Samsung, Google TV deal nears completion

The president of Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd's TV unit said the company may be concluding its talks with Google Inc. regarding the roll out of its Google TV, according to reports. Yoon Boo-Keun, however, refused to indicate the specific date for the unveiling next year.

Google TV enables consumers to access online videos and websites on their TVs, as well as specialized apps such as video games. It lets users check email and create social networks just as they do on PCs and smartphones.

Yoon said the company aims to offer more high-tech models such as smart TVs to boost profits despite mounting global price wars. Reports indicated that Yoon expected the worldwide flat-panel TV market to grow by about 10 percent next year despite economic uncertainty, helped by sales growth in Internet-connected TVs and replacement demand. He noted that Samsung was looking to outperform the market next year. Samsung hopes to sell 45 million flat-screen TVs this year, including 12 million smart models.

Eric Schmidt, Google's executive chair, visited South Korea and met executives from Samsung and LG Electronics. This led analysts to believe that the information services firm wants to expand the reach of its Android OS into TVs through partnerships with global TV makers.