Google Rumored to Develop Wireless Home Entertainment Device

Google is developing a wireless streaming home entertainment system, to be marketed under the Google brand, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that it has learned from an unnamed source.

While Apple has been in the home entertainment market for years with its Apple TV device, this would mark Google's first foray into the sector, when in the past it has concentrated on the Web and mobile devices with its Android operating system. The Journal speculates that the Internet giant's pending purchase of Motorola Mobility is an effort to assert control over both the hardware and software, as Apple does, to ensure a smooth consumer experience.

Just five days ago SlashGear reported that about 252 homes are in a trial run this month with a brand new Google Entertainment Device which very well may be the project thus far known as Android@Home, and gave an alternate name of Google Home Control. The trial's participants are located in Los Angeles, New York, Cambridge, Mass., and Google's home of Mountain View, Calif.

Because the device will have wireless capabilities—Bluetooth and WiFi, at least—Google had to file an application with the FCC, which read:

Google is developing an entertainment device that requires testing outside the laboratory environment. The device is in the prototyping phase and will be modified prior to final compliance testing. ... Users will connect their device to home WiFi networks and use Bluetooth to connect to other home electronics equipment. This line of testing will reveal real world engineering issues and reliability of networks. The device utilizes a standard WiFi/Bluetooth module, and the planned testing is not directed at evaluating the radio frequency characteristics of the module (which are known), but rather at the throughput and stability of the home WiFi networks that will support the device, as well as the basic functionality of the device. From this testing we hope to modify the design in order to maximize product robustness and user experience. Utilizing the requested number of units will allow testing of real world network performance and its impact on applications running on the device, so that any problems can be discovered and addressed promptly.