Samsung confirms advanced talks over Google TV

Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung has today confirmed that it is in the final stages of negotiations with Google to utilise the US firm's software in its internet-connected TV sets.

According to Yonhap News, Samsung intends to use Google's Android-based software to power its new wave of Smart TVs.

Yoon Boo-keun, president of Samsung's digital media business, confirmed that the talks were in the final stages, but said that the firm has not decided whether to showcase the Google TV-powered sets at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in January 2012.

A tie-up with Samsung would provide a significant boost for Google TV, which has made a lacklustre impact in the TV market since it was launched in the US in October 2010.

Built around the Google Chrome browser, Google TV gives users access to the open internet, including websites, videos, games, on-demand entertainment and applications, on their TV screens.

However, device maker Logitech, a launch partner for Google TV, has lost a reported $100 million after poor sales of its Google-powered products. Sony Corporation is the other major Google TV partner.

Samsung is the global market leader in connected TV and bundling Google TV into its popular Smart TV range could propel the software forward, particularly as Google TV will expand to Europe next year.

Last month, Samsung announced that there have been 10m downloads of the more-than-1,000 Smart TVs apps available on the connected platform.

Alongside Samsung, LG is also expected to unveil a Google-powered connected TV range of products at the CES trade show in January, according to a report in Bloomberg.