DeviceGuru

Close on the heals of Logitech’s launch of the first set-top Google TV player, Sony has started shipping LCD HDTVs and a Blu-ray player with embedded Google TV capabilities. The devices have built-in WiFi, and come with wireless remote control keyboards.

About Google TV

As DeviceGuru recently reported Google TV is a flexible, Android-based software platform aimed at delivering a wide range of Internet-based streaming multimedia, as well as other web content and applications, to consumers’ TV screens.

Although it theoretically could be made to run on PCs, Google TV currently is only available on consumer devices from Logitech and Sony. Once the Android-based Internet multimedia streaming platform is fully released in mid-2011, other device makers are expected follow suit, says Google.

Logitech demonstrated its “Revue” set-top player earlier this month and is now accepting pre-orders on Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, and Logitech.com.

Sony’s new Google TV products, which include four LCD HDTVs plus a set-top Blu-ray player, feature the standard set of Google TV capabilities, as described in DeviceGuru’s prior Google TV coverage and on the Google TV web page.

Sony’s Google TV offerings

According to Sony, its new series of LCD HDTVs — ranging from 24 to 46 inch display size — offer full Google TV capabilities. The new Blu-ray disc player adds Google TV functionality to other HDTVs regardless of manufacturer. Additionally, Sony’s unique wireless keyboard/remote control, which is optimized for use with Google TV, comes with all of the newly released Sony Google TV-related products.

Sony’s new Google TV product family
(click each image to enlarge)

Key features of the new HDTV and Blu-ray disc player products include:

• Upgradeable Google TV platform running on a low-power, embedded Intel processor
• Seamlessly search across cable TV and Internet for content
• Surf the web while watching TV using “dual view”
• Download apps from Android Market (coming in early 2011)
• Easy-to-use RF QWERTY keypad remote with integrated optical mouse
• Link to select mobile phones (coming soon)
• Built-in WiFi
• USB inputs: 4 on TVs, 1 on Blu-ray disc player
• HDMI inputs: 4 on TVs, 1 on Blu-ray disc player
• HDMI output: 1 on Blu-ray player

Retail pricing for the NSZ-GT1 Blu-ray disc and Google TV player is $399. Sony’s four new Google TV-enabled LCD HDTVs are priced as follows: 24-inch NSX-24GT1 at $599.99; 32-inch NSX-32GT1 at $799.99; 40-inch NSX-40GT1 at $999.99; 46-inch NSX-46GT1 at $1,399.99. All prices include the special Google TV QWERTY keypad remote. All products are available now for pre-order at BestBuy.com.

Sony is the number-three supplier of LCD-TVs to the U.S. market, with about 11 percent market share, behind Samsung (20 percent share) and Vizio (19 percent share), according to iSuppli’s latest figures.

Further details on Sony’s Google TV products may be found on Sony’s consumer electronics website, here.

For further information regarding Google TV, in general, read DeviceGuru’s prior coverage and visit Google’s Google TV website.