Samsung, the world’s largest television maker, is planning to introduce Google’s TV software, this January, reports Bloomberg.

Details of the plan have yet to be decided, Yoon Boo Keun, head of Samsung’s TV business, said in Seoul. The company is “open” to using Intel Corp.’s chips for its TVs, Yoon said.

A partnership will follow a similar move by Sony, the world’s third-largest TV maker. In October, Sony began offering Google’s Internet-enabled TVs in the U.S..

Reviewers appear underwhelmed.

• David Pogue of the NY Times says, “Google TV may be interesting to technophiles, but it’s not for average people. On the great timeline of television history, Google TV takes an enormous step in the wrong direction: toward complexity.”

• Walt Mossberg of the WSJ says, “No Need to Tune In Just Yet.”

Meanwhile, Hulu, the premium TV-viewing site, has cut its price to $7.99 a month. It features higher video quality and expanded library of shows and movies. Hulu Plus works with Roku and TiVo receivers, and is available on the PC, but also on Apple’s iPad, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and third-generation iPod touch, Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players, and Sony Bravia TVs, Blu-ray players, as well as the Sony PlayStation 3, with more tablets, settops and mobile devices in the future.

Hulu is jointly owned by General Electric Co.’s NBC Universal, Fox owner News Corp., ABC owner The Walt Disney Co. and Providence Equity Partners. Many of these providers are blocking access to their content from Google TV.

Netflix announced some Android devices will instantly stream early next year. Netflix currently can be streamed on Windows Phone 7 devices, and the iPhone as well as AppleTV. Netflix has said it is considering a streaming-only plan in the U.S.; it currently offers a streaming-only service in Canada for $7.99 per month.

Orb Networks promises to bring all of Hulu.com’s content on your TV screen — for free, says GigOm. Orb TV is a small hockey puck sized device that provides access to ESPN 3, Netflix, Comedy Central and other cable networks using a small piece of software that users install on their PCs.

Videos from Hulu and other online sources stream through the PC client, which then sends the signal via Wi-Fi to the Orb TV unit. There’s little networks can do to stop this kind of architecture, reports GigOm.

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