As much as we would love TV makers to go all in with Google TV and make it grow, we also can’t blame them for not betting all their hard-earned money on Mountain View. Google TV continues struggling to take off and things are not looking good with competition rising all over the industry. It’s natural to see them testing new waters, but could Google be getting getting bitter about it?

New reports from “people familiar with the matter” state that Google is requiring HTML 5-based smart TVs manufacturers to place the YouTube app “in the main service page and pass conformity tests”. One of the sources goes as far as saying: “Telling us where the YouTube app should be placed is an act of coercive sales tactics.”

The same sources claim it can take a very long time before a smart TV manufacturer gets certified by Google. It is said companies like Samsung have had to wait up to 3 months, delaying the launch of the product by the same time.

Of course, it would all be different if TV manufacturers were using Android-based Google TV. The process would be much faster and easier, but is that really the reason why Google is doing this? Maybe they just really care about the quality of the app. One thing is for certain, though. It does seem a bit unfair to tell manufacturers where an app should go.

[ETNews]