On Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that Google seems to be testing a new television-programming search service on a set-top box designed by Dish Network Corp., in an effort to merge web content with broadcasting.

According to people familiar with the subject, the service runs on TV set-top boxes containing Google software, allowing users to search shows on the satellite-TV service as well as video from Web sites like Google's YouTube.

With this test, Google aims to march ahead of other companies who are keen to wed the Web and TV, and also opponents like Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc.

Last week, TiVo Inc. had declared new digital video recorders that combines broadcast and web content.

Audiences in the Google test can search by typing queries on a keyboard rather than a remote control.

Prior efforts to merge Internet programming with TV sets have not succeeded, since it requires customers to buy extra hardware. But by working in collaboration with Dish and its hardware, Google can evade such issues.

Eric Schmidt, Google Chief Executive, said that it "makes sense that people would use Android as an operating system for set-top boxes and buddy boxes and TVs" and added "all of those ideas have been proposed by our partners".

Google will not be making the hardware itself, said Mr. Schmidt.