While phone makers are using DLNA to connect the video from smartphones to TV, Sony and Google have another Android option, Google TV and Sony Internet TV. An added bonus is that you can use your Android smartphone as a remote.
Sony Internet TV runs its own form of Android with a built-in Chrome browser, which allows users to surf the web, view video and run apps from their TVs. Sony Internet TV with Google TV offers the ability to search and watch content from many sources, including broadcast, cable/satellite, and streaming internet video.
Featuring both integrated television models and a Blu-ray Disc player, Sony Internet TV is powered by Google TV. It is built on the Android platform, runs the Google Chrome browser and includes an IntelAtom processor, which offers the ability to quickly search across Internet and television content for easy access to entertainment and information.
The models also feature Dual View, allowing users to watch television while tweeting about what they're watching, checking their fantasy football scores, or finding related content on the web.
They also deliver a truly personalized entertainment experience with the ability to bookmark content for easy access and add applications from the Android Market (coming in early 2011). The models feature Sony's premium streaming service "Video On Demand powered by Qriocity" as well as pre-installed apps, including CNBC, Napster, NBA, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, and YouTube.
The intuitive hand-held RF QWERTY keypad remote, which incorporates an optical mouse, makes it easy to navigate content, type in search terms, and control the TV's user interface. Additionally, select mobile devices, such as an Android phone, can control the TV with an app that will be available for download from the mobile Android Market later this fall.
Built-in Wi-Fi makes it easy to connect to home broadband networks for accessing web content. Additionally, Sony Internet TV is ready for the future and is fully upgradable through system updates.
Sony Internet TV connects to select HD DVR devices from Dish Network to include previously recorded content in the search results and control DVR functionality from the set's user interface.
Featuring four LCD HDTVs with Google TV built-in, the Sony Internet TV line includes the 24-inch class NSX-24GT1 ($599.99), the 32-inch class NSX-32GT1 ($799.99), the 40-inch NSX-40GT1 ($999.99), and the 46-inch NSX-46GT1 ($1,399.99). The Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc player with Google TV built-in, NSZ-GT1 ($399.99), also allows users to enjoy all of the powerful features of Google TV on their existing HDTV.
Best Buy is offering Free Google TV Setup with Select Sony Internet HDTVs, and is valid from 10/24-10/30.
Broadband Internet connection speed of at least 2.5 Mbps is recommended (10 Mbps for HD).
Internet TV is as yet an additional service in the living room. Live sports, reality TV and Simon Cowell will for some time ensure the traditional networks existence. But what if that changes? It may well be that Internet TV becomes a melting pot of the main stream and the quirky where both have room to live.
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