A quick video about how to get a Google TV beta invitation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9SK_M_nVWA&eurl=

Once your done watching that, you can read a small post on fatalfarm.com.

http://www.fatalfarm.com/main.html

I really don't know what to make of this...

... it could have easily been hoaxed (relatively), but it just seems kind of real.

Nar.. why would Google bring out Google TV, when they've got Video?

Fake. :-)

looks so real!

but on the other hand, as Joe said, Google already has Google Video.. so whats the point?

yeah i think its fake

The email in the video is Mark.P.Ericksongmail.com...

hmmm

When you look this guy up on video google he's got other tutorials...i think it's real
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=Mark.P.Erickson%40gmail.com&btnG=Search&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv

we can all try this by opening a new Gmail account, and see if it works...

(i would've tried this, but my machine is too old.. so logging in to Gmail takes forever..)

any volunteers?

If you look at the closeup in the left corner of his browser it say

vp.tv.google.com

Blogs that are talking about it,feeling it's fake now,pretty clever though

http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/how-to-sign-up-for-googletv-beta

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/home-entertainment/googletv-beta-annoying-easter-egg-or-shenanigans-231908.php

plus,
searching for Google TV on Google Search will give you Google Video on the top result..
http://www.google.com/search?q=google%20tv&sourceid=navclient-ff&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGGL,GGGL:2006-10,GGGL:en

That loco thing doesn't work in google either

I challenge someone to create LocoGoogle.com, as mentioned in the video :)
I believe it's just using a Webdings font in the input field.

Remember he sent an email to himself?
Why was his inbox always empty?

Holy sh*t, it worked!!!! It took me 52 times of signing in and out with both firefox and IE working concurrently. Keep trying, guys.

You know why it's fake? Google's alpha projects don't have ads. This one had ads at the top.

Steven..
if it worked, can you share a picture please?

Skeptical. It's his first post.
I bet it's a fake.

"Google's alpha projects don't have ads." >> Good point.
At the same time, if they have contracts with networks, it would be to prove sustainability to them (or perhaps they'd have a share of it)

Anyway a fake :-(

Yeah, it took me 179 trials and 5 Windows restarts. And finally it works.

So it's working even after Google supposedly took it down :-/ And the ads look out of place for a Google product, All Google ads on their services are on the right Vertically, these are at the top Horizontally, and as above, if it was top secret why put ads on it?

<<So it's working even after Google supposedly took it down >>

Oh, come on. It's fake.

I spent about 75 or so sign in's and nothing yet. Why would a restart be needed? I seriously doubt if this is real, but if it is, I don't want to be left out.

Eric Wilson

Do think logically please.

Google wants to test a new product nobody knows about. It chooses some testers and what should they do?

- send themselves an email with a link
- log out / log in repeatedly until they see a changed Gmail logo

Can you imagine something more stupid than that? And why should Gmail be connected with that (the mail is from Gmail Team)?

Ionut is right..
its quite stupid.. :/

To me that sounds like the wackiness of Google. I can see them doing something like that. They always seem to do fun things. The only bad thing I can think of as to why they wouldn't do that is because the extra weight on their servers.

Eric Wilson

<<Ionut is right..
its quite stupid.. :/ >>
But it did seem sensible just after I woke up this morning :-)

Look at the advice this guy has given before, like How to Increase Your Wi-Fi Signal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LY8Wi7XRXCA&NR

Do you think anyone who has a reputation for giving out brilliant tips like that would be involved in a hoax??

the page is just an adaptation of Google Video's homepage
http://video.google.com/

look at "Advanced Video Search", RSS, "Popular videos"

> the page is just an adaptation of
> Google Video's homepage

Google would want to make sure they're re-using Google brand interface elements people know already, right? E.g. the "next" arrows in Google Book search look just like the "next" arrows in Google web search :)

No matter it is real or not. It is a good idea.

