Android TCL invested 20 million R & D Systems Internet TV
The future of TV may be combined with the personal computer it? Probably Google and Sony thought. May 21 , Google in its I / O conference that will work with Sony, Intel , introduced a system based on Google Android 2.1 , Intel Atom chip , you can search, browse the Web video , and can download various software applications TV , expected this fall. And their like-minded lot of people . For example , TCL chairman Li Dongsheng Group . Although he led the company has not yet fully out of the shadow of international failure , but it seems to have determined to return through a radical way to success .
The company currently produces products for all television and Internet television major errors . The Android TV is the latest in a massive project link . Exhibits on the Google TV appearance in two weeks , TCL has been in China, announced its ” guns + Tu Bao , ” R & D success . This LCD TV has a 1GHz CPU, 512M memory , and uses Google’s Android operating system . The core parameters may give you a false impression that this is a cell phone or tablet PC , but it certainly is a web-enabled TV .
It is the fastest in the country six months later put on the TCL appliance stores all the counters , though no less than Google TV faster time to market , but they can set off the trend with the latter .
Vice president of TCL Group Research , said beam rail route , TCL ’s Android TV and Google TV not different in essence . “Google TV listing , you can download video search application and Chrome browser to the TV on , it can achieve all the features of Google TV , because they all use the Android platform. ”
This is TCL may choose to have Linux -based system of Internet TV product cases, the reasons for starting a new kitchen .
Taiwan does not look so special in this 42-inch LCD TV on , TCL past two years has invested 20 million yuan , mainly used in the recruitment and training on the Android software development team . TCL Group, if coupled with the Internet since 2006, television ’s R & D investment , the stakes are even larger , it is estimated that over 100 million yuan .
In the past ten years , the TV , mobile phones and computer integration has been the consumer electronics industry consensus of the majority , but when is the integration of key points , each company has different judge . In 2007, Apple introduced the iPhone, this integration of many Internet applications, mobile phones immediately become the world’s consumer electronics products in the most dazzling star . Han Qing , vice president of TCL is no denying that he is a fan of Apple , he had three different number of iPhone mobile phone . “IPhone ’s successful is not only a victory for Apple , which is reflected behind the Internet for electronic consumer products ubiquitous penetration . handset penetration is just the beginning , we conclude that the next generation of products the consumer living room TV . ”
Apple iPhone ’s success and rapid development of Internet video also strengthened the determination of Li Dongsheng , he bet on the Internet TV will completely replace traditional TV for this , even in 2006, 1.932 billion yuan huge loss group , tight budget funds , 2007, he was still approved R & D Internet TV . In 2008 , TCL -based Linux system, the first Internet TV officially listed within the following year , TCL announced that his production line will be all out of the traditional TV model , and become the only Internet -only TV manufacturer.
At the time TCL with Internet TV is a TV function , using Linux operating system computer. TCL has developed its own called “MiTV” of the Linux process , through this process , as long as the Internet to the TV plug cable , you can view weather forecasts, stock information , online video , play any format of the online video files , can download the video to the network USB hard disk . However , in China, similar functions can be obtained through many channels , but not necessarily be achieved through Internet TV .
Focus on the Internet as a marketing strategy after , TCL series of efforts seem to be of positive feedback . In 2008 , TCL Group’s net profit of 501 million yuan , total sales of 4.184 million LCD TV sets , a substantial increase of 233.1 percent year on year , the global market share rose from 13 to 8 ; in 2009 , LCD TV sales reached 8.373 million units , An increase of 100% , of which the majority are for Internet TV . But the sales figures in the ratio of how much TV because the Internet has brought the unique value generated , temporarily unable to consider .
Google Android system taking into account the openness and future growth , in 2008 , TCL Group Vice President , Research Institute began Yan Xiaolin TCL Communication department from the deployment of staff to carry out special projects for the development of Android system . Yan Xiaolin and high-level thinking is , Android platform is the only business model, user experience and Apple products such as rival software platform. Because it is free and open , reducing the differences in hardware , software with clear and comprehensive framework , all is based on the Java language application development, easy to transplant , more and more developers to its development and application .
June 2009 , TCL launched the Android development for Internet TV , in addition to the Shenzhen Institute of Android team , the specialist in Xi’an has established a 200-person development team for the television , and intends to increase this year will be the team 300.
This was slightly higher than the cost of hardware Android TV TCL original Internet TV , as Android system is running high memory requirements , thus increasing spending on TV memory .
“We do not believe that Internet TV will be fully unified recent transplant Android platform , but it must be the mainstream high-end TV platform in the long term is expected to become a unified software platform. ” Yan Xiaolin said .
However, in the development of Android system for mobile phones , MID and television two years , Google Android version of the frequent upgrades have been major problems they face . Android from 1.0 to 1.1 to 1.5,1.6 , all the way to the current 2.2, each upgrade , requires developers to re- test system compatibility and stability. ” Fortunately now , after a 2.2 version , Google ’s update rate has slowed down , because the overall system function has been relatively improved . ” Liang said railway route .
In addition, for the Android platform, currently more than 50,000 applications, almost all mobile phones and MID, and not much with the TV related applications . Jin Yan , Beijing Zhi Yuan Yi Union ’s CEO, he currently operates a domestic Android application downloads site, he had never heard of the market have specialized applications for television . But he thinks that this may be in the Android TV listing change. “Applied is quickly done , the development of skilled like me a week to write an application is not a problem. The key is that this platform will allow developers to make money , to attract them to join . ”
At the same time , TCL seems to face greater risk from the policy level. TCL has been sold , whether the Internet TV , or TV to be launched Android , its genuine source of video content will be a problem. Google announced Google TV in the United States will be able to see more than 1 million up to channel + website content , but the application in China is unlikely to receive passes .
This may be Sharp , Sony and Samsung did not like products into the Chinese market reasons. In addition to TCL, other domestic manufacturers of LCD TVs have a similar Internet TV technology. For example , Skyworth ’s “cool to open TV “, Haier ’s ” model card TV ” , Konka ’s ” Web Core “series , are based on the Linux platform for Internet television . Internet TV in the country before the policies become clear , they were only playing touch ball .
Internet TV will be a long-term investment , but Mr. Li is not well-off funding at this time . On November 16 last year , TCL and the Shenzhen Municipal SASAC ’s set deep super- companies Huaxing Guang Electric Company, launched a total investment of up to 24.5 billion yuan of the 8.5 generation line of LCD panel production line. According to a Reuters report , in March of this year , TCL has a joint venture to invest 1.5 billion in cash , but it needs several billion additional financing to ensure the implementation of the project .
Li Dongsheng optimistic end of last year had estimated in early 2010 there will be other domestic LCD TV makers to join the project , but now has no movement . Instead, Samsung Electronics has shown interest in it , and this month with the Shenzhen Municipal Government and Li Dongsheng been met . However , the company has yet to invest in the issue , because it is waiting in Suzhou LCD panel approved the project results – Development and Reform Commission have been rejected if it is possible to open a real purse . It appears that Mr. Li would also like to continue to wait .