Google may sell set-top box business: RIP Google TV?
Probably not though
Reports are flooding in that Google is looking for a buyer for Motorola's set-top box business, possibly hinting at an early demise for Google TV.
Sources told Bloomberg that Google has hired a firm to search for a buyer for its Motorola Mobility home division, including the set-top section.
The sale, which the source predicts could be worth around $2 billion, may see Google leave the world of television receivers behind - or at least the world of pay-TV receivers.
Question marks
Even without the Motorola business, Google could continue to work with third-party manufacturers to make its IPTV boxes.
Although Google TV hasn't been quite the glowing success that Android and the Google Nexus 7 have, it makes sense to push on with it given Google's game plan to get Android on every home device going.
Google bought Motorola for around $12.5 billion earlier this year, and the news of lay-offs and a potential parts sale have left commentators wondering if the purchase was really all about patents.
The other tech giant with an eye on the television business is Apple; rumours of an Apple-made HDTV have quieted of late, only to be replaced by speculation over a beefed-up Apple TV box which could see users watching solely on demand programming and even skipping over adverts.
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Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.