[NewsPoster]

Google is said to be working on an open alternative to the AirPlay functionality seen in Mac OS X and iOS devices, enabling owners of mobile devices to interact with and beam contact to connected televisions. Details on the new standard are scarce, but Google is said to be working with a range of device and software vendors with the goal of "[moving] the whole industry forward." It is possible that the standard would involve solely Android and Google TV products at first, but the goal of a truly open standard could mean that it would be featured on other platforms and other devices as well.

The report comes from GigaOM, which spoke with Google product manager Timbo Drayson. Drayson said that the AirPlay-like functionality Google rolled out for YouTube last week -- which allows Android smartphones and tablets to beam content to Google TV devices -- was only the beginning. Going forward, Google is said to envision a standard in which users can not only beam content from one device to another, but also receive supplemental content on a second screen, much as is the case with Microsoft's Smart Glass feature for its Xbox 360 console or Nintendo's TVii feature. Apple sells more than a million of its Apple TV devices per quarter, making it by far the most successful digital streaming device. A number of other manufacturers have tried to bring AirPlay's functionality to Android, but the lack of an established standard has stymied some efforts.

[wrenchy]

Originally Posted by NewsPoster 

with the goal of "[moving] the whole industry forward."

Yes, because proprietary iFormats make reaching a 'Standard' very difficult.

[pairof9s]

Originally Posted by wrenchy 

Yes, because proprietary iFormats make reaching a 'Standard' very difficult.

Not difficult if you have an Apple product...AirPlay works standard on all my Apple devices. Question of whether you want a product with a particular feature, or if you want a feature on a particular product.

[Sandman619]

Google supports only open standards, which is why they supported Flash on mobile devices and have tried to kill open standards like .h264 in favor of their own proprietary formats

Cheers !

[Charles Martin]

So now copying Apple is "moving the industry forward" ...

[mjtomlin]

Originally Posted by wrenchy 

Yes, because proprietary iFormats make reaching a 'Standard' very difficult.

Apparently you are unaware that Google's formats are proprietary as well. The IP used is owned by Google - it is not public domain nor is it open. The source is made available for others to include in their projects and is currently free to license. However, Google is free to change that at any time.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by Sandman619 

Google supports only open standards, which is why they supported Flash on mobile devices and have tried to kill open standards like .h264 in favor of their own proprietary formats
Cheers !

WebM is not proprietary.

[besson3c]

Originally Posted by mjtomlin 

Apparently you are unaware that Google's formats are proprietary as well. The IP used is owned by Google - it is not public domain nor is it open. The source is made available for others to include in their projects and is currently free to license. However, Google is free to change that at any time.

Which proprietary formats are you referring to?

[besson3c]

I don't understand the ridicule for Google coming up with open formats. Competition is good, and open formats almost always encourage competition.