In my thinking. Classic TV and Internet Video have difference. If I forget the time, I will lost the TV, but still can catch the same at internet Video.

Many person says, internet TV is stupid. But this way is win in china now.
QQ.com have opened this service. And it is very hot and already back the money now. In fact, TV is fun, make us relax and happy. Who care lost or not? Or just see the end of a wonderful movie.

How many user use this QQ internet TV? Or how many active users at this internet TV. I do not know. The fact is QQ have 100000000's users.

Google TV will be welcome too.

I think you guys are all wrong. I think this is 100% legit :-)

I realize that most people here have discovered that this is a joke by now but I feel a moral obligation to clear the air up. This guy makes really slick satirical tutorials that are generally hilarious. If you get bored, check out his tutorial on how to increase WiFi signals. It got me to laugh out loud.

Man, I wish I had watched that 'how to increase your WiFi signal' tutorial BEFORE I watched the Google TV video. I would have known right away that it was fake. I feel like such a rookie. *sigh*

At least 5 people asked me today whether this is real or fake, ha. :)

And there is a newer video from the same guy to prove that this allegation is true

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MulSMSJV-U

This is brilliant. From the update video:

<< There's no way I can fake this... >>

I could easily fake that. Clever though. Really clever!

<< ... please share my current episodes with friends, especially those not yet familiar with Infinite Solutions [crafty side glance]. >>

And some very clever viral marketing there, Mark! ;-)

Oh and btw, how did he fake it with the actual url. As easy as Greasemonkey I guess..
When the whole thing is over, I'd love to receive those scripts.

<< Once your done watching that, you can read a small post on fatalfarm.com. >>

I don't want to spoil the fun here but there are some things I've noticed:

* The URL tv.google.com does not exist (not even internally)

* The URL loco.google.com does not exist – nor does the service name "lococrazy" (which I think is what it says in the URL followed by an "&insane=" parameter)

* The font used in Loco Google is indeed Webdings (as Philipp noted) and he typed the search phrase [fatal farmed]

* Mark Erickson looks like Zachary Johnson from Fatal Farm... who seem to specialize in creating spoof videos (like their TV Themes)

(They may not be ILM – but they're pretty good at it!)

http://alexdromania.blogspot.com/2007/01/internet-tv.html

GOOGLE TV IS REAL!

http://www.youtube.com/v/77OQrYZP6CQ

[Linked instead of embedded – Tony]

>> GOOGLE TV IS REAL!

alexdromania, don't you think that guy looks a lot like Jeffrey Max from Fatal Farm though? ;-)

the project might be real, but that video is definitely fake

OK, it's definitely a hoax and a clever viral one at that. Here's some other work by the same guys:

http://www.fatalfarm.com/tvthemes.html

The Alf one is pretty funny and the Designing Women one seems to star the same guy who plays Mark Erickson.

Did you notice the mobile on the desk in the update video?

it works. took me an hour, but it was worth it

again..
can we see a picture..
something to prove this thing??

thank you..

>> David
His screenname is John Doe: he's joking ;-)

I create a new account and Google TV not work.

I was thinking maybe it can be 1000 times b4 u get it because it's a random # generator so... technically it can take u up to 100319413949139 times.
idk jst a thought.
sounds alot like a hoax.

YES F*ck yeah got it 1006 times and I got it, it is awesome to bad I've got a dial up connection and all the episodes take forever to load, apart from that its very good. The interface is does look the same as what it does in the video just keep trying and you'll get it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MulSMSJV-U

Looks real to me

http://tv.google.com/television

If you watch his "Update" video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MulSMSJV-U

Pause the video at 01:26 , the URL in his address bar is:

http://tv.google.com/television

This does not exist.

1006 times?? And you kept track of this how?? I'm very tempted to try this, but I'm NOT willing to spend several hours on what sounds a lot like a hoax....... but damn it's tempting

yes it works tv.google.com/television, is the link but it need the auth code for it to work, I just watched every episode of family guy season 5, its a great thing everyone should try. For those asshole who don't believe me contact Google, they'll tell you

I'm pretty sure this is a hoax. If anyone is wondering how he faked the URL, he probably used something called the HOSTS file on windows. All you have to do is type this in the file:
tv.google.com 127.0.0.1

and tv.google.com will be redirected to a webserver running on your own computer without changing what it says in the address bar. Then it is just a matter of creating a fake "Google TV" webpage and putting it on your own webserver. IIS comes default with WindowsXP so this wouldn't be very hard.

im not getting all you guys who are trying to fool us by saying:
it took me 1006 times. but it works.. or it took me 50 times but it works.. and so forth..

are you getting paid for this?

Firefox can't find the server at tv.google.com.

The page cannot be displayed – with I-E 6

Just tried it all night my fingers are bleeding now – i cantp tpde aknymore iiiiiii havw to qupit

I AM a idoit

lol. That domain isnt in there sub domain list lol. tv.google.com Hoax. lol

Course its a hoax... All these idiots claim they it has worked yet there are NO screenshots to prove this! Its fake for sure

hi, i smell like dogshit on the beach and i think im gona make a macro and do it for the rest of the night...see if i get an invite.
if this is fake i will hang myself...
so mark erickson....when im dead...i will sue you, your family and your ancestors
Love from Another Idiot

if its not a hoax...kill yourself

huahauhauahuha
That's really stupid people trying it... hauhauhaua
I just ask myself, why this fuckin' idiot is broadcasting his face over internet...

theres no DNS entry for tv.google.com

its a fake video.

This is fake.

I was checking out his other videos, found one where he opens the start page.
His icon is the FatalFarm Logo.

Eh, Its a hoax.

Nothing says 'gullible!' than spending hours trying to get this to work...

Interestingly enough, though, there *is* a google-tv.svc-1.google.com – just redirects to Google Docs/Spreadsheets, but it's curious. :)

i don't know why everyone thinks this is a hoax 'cause it worked for me. it took something like 23 tries, but it finally worked, and boy was it worth it.

here's a screenshot of the welcome email i got:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/152/373429521_4bea76111d.jpg?v=0

[Image URL updated – Tony]

this is weird..

nice find :)

at last!!

someone that clarifies this thing!!

Thanks xena!!

So if this is real, I'm still a bit ~, will it work with the UK (Google Mail) Logo?

youll have to try it for yourself Martin :/

I figured out the secret!

For it to work, I just had to format my hard drive first, because I'm rather gullible and get infected with viruses constantly from doing what some random poster tells me to do.

But *this* is for real!!!!

If formatting your hard drive once doesn't work, you might have to try formatting it 3 or 4 times.

PS This is a hoax. Oh yeah, *lots* of Google secret services get discovered by one guy, and one guy only, who repeatedly posts videos insisting he's not making it up.

Mat Hall said:

<< Interestingly enough, though, there *is* a google-tv.svc-1.google.com – just redirects to Google Docs/Spreadsheets, but it's curious. :) >>

Heh. And let's take a look at who discovered that...
  
   http://www.google.com/search?q=google-tv.svc-1.google.com

...along with all these other secret products...

   * Google Browser – google-browser.svc-1.google.com
   * Google Office – google-office.svc-1.google.com
   * Google OS – google-os.svc-1.google.com
   * Google TV – google-tv.svc-1.google.com
   * Google Brain – google-brain.svc-1.google.com
   * Google Schmoogle – google-schmoogle.svc-1.google.com

;-)

From: http://ruscoe.net/blog/2006/06/another-google-exclusive.asp

LOL.

Dang this is to much I pee'd myself.

idk about you guys, but for me, when i take screen shots i dont get the mouse in the picture. this leads me to believe that that pic is fake even though i want to believe and ive tried so many times

wtf theres two coursors, the hand and the text one!!!

My Gmail logo says "Google Mail" not Gmail..... <_<

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/8000/googlemailpn9.gif

if youre living in Europe,
see this:
http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2005-10-19-n27.html

I just tryed this with signing up with a new name like this.

my.namegmail.com and it didnt work. BUT never expected it too lol

<<wtf theres two cursors, the hand and the text one!!!>>

hmm, I hadn't noticed this. now I'm moving towards fake. Unless anyone comes up with a link to the "changed" logo (on Google) I'll assume it's fake.

lol...
me too... :/

wtf, didnt anyone catch that there's 2 cursors on that pic? omg. fucking fake.

I am from Europe and do not see the panel "Love GMail?" at the bottom of my configuration Gmail screen. Any reason why?

rafter:

I'd say it is a fake, but the pointer could be part of the logo, no?

(I seriously can't believe people are still debating whether this is real or not...)

"(I seriously can't believe people are still debating whether this is real or not...)"
> They should watch other videos from this guy. ^^
http://blogoscoped.com/forum/84163.html#id84179 (even if jonas thought it was real)

Yeah, Tony.

============== THE END =================

Update: Still in doubt? I received an official statement from Google and added it to the post.
http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2007-01-27-n10.html

no, no..
now Ionut :

================ THE END =================

thanks Philipp :)

BTW,
i knew he was fake...
he used Yahoo!'s Toolbar and IE 7!!

only fake people use it! :P

just kidding :D

DNS can't find tv.google.com, therefore the server does not exist, even if there was a password or restricted access DNS would still find it regardless. So if the server doesn't exist google TV doesn't exist, yet...

I must say this is a lot of effort for a hoax though.

But yeah, why make google TV when they have google video?

FAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok well i officially don’t believe in this anymore. i watched the video one last time and noticed a few things that don’t seem right.

the time. its always 10:00 – 10:08. the "invite" he receives is received at 10:00 (2 min ago), the timestamp says so, but the time when he starts the video is 10 and when he’s on the email is on the screen its not 10:02. plus if he starts the video at 10:00 and has to try it 11 times b4 he gets the invite, its not still going to be 10, esp. if he has to type out his name and password every time. also you cant say that he got his invite and then shot the video b/c fist, the time would be way off, and the first few times he shows the gmail logo, in the area where the "TV" link is supposed to be once you get the invite, it would be there.

well i hope this makes sense and i got my point across

also notice that the tv icon is the tivo guy (look it up)

There is a new video from a guy called JimmyR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-eCO5L9wXQ

haa haa.. I sent him (mark) an email.. >>>>

mark.p.ericksongmail.com
date Jan 27, 2007 2:46 PM
subject yeah right.. it dont work
mailed-by gmail.com

dude.. u suck.. just to let you know!
_____________________________
Jan 27, 2007 5:17 PM
subject Re: yeah right.. it dont work
mailed-by gmail.com
Hi Byron,

Sorry you're having trouble. Google's been flooded with requests. They may have changed the back door. I'll be posting a new video shortly.

Thanks for watching!
-Mark

Maybe it is a hoax, but did anyone think that this could have been secretly let out by Google to gauge the market reaction to a future GoogleTV?
I, for one, am all in favor of a GoogleTV.

The logo reads Google Television on some videos on youtube, Google Television Beta on others and i even saw Google TV on one? and how come some of the videos use a Google Video player while others don't???

next time you copy someones hoax, maje sure to keep everything the same

if google could make this happen it certanly would b cool, maby now they R thinking bout it so there you go this hoax aint so bad after all. so mark... thanks dude

This has spawned a lot of media attention too. I think it's legit, just cracked down on is all.

Even sites put up about it.

wwwGoogleTVBeta.com lol

yeah jay from canada nice plug for your fake site lol.

I personally know 3 people who got in to Google TV. I couldnt get in after many tries. I cant believe people think this is a hoax, its really really real.

OK, I suppose everyone had their word by now, so I'm locking this thread to avoid repetition.