• The New York Times, Monday, December 20, 2010 3:05 PM

From Sharp to LG, top TV makers were planning to unveil Google TV-enabled devices at The Consumer Electronics Show next month. In light of poor reviews, however, Google has reportedly asked that they keep quiet for now.

"The late request caught some of the manufacturers off guard," reports The New York Times. "And it illustrates the struggles Google faces as it tries to expand into the tricky, unfamiliar realm of consumer electronics, and drum up broad interest in a Web-based TV product that consumers want."

"Conventional wisdom on Google TV: Not ready for prime time," notes MediaMemo, adding: "Google apparently agrees."

"The search giant is re-tooling the software to address the concerns of reviewers and early adopters citing the complexity of the software, its inconsistent interface, and the lack of top content as problems with adoption," writes Fortune, joking: "Surprisingly, people don't want to use a full-size keyboard as a remote in the living room."

"Google TV was supposed to be one of the stars of the show at the Consumer Electronics Show next month in Las Vegas," writes VentureBeat. "But the star just got the hook."

Another minor issue with Google TV, as eWeek notes, is that "Google has also found its service blocked from accessing Websites from CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox as the networks were leery of allowing Google to server their content for free."

Meanwhile, analysts tell The Times that Google's sudden change of plans reflects a weakness in the company's business culture around managing relationships with partners. "Google as a company is not a particularly partner-friendly or partner-focused company," says Forrester's James McQuivey.

Read the whole story at The New York Times »