Marvell's ARM-based processors will power the next generation of the Google TV platform, the company announced Thursday, angling to better position itself within the expanding realm of connected devices.
[bug id="ces2012"]The ARMADA 1500 HD System on a Chip will show up in a host of new TVs and set-top boxes in 2012, many of which will debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week. Logitech and Sony currently produce Google TV set-top boxes, though it's expected TV maker LG will be on the list of companies to debut a new Google TV device.
Improvements to the devices include a multi-format video decoder that can handle up to two 1080p streams (enabling HD picture-in-picture capability), a beefed-up processor with Adobe Flash support, and lower power consumption compared to the previous generation of Intel-powered Google TV devices.
And in what may be most attractive platform improvement, Marvell's chips cost less, and should make Google TV devices cheaper. Logitech's Google TV set-top boxes debuted at $300, a price that proved too high for widespread consumer adoption. As a result, the company reported nearly $30 million in losses for the first fiscal quarter. In part, Google TV contributed significantly to losses of “well over $100 million in operating profits," according to CEO Guerrino De Luca.
Coupled with the second iteration of the Google TV software launched in October -- which Google hopes will redeem its sins of the first-gen release -- marking down the price could push the platform out to a wider audience.
No exact pricing details have been released as of yet, but we should expect more details to come later this year.
