A funny thing happened at Sony's Google TV-driven product announcement last night. In addition to the four Internet TV models that we knew were coming, Sony surprised us with another Apple TV competitor: a $399.99 Google TV Blu-ray player.
My first thought was: Huh—I didn't know that was coming. My second was: Did Logitech? Within one week, we've had two Google TV product-based announcements, but it was common knowledge leading up to each that Logitech would introduce a standalone box and Sony would unveil a television line with Google TV built-in. There was no mention of a Blu-ray player. Surely this Google TV Blu-ray player doesn't do virtually everything the Logitech Revue does and for only $100 more...right?
Let us compare the basic built-in features of the Logitech Revue, on pre-order now for $299 via Logitech's Web site, to the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc player (NSZ-GT1), also available for pre-order on Sony's Web site.
Do they both have virtually the same Google TV user interface with easy-to-navigate pull-down menus and Google search options for content available on your computer, DVR, and online? Yes. How about Netflix and other on-demand content? Yes. A Dish Network tie-in that's built in to the user interface? Yes. Access to apps from the Android market? Yes. Chrome browser? Yes. Handheld, full QWERTY remote controls? Yes...sort of. (The Sony Blu-ray player's remote is handheld, the Revue's is a full-size keyboard, although there is a $129.99 handheld QWERTY remote accessory.) Do they both have HDMI in, HDMI out, Optical audio out Ethernet port, and USB ports? Yes. Do they both stream music, video, and photos from computers on your Wi-Fi network to your television? Yes. Do they both have Blu-ray players? No.Advantage: Sony.
To be fair, The Logitech Revue has video-chat capabilities that it seems the Sony Blu-ray player may lack—this is not yet clear—but either way, you still need to shell out $149.99 for the Logitech TV Cam in order to use this feature.
The bottom line: you will be lucky to find a brand-name Blu-ray player of reasonable quality for under $150. If you want extra features, it's probably more like $200-250. The Sony Internet TV Blu-ray Disc player is, more or less, the same box as the Logitech Revue, but with a built-in, brand-name Blu-ray player for only $100 more. This thing will play virtually every type of content you own, from stored computer files to old CDs and DVDs to new Blu-rays and streaming Web content.
PCMag has yet to review either product, but it's safe to say that the Logitech Revue, announced only a week ago, has lost a bit of its luster. It's not that the Revue suddenly looks like bad product—its new feature set is very exciting. But adding in a Blu-ray player for only $100 more is even more exciting, and it's a deal many consumers who have yet to buy their first Blu-ray player will likely lean towards if Google TV is on their wish-list this fall.
In retrospect, maybe Logitech knew about this all along—hence the earlier press conference (while all of this was still new) and a heavy focus on the video-chat function at that event. But video-chatting, the Revue's primary distinguishing feature, will cost you about $50 more for the whole package than the Blu-ray player, making the Sony option, in a certain sense, the cheaper of the two.
Both products are definitely going to make people think twice before buying Apple TV, but the competition between the two Google TV boxes may be the more interesting battle to watch.
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