Sony new Google TV

[Smokey]

Sony took the wraps off of the first HDTVs featuring Google TV on Tuesday. Sony stressed this is the first HDTV that’s seamlessly integrated to the Internet.

You can watch a show, tap the split-screen button on the PS3-inspired remote, hit the search button and the Chrome browser appears — and you can surf to your heart’s content. You’re not limited to sites as is the case with many other “Internet-enabled” HDTVs.

There are four screen sizes which will be available on Oct 24. The model numbers are NSX-24GT1 ($599), NSX-32GT1 ($799), HSX-40GT1 ($999) and NSX-46GT1 ($1,399). The three larger screens feature edge-lit LED backlighting but they only have 60Hz refresh rates. And they have Intel Atom processors and 8GB of storage, to help surf more quickly.

HDTVs feature Google TV with the Android OS, built-in Wi-Fi, as well as pre-installed apps such as Netflix, Twitter, YouTube, Pandora and others. The remote has a PS3 controller feel to it that has a built-in QWERTY keyboard, and an optical mouse.

http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-th...ys-google-tv/#

[Ajani]

I've been following the AppleTV and GoogleTV launches with great interest... What I really want to know is how good the digital outputs of the Sony and the Logitech Revue are... So would the SonyTV make a bit perfect digital transport? If so, I could see it as the centerpiece for my living room stereo...

[Woochifer]

From this review, it sounds like anything but a seamless experience. Ian Betterridge correctly points out that the salient sentence in this review is "A menu appeared asking me to enlarge a box on the screen to match my actual screen size.” This doesn't happen just once, it happens repeatedly.

http://searchengineland.com/life-wit...ressions-53471

And there are numerous other UI gaffes that this review points out. Might be inconsequential to the geeks in the tech press that are falling all over themselves to praise Google TV, but could be dealbreakers to average consumers who prefer simplicity to mile-long feature checklists.

Also, content providers have begun blocking access to Google TV. This is no different than how Hulu already blocks set top boxes from manufacturers that don't pay an access fee. But, again it chips away at the seamless internet integration that Google's touting.

In the end, I think that Google TV's going to be just another IPTV option among many, and it won't be the killer app that finally solves all of the integration options that have plagued other devices.

[Ajani]

From this review, it sounds like anything but a seamless experience. Ian Betterridge correctly points out that the salient sentence in this review is "A menu appeared asking me to enlarge a box on the screen to match my actual screen size.” This doesn't happen just once, it happens repeatedly.

http://searchengineland.com/life-wit...ressions-53471

And there are numerous other UI gaffes that this review points out. Might be inconsequential to the geeks in the tech press that are falling all over themselves to praise Google TV, but could be dealbreakers to average consumers who prefer simplicity to mile-long feature checklists.

Also, content providers have begun blocking access to Google TV. This is no different than how Hulu already blocks set top boxes from manufacturers that don't pay an access fee. But, again it chips away at the seamless internet integration that Google's touting.

In the end, I think that Google TV's going to be just another IPTV option among many, and it won't be the killer app that finally solves all of the integration options that have plagued other devices.

Hopefully future software upgrades will fix all those issue, but for now that is what I most feared; GoogleTV would be an unintuitive viewing experience... If it wants mass market appeal then it has to be simple to use....

[Smokey]

Looks like the review is for Internet TV Blu-ray Player, not the TV itself. May be with TV, he won't get the repeated "enlarge box on the screen to match actual screen size.” message.

But either way, I don't think the availabilty of content provider will be the main reason if this new product float or sink. I believe what would matter is how this TV can handle variaty of web sites on net that require plugins (like audio content), ease of navigation (review said he could not find his way back on net ), and how it deal with pop ups, viruses and updates.

There are only handfull of content providers, but billion web sites.