Google Inc, Intel Corp and Sony Corp unveiled Google TV on Thursday in the latest effort to marry the Web to television and reach into the $70 billion TV advertising market.

The attempt to bring the Internet into living rooms has challenged virtually every major player in the technology and consumer electronics industry for years, from Apple Inc to Microsoft Corp.

For Google, television represents an attractive market in which to expand its Internet advertising business, which generated the bulk of its $23.7 billion in 2009 revenue.

Executives demonstrated how Google TV will work. A Google search box pops up directly on the screen, allowing surfing through broadcasting channels as well as the Internet. Searches can be typed on input devices resembling a tablet-like gadget.

For Sony, whose dominance in electronics has been eroded by the likes of Samsung Electronics, the effort helps it get ahead of rivals in developing a new generation of devices.

Video should be consumed on the biggest, best and brightest screen in the house. And that's a TV. It's not a PC or a phone or anything else in between, said Google project senior product manager Rishi Chandra.

Best Buy Co Inc will sell devices and DISH Network TV will integrate into Google TV. Chief executives from those companies, as well as Google, Sony, Intel and Adobe Systems Inc, all went on stage at Google's developers conference for the announcement.

(Reporting by Alexei Oreskovic; Writing by Edwin Chan and Peter Henderson; Editing by Andre Grenon and Richard Chang)

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