Google has held discussions with media companies to introduce its own online-television service, Bloomberg reported today citing people with knowledge of the matter. The product would offer viewers television packages that bypass cable subscriptions. The talks are preliminary and nothing is imminent, the people said.

The Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported Google's discussions with media companies yesterday.

Intel has been also developing a service slated for later this year. The chip maker plans to begin selling a set-top box with Web-based pay-TV service by the end of the year. The company wants to reach consumers who prefer more flexibility in finding and watching shows, Eric Free, a vice president and general manager of Intel said last month.

In June, it announced deals to offer apps from Time Warner?s HBO and Walt Disney?s ESPN to customers who already receive those channels from cable or satellite pay TV services. The maker of iPhones is also reaching out to cable services. It is nearing a deal with Time Warner Cable that would let subscribers of that cable system watch channels on Apple TV.

New Nexus Tablets

In related news, Google has started sending out invitations to the media about a July 24 press event, where the company is expected to announce the next generation of its Nexus tablets.

The event will be held in San Francisco and will be hosted by Sundar Pichai, a Google executive who oversees the company's Android and Chrome operating systems.