Mashable is reporting today that Google CEO Eric Schmidt has confirmed that the company is planning on releasing the Google TV set-top-box to customers in the United States sometime this fall.

The Google TV was first announced at the company's I/O conference earlier this year and in simple terms, puts the Internet on your TV. Google TV integrates with your TV service and allows you to search the entire Internet, along with what content is currently playing on different channels.

Google will be selling Google TV as a separate unit, along with working with HDTV manufacturers to built-in the service. The basic Google TV service will be free, but it has been previously rumored that there will be a paid service available as well.

Google TV is obviously going to be a direct competitor to the Apple TV, except they both do different things. Google TV allows you to browse the Internet. Apple TV allows you to browse the iTunes Store.