This, in the end, may be the reason Google is letting go (and could also signal that Cisco will soon sell its own TV set top box unit) as Asian competitors may be turning set top boxes into commodities.

FORBES: Selling Motorola's TV Group: a Strategic Mistake for Google?

As I noted earlier, Apple (AAPL) this morning said that this week it will top the 1 million unit mark for sales of its new generation Apple TV set-top box.

FORBES: Apple: When Will They Start Making TVs?