP
+ Audio-formats: MPEG-1 layers 1,2 and 3(MP3)
Android TV… what do you think? Awesome, over-the-top, or ahead of its time?
[People Of Lava via Gizmodo, Wired]
The future
It would be awesome if I could download an app on my phone that always me to control the TV, like widget placement, select YouTube video and have it play on the TV.
“The Android(TM)-based (or Google TV as some call it) television from People of Lava.” Reading this comment, I thought it was the same as the GoogleTV previously leaked; however, that was in conjunction with Intel and this is running on ARM.
I almost feel proud to be a Swede. The shame of X10 is being washed away.
Can it be rooted?
@ Paul
Haha. Awesome.
To expensive for what it provides. For $3500+ I would expect the specs to be MUCH better – both TV and proc (I don’t see an 833 cortex providing a smooth UI on a 42in high def screen). I’ll wait for a Samsung that incorporates Android, that will be a BUY.
This is cool.. Why not? It’s a free OS with an app marketplace and a decent youtube app.. That’s enough of a reason right there.. I wouldn’t pay much for it as a feature, but if two tv’s sat side by side, one with one without.. I’d pay up to $50 more for the one with roid on it..
It looks like the Hz are lacking for the purpose of 3D. So many new TVs now have a 120Hz, making them 3D compatible. For that price range, and not have that option, could make its sales falter.
Kind of low-tech considering how a lot of the good tvs are wireless (Except for the power cable.)
the concept is pretty interesting, i expect others to follow their steps
I think it’s still early days, but I’m convinced that watching tv will radically change. One other platform to watch here is Boxee http://www.boxee.tv
I’ve been using it now for a few weeks and I really like it.
Will it have an accelerometer? :)
I think everyone has known that web-based tv and “regular” tv were going to converge pretty soon, and I’m stoked Android is the platform ! I’m just waiting to see the advertising models that emerge following the obsoletion of lame-stream tv stations.
Is it that different from the computer everyone i know, has hooked up to their flat screen?
@rkaid: yes.. a computer connected to your TV can actually do more useful things.
I’m all for Android as a media center solution, but I get the feeling having it built into the TV — and neutered at that — is really a bad way to go. I’m actually more in favor of the STB idea. Particularly since this TV would require a STB anyway, to get anything other than FTA DVB-T, and once you start watching TV, you’re using/interacting with the STB’s OS, not the TV’s.
I agree, it appears to be way under-utilized considering all the things they could have done. I don’t see any mention of wifi vs ethernet. How about a good quality camera for video conference? I mean there’s nothing that this can do that existing TVs and/or existing STBs and/or existing HTPC OSes can’t already do. I agree it’s nice that it’s Android and it’s getting more widespread, but this could have been so much more as a “first” :(
What I’d really like to see from Google: convince a cable operator to allow an Android TV to use a current generation Cable Card to get a fully integrated Android experience *and* cable TV experience. You’ve lit a fire under the wireless telecom industry, now close in on cable operators ;)
IMHO, anybody with time might reuse what people at samygo have found and build android on existing Sam*ung TV …:) :) :)
the price is not so cool. The real question will be, how will it be compared with the google TV and tivo premiere? Latest: http://tiny.cc/android-tv-impressions
what the hell would you need maps on a TV for? This is getting ridiculous.
They really should’ve bumped up those specs. Can’t play back 1080p video. Android 1.5? I also find it comical that people are going to buy the tv to be beta testers, unless they are heavily discounting the price. I like the idea of this, but this seems like a half-assed implementation.
Does it do turn-by-turn navigation?
can we take anywhere? like on the road =}
Sounds like they are going a tad overboard.
Cable TV is great specially if you got those digital cable boxes that is coupled with TIVO “
cable tvs these days are rapidly being converted into a digital service which offers more value added services -:;