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Google and US satellite TV provider Dish Network are testing a service that allows users to search programmes and web videos and personalise a playlist of shows, effectively creating their own television channel.
The service works via a set-top box running Google software, allowing users to find programmes on satellite TV as well as from video sites such as YouTube, sources told the Wall Street Journal.
The testing, which reportedly started last year, is said to be limited to a small number of Google employees and their families and could be cut off at any time.
Participants in the Google test type their search queries on a keyboard rather than a remote control, and can then create a personalised TV lineup from the results.
According to the WSJ, Google has been in discussions with other TV service providers and hardware vendors about using Android-based technology. In January, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said it "makes sense that people would use Android as an operating system for set-top boxes and buddy boxes and TVs”.
