Internet giant Google has announced its Google TV service will be ready for public release by the end of the year.
The announcement comes just after Apple announced its new Apple TV peripheral, as more companies attempt to dominate the set-top box market.
Google chief executive Eric Schmidt said at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin that the service will launch worldwide next year, and will allow users to navigate between TV, websites and apps.
The Google TV services will also allow free and paid web video, including a type of pay-per-view service. A Google TV SDK will also be available earlier next year, allowing developers to create their own apps for the service.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
