Google TV has kept its place at the top of the smart TV chain for a while, but its list of significant competitors keeps growing and now we have another one to keep an eye on. Today at the D11 conference, Fanhattan has announced the brand new Fan TV, a set-top box that promises to succeed in every way other platforms haven’t.

Fan TV promises simplicity, along with the perfect merge between live TV and streaming. It is said to “do it all” but in a much more aesthetically pleasing and minimized manner. The remote is a simple panel with a touch-enabled top and no buttons. The interface can be operated via gestures and swipes. To top it off, the device simplifies the setup by getting rid of IR blasters and cable boxes, which are necessary for the Google TV experience.

This is not a chord-cutter solution, though, as it works strictly with your cable service. We are not sure exactly how that will work out, as the device doesn’t seem to have a coaxial input. That’s because it stream all your live TV channels. We can see how they can manage to make a device that does a great job at merging live TV and internet TV, they really do work together. In essence, it would be considered IPTV backed by cable providers who partner with Fanhattan.

Only bits and pieces of the UI were shown, but what we did see looks quite promising. The interface is very minimalistic and simple. One can browse through movies, TV shows and channels from live TV and streaming services by simple swiping up, down, left and right. It seems like live TV, music streaming services and video streaming services work perfectly together (it also works as a DVR). You can be watching a movie and swipe to the side to start playing the soundtrack, for example.

Because the Fan TV will be streaming your live content, it is not only accessible through your set-top box. Fanhattan promises compatibility with Android and iOS devices; much like some cable providers offer live TV streaming with an app, currently.

This all sounds great, but we can’t make any significant judgements until we learn more and get to test Fan TV. The interface and set-up looks very promising, though. Other factors have to fall into place for Fan TV to really come above the competition. First, we have to see if enough cable providers are willing to partner with Fanhattan. Availability of apps and streaming services is also an important factor – a cool remote and prettier interface won’t beat Google TV (or the others).

All in all, we honestly feel like Fan TV could be pretty awesome. If the company manages to get some major signatures and partners, it should become a very dangerous competitor to Google TV. For now, it has caught our attention, so stay tuned to GTVSource to learn more about Fan TV in the future. Fan TV is set for release later this year and you can be sure we will be keeping an eye on it.

You can learn more about Fan TV by checking out its official site, where you can also watch their promotional video. Give it a watch and let us know if you think Google TV is in trouble!