Sony has officially announced its Google TV line-up and offered a glimpse at the products that will be coming to Australia in 2011.
(Credit: Sony)
The Sony Bravia NSX-GT1 series, which will inevitably be known as "The Google TV", but Sony calls the "Sony internet TV, the world's first HDTV powered by Google", includes four sizes from 24 through to 46 inches. The estimated selling price of the televisions is from US$599 to US$1399, and will ship starting 16 October in the US. The Blu-ray player is available at the same time for US$399.
While Sony Australia has confirmed to CNET Australia the availability of a set-top box and at least one TV in 2011, pricing and models are still unknown.
The promise of Google TV is to integrate all available video content — regardless of whether it comes from video-on-demand, Freeview, YouTube or a random website — onto one screen that you can search as easily as Google.com searches the web. The Sony TVs and Blu-ray player come with a special remote control with a keyboard, can control other devices in your AV system and even enable you to surf the entire web with a built-in Chrome browser. Aside from actually hooking a PC to your TV, it's the closest you will likely come to converging the two devices.
Sony integrates Google's service and at least one tuner into the LCD TVs, so no additional box is required. One major difference between the two, however, is that Sony's TVs and Blu-ray player will not allow streaming of music and video files over your home network, although Sony says this feature is in the works.
Each TV has four HDMI and four USB inputs, as well as built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi, so you don't need to run an Ethernet cable to your living room to access the internet. Otherwise, aside from Google TV, NSX-GT1 is a relatively basic edge-lit, non-dimming LED-based LCD that's missing step-up features like 100Hz found on the KDL-EX700 models.
How will the service work once it hits Australia? We think the launch of the local TiVo product gives the precedent for this: in the States the TiVo aggregates satellite, cable and free-to-air, while here it's a simple dual-tuner PVR with no cable functionality. It's likely Google TV will work in the same fashion. Possibility of Foxtel/Austar integration? 0.05 per cent.
For a closer look at the system and the QWERTY remote control click on the photo gallery below. Check back soon for full reviews of the products, but in the meantime, let us know what you think in the comments below.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Today Sony announced full details on its NSX-GT1 line of LCD TVs and its NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray player, the first products of their kind equipped with the Google TV service.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)No other current internet-connected TV features a built-in web browser. Google's browser should allow virtually the entire world of video on the web, including video from sites like ComedyCentral.com and even CNET Australia, to show up on your TV.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)For its US launch, the Google TV software has support for several streaming-media services, including YouTube, Amazon VOD, Netflix, Pandora and Napster. Australian services are unknown but are likely to include the services already available on Bravia Internet Video such as Yahoo's Plus 7 and ABC's iView.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Google TV also has built-in apps for Twitter, the NBA and CNBC at launch, and we'd be shocked if Facebook didn't show up soon. Later in 2011, there will also be support for the Android Marketplace, so you'll be able to use Android apps on your HDTV. Phone apps will be scaled to fit bigger TV screens, and Google expects developers to start creating apps specifically for the Google TV platform.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Here you can see the user interface and bookmarks.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)For the US launch, the Google TV software has support for several streaming-media services, including YouTube, Amazon VOD, Netflix, Pandora and Napster.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)US's Netflix interface with Google search overlaid.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)The TV bezel features touch-sensitive buttons.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)The remote is held just like one of Sony's PS3 game controllers, and the full QWERTY keyboard and touch pad are designed for thumbs-only operation. The remote commands your other gear as well, so you only need one remote, and interfaces with the TV by radio frequency so you don't need line-of-sight.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)In a brief hands-on we found the remote ergonomic enough, the "shoulder" keys for scroll and zoom a thoughtful touch, and the responsiveness of the thumb pad a pleasant surprise — it worked like any laptop touch-pad for shoving a cursor around the screen, albeit more sensitive (sensitivity is adjustable). The sheer number of buttons and shortcut keys was a bit intimidating, although we're sure we'd get used to it in time.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)On the downside the clicker was bulky, and the large keypad was a stretch even for my big hands. At first blush we prefer Logitech's mini-keyboard option (AU$200) or a full-size keyboard, especially for heavy searching. Of course, like the Revue, the Sony will work with any Android or iPhone as the controller via forthcoming apps, and Sony says you can plug standard PC keyboards (wireless or otherwise) into the TV too.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)In addition to the controller, Sony says you can plug standard PC keyboards (wireless or otherwise) into the TV.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)The NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray player operates just like the TVs, includes the same remote and ability to command other gear, and features a slot-loading Blu-ray drive, similar to the one on the PS3.
The Blu-ray player will be available for US$399.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)One additional extra is integration with the Gracenote service (a Sony property) for easy searches on meta-information, such as a movie's page at IMDB, an artist's website and the like, from inserted discs. Sony also says the NSZ-GT1 is technically capable of being upgraded for 3D Blu-ray playback, but wouldn't elaborate on whether it was in the works.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)It has one HDMI input (for a US cable box, to enable the Google TV overlay) and one output, with connectivity otherwise identical to the TVs.
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(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)Sony also says the NSZ-GT1 is technically capable of being upgraded for 3D Blu-ray playback, but wouldn't elaborate on whether it was in the works.
Via CNET US
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