Google Confirms Next Version Google TV; Could Launch Motorola Branded Set Top Box

Google has confirmed that the company is set to try and get into the TV market with a new version of Google TV for the second time.

It is still to be revealed if the new Google platform will be launched in Australia at the same time as Europe. The news was confirmed by Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt on Friday at the Edinburgh International Television Festival who said that Google TV will be launched in the UK in early 2012.

The Australia launch was confirmed after Google approached local Australian TV stations for content subscription and free on-demand content through set-top boxes and branded TV sets.

Schmidt said he is expecting that the platform will enable traditional broadcasters to experiment with the newer on-demand medium, and it will also bring a full web browsing experience to the customers TV set.

Reuters previously said that the new platform is certain to feature free on-demand portals like the BBC iPlayer and ITV Player. Other services are likely to be confirmed before the service launches.

We seek to support the content industry by providing an open platform for the next generation of TV to evolve, the same way Android is an open platform for the next generation of mobile,” Schmidt said during his speech.

We're agnostic when it comes to whether free or paid content models are best, he added. It's up to content owners to decide if they want to charge, and it's up to users to decide if they want to pay.

Google previously acquired Motorola who are a major manufacturer of set top boxes, and rumors say that Google may launch a Motorola branded set top box with Google TV capabilities, Smarthouse reported.