The Google TV has not seen the success that Google had hoped for, but Sony and Google are apparently still working on it. Sony’s next Google TV product is not a box, but instead a small Chromecast-like HDMI dongle, it seems.
Sony's next Google TV as a HDMI dongle
Sony has launched a few generations of Google TV products as large, bulky boxes, sometimes with built-in Blu-ray. That will apparently change with the next generation – named NSZ-GU1 – which is a small HDMI dongle that can be inserted in a HDMI port on the rear of a TV.
It seems that Sony’s next Google TV product will be a small HDMI dongle
It bears a lot of similarities to the Google Chromecast, but Sony is instead opting to integrate the full Google TV platform, with a graphical user interface on the TV screen, TV apps, and integrated streaming services.
The small dongle can be connected to a TV via HDMI, and according to photos released by USA’s approval authority FCC it is only a few centimeters long. It can pull power directly from the HDMI port (if it supports MHL) or via USB or a power outlet. The specifications list says that it will have a maximum resolution of 720p, but we hope that changes before launch. The photos also suggest that Sony will be bundling it with an IR blaster, which probably means that it can be controlled with a conventional remote, possibly your existing TV remote.
It seems that Google TV is not completely dead, but we have no information on when Sony expects to release the HDMI dongle. However, we think it is fair to assume that it will be significantly cheaper than previous Google TV products from Sony.
- Source: FCC (1, 2) via Engadget
Sony's next Google TV is a Chromecast-like dongle
