Sony has launched a new 40″ Google TV for under sub US$1,000 but don’t expect to pay that in Australia despite the Aussie dollar almost reaching parity with the US dollar.
Announced in the USA this morning the range consists of two HD TV’s and a Blu-ray Disc player with Google TV built in. It is not known when the TV’s will be launched in Australia or what content will available for Australian consumers.
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| Functions on this remote control will be available on an Android Smartphone later this year. |
The new Google TV’s developed by Sony consist of four TV models with one retailing for sub $1,000 and a Blu-ray player that comes fully integrated with Google TV. It will compete head on with the recently announced Google TV offering from Logitech which comes in a box.
“Sony Internet TV is the world’s first HDTV that combines the big-screen impact of television and full Internet search to deliver an unrivalled entertainment experience,” said Mike Abary, SVP of Sony’s Home Division. “Finally, you can seamlessly search your favourite TV programs and web sites on the same screen, at the same time.”
All four of Sony’s Google TV’s are priced under $1,400 in the USA they consist of a 24-inch, $599.99; 32-inch, $799.99; 40-inch, $999.99 and a 46-inch which retails for $1,399.99.
They include four HDMI and four USB ports, a keypad remote with optical mouse and built-in Wi-Fi.
Owners of Android phones will later this year be able to control their new Google TV’s using an Android based Smartphone. Software for the TV’s will be available from the Android Marketplace.
In the USA the new Google TV’s and Blu-ray player come packaged with Sony’s video on demand service, and preloaded applications including CNBC, Napster, NBA, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter and YouTube.
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After seeing the Sony offering Engadget reviewers offered the following comments.
It’s interesting how UI scales between the different TV sizes — the search bar looks comically large on the larger TV sizes, and just about right on the medium sizes.
While you don’t have to switch inputs, as Sony and Google are so proud to point out, there is a distinct resolution switch that the TV is undergoing between live TV and the Google TV app UI — 1080i to 720p would be our guess.
Something that could be a real issue for Google TV is the lack of UI consistency. You’re dealing with your DVR’s UI, the Google TV search and record experience, the Chrome browsing experience, and then whatever UI a particular media browsing app might have (all the ones we tried were vastly different from each other). You can also browse your recorded shows from the Google TV UI or your own DVR’s UI, which among other overlapping functionality might prove confusing when it’s not being convenient.
The picture-in-picture function, which is a simple right click on the right d-pad, is probably going to be a well worn option for Google TV users — keeping a show going live while looking something up in the browser or in an app is sort of this machine’s bread and butter, and it’s nicely convenient to access.
Product specifications include: See over:
Sony Internet TV NSX-46GT1
Available in October for $1,399.99
· 46-inch Full HD 1080p display with Edge LED backlight
· Google TV built-in
· Seamlessly search across your television & Internet for content
· Surf the web while watching TV using Dual View
· Upgradeable Google TV platform
· Download apps from Android Market (*coming in early 2011)
· Superior processing power with Intel Inside
· Easy-to-use RF QWERTY keypad remote with integrated optical mouse
· Link to select mobile phones (coming this fall)
· Built-in Wi-Fi
· Four HDMI inputs and four USB inputs
Sony Internet TV NSX-40GT1
Available in October for about $999.99
· 40-inch Full HD 1080p display with Edge LED backlight
· Google TV built-in
· Seamlessly search across your television & Internet for content
· Surf the web while watching TV using Dual View
· Upgradeable Google TV platform
· Download apps from Android Market (*coming in early 2011)
· Superior processing power with Intel Inside
· Easy-to-use RF QWERTY keypad remote with integrated optical mouse
· Link to select mobile phones (coming this fall)
· Built-in Wi-Fi
· Four HDMI inputs and four USB inputs
