The topic The Google TV brand that tried to revive Chromecast is on ice is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
Last year, Google TV device maker Thomson made headlines for reviving the form factor of Google’s Chromecast, but the company is now in a tough spot where it’s unable to sell device to customers in its main market of Europe.
Detailed by AVCaesar (via Android Central), Thomson’s operations in Europe have effectively shut down for the moment. Why? The company’s sole licensed operator in Europe, StreamView GMBH, has filed for bankruptcy and seemingly has no plans to move forward. The company owes €36.6 million and is simply ceasing operations.
The brand confirmed that it’s looking for a new partner in Europe to keep operations going, and that “all efforts are being made to ensure continuity of after-sale services and client satisfaction while the group is identifying a new trusted partner for Europe.”
It sounds like Thomson itself isn’t going away, it’s just on pause for the time being. That’s good news, as Thomson has a pretty killer catalog in Europe for Google TV devices. Alongside actual TV sets and the aforementioned Chromecast clone, Thomson also sells what is effectively a European version of Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro box (the first generation), and its Streaming Box 260 Pro has pretty killer specs with 64GB of storage, 4GB of RAM, and a solid chipset in the Amlogic 905X5M-B. It’s like a Google TV Streamer with a bit of extra kick.