Google: Life After Television

Our window to the world, TV, is dead. George has been telling us this for years. But it looks like not many of us have realized this has already happened and we have not noticed... I have a TV in my house. But I have not turned it on for 7 months now. I have 4 computers here as well. And a WiFi network connected to a DSL line. They all have their start pages set to Google Portal (http://www.google.com/ig). Our new windows to the world. We do not buy newspapers. Whenever we need an information or to communicate or to entertain or to learn or... we turn on one of the machines and fire up Internet Browser, that brings personalized view of the information world. OK, you say, but this is still computers, and we want a traditional screen with remote and 100 channels to choose from. Coming soon. So how does the TV of the (near) future looks like? Let us see...

It is flat, thin (high definition LCD), has two remote controllers (one with cursor keys and numbers, the other one with alphanumeric keyboard), and one connector at the back. The connector is for wired broadband Internet access. And there is an antenna too. But not for TV broadcasts but for WiFi connectivity. So the input to this television is the Internet. So when you plug it in for the first time it asks you to define a startup menu page. Most likely you will point it to the Google Portal or Google Video or Google News or may be some other "station". And then you will navigate down your preferences from your armchair. The content you want (be it news or movies or some other programming) will be pulled from the Google Big Table over the internet connection to your screen. Your new TV set will learn your preferences. This is important. Very important. After several days or weeks it will know what mood you are in and how to make you feel lucky. So one day you will sit in front of it and ask "play me something I will like". It will take your profile, add some more information, like time of day, mix it with patterns of other people watching their TVs and offer you a page of choices. Or you may just say and it will play the best choice for you. But remember. The station is playing every movie ever made. You have the powers to choose.

It all is so simple. I wonder why the investment community (or at least part of it) still thinks GOOG is expensive (as a stock). You know their business model, right? Advertising. Is it a big market? Yes it is. Is it growing? Look around. Everybody (not just geeks and scientists and students) is connecting to the Internet. And think what their start pages are likely to be? OK, you are getting the message. So Google is growing its market share in a market that is growing. Sounds like an exponential growth? Yes. And how big is the market? It is big. Really. If the death of the traditional television is coming, there is a combined advertising market of all TV stations on the Planet to grab. Google is becoming a one stop shop for advertisers. You have a product or a service. You want to sell it. Let the world learn about it. So you go to Google, bet for some AdWords and wait for orders. It is that simple. Regardless where you are, with a few clicks you start selling to The World.

With the proliferation of consumer broadband, Google will soon become the only TV station on Earth. Simultaneously playing everything ever made. It's pattern engines will feed you with a subtle stream of ads. In fact you will like those ads. They will be exactly what you are looking for. Your personal ads. Generating enormous value to those offering products and services. And generating even more for its shareholders. Remember... exponential growth. So fasten your seatbelts. Life After Television is now. Life After Television is Google.