In those years when the concept of Smart TV was beginning to take shape, there were many companies that tried to develop their own software for televisions. Nevertheless, it took us a long time to find out about an operating system that was universal and that any manufacturer could adopt, as is the case with Google TV/Android TV today. Although there were some who decided to try taking advantage of its relevance in other sectors, as happened with Canonical with its version of Ubuntu for televisions.

Ubuntu TV was presented during the 2012 CES as an alternative to the operating systems for Smart TVs that existed at that time. The idea was to offer a clean and connected experience through open-source softwareand with an air very similar to that of Ubuntu for computers but optimized for TVs.

The operating system we never thought we’d need

The operating system was able to be tested during the CES fair, and its developers showed on several occasions what the operating system was capable of, offering a clean interface focused on playing content and enjoy applications such as YouTube or browsers.

The idea was quite attractive, especially since if the project went ahead, right now we could count on an operating system in which we are not constantly bombarded with advertising or collect our information as aggressively.

While it had all the ingredients to deliver a compelling user experience optimized for stable performance, the Ubuntu foundation failed to find partners who wanted to install the operating system on their televisions. At that time, the brands that bet the most on Smart TV already had a roadmap with their own ecosystem, deciding to go their own way as far as smart TV software was concerned. Of the only ones that made the feint was Sony with the launch of Google TV in 2010 (the OS before the one we know today), although it did not quite materialize.

Another factor that made Ubuntu TV irrelevant was the output of hundreds of TV-Boxes and HDMI dongles like Chromecast, Roku, Apple TV, among others, making it possible for anyone to get the experience of a Smart TV without breaking the bank for a TV with a pre-installed operating system.

Many wonder if Ubuntu TV would have done better if instead of distributing their operating system by forming agreements and pre-installed on the television, they had chosen to distribute it on their own hardware through a TV-Box. At that time, the idea of Ubuntu for mobile also resonated, and that ambition to expand into other areas ended up fading and getting lost along the way to finally continue to develop what they have always known how to do: your own distro for computers.

Today, if we want to opt for a similar experience on televisions, we can always use Kodi or a Raspberry Pi with a Linux distro installed and connected to the television.