Sony Internet Player with Google TV

Like many of you reading this, I tend to exhaustingly research products before I purchase. The second generation Sony google tv box is no exception. I have had it for a few days and felt compelled to share my thoughts. Before I pulled the trigger on this product I had a Vizio google tv on backorder. I canceled it and went with this one for two reasons: 1.) The remote seemed to receive better reviews 2.) More importantly, it serves as a pass through of cable/satellite signal even when turned off. This seems like a minor detail but I had to remember that although I love all things tech, my wife prefers things to just work. So, I figured if she got frustrated with google tv then she could just turn it off and use the cable box/dvr like always. The extra 65 bucks (vizio charges shipping) would be well worth a peaceful marriage. With that said, I have found that she has no problem using google tv and actually has admitted that she likes it. She especially likes how we can now retire three remotes (cable, lg tv, and a/v receiver) and just use one remote. So the first part of my recommendation would be that if are paying for cable/satellite service then go with google tv not a roku or apple tv which does not allow for it. Although both roku and apple may have slcker UIs, I just could not understand having a non integrated solution in our primary entertainment room. Having to switch back and forth was basically what we we were already doing (HTPC, LG tv apps, cable box), plus having a web browser was an important criteria for me. The second part of my review deals more with the product. The setup was absolutely simple. I don't know why anyone has had trouble. The only hiccup was finding the model numbers of my tv set but thanks to amazon that was simple as well. The UI, although not mind blowing is very usable and makes it very easy to switch from one app to the next. The device will play ESPN 3 (I could not find confirmation of this during my research so for others who care about this I am glad to provide the answer). I also like that it has two USB ports which work fine with a jump drive but not with a portable hard drive. I plan to hookup a camera to see if I can use it for google hangouts or skype. I will update the review with that information. So, if you have any plans to have more than one device connected then go with the sony (2 ports) not the vizio (1 port). Google has also opened up Play music and Play movies to work on google tv in the last week or so which is very cool as I have all my music on play music. A few more thoughts: not all apps support PIP but it is nice to have TV in PIP while Pandora/Play Music is on. I also like having TV in PIP while I search Chrome browser. Chrome browser is very easy to read and I don't know why some reviews complained about it. The app selection remains somewhat limited but I can sideload almost any app but so far I can't think of many apps that I really care to (maybe onlive but I really don't play games). So this leads me to believe a bigger deal is being made out of this than it is and maybe