Android TV Coming To Google I/O, For Real This Time

Gaming is suggested to be the center of attention this year at Google's presentation of Android TV. Where in past years, Google TV kept Android's focus – since 2010, as it were – this year it's tipped from within that Android TV will finally appear in full. With a user interface codenamed "Pano", this UI will take Google to your big screen – again.

This service will not interrupt what you're doing with your Chromecast. This tiny $35 device has limited abilities, and is only made to take over your television in a limited way. Google needs to ramp up its abilities in a whole new product – but better than a piece of hardware, Android TV is another operating system.

Amazon's Fire TV hasn't had a quarter to release sales numbers – not that Amazon would do such a thing anyway. But Google has seen the way Fire TV works, and they're not about to let Amazon keep the whole direct content delivery business to themselves.

This isn't Ouya, and it's not Roku. Google has seen what these devices can do, and it's not satisfied.

According to sources speaking with Janko Roettgers at GigaOM, when Google TV was launched, and throughout its short life, it was made up of a team of developers separate from the core team of Android heads at Google. Though Google TV was based on Android Honeycomb, Android TV will be more of a direct sibling of Android as it exists on smart devices like smartphones and tablets today.

Google will be launching Android TV with a number of hardware partners, which means more than one hardware product will be delivered. Think about Vizio, Sony, and Samsung.

Stick around for SlashGear's coverage of Google I/O 2014 on June 25th and 26th, 2014. We'll be bringing you the full shebang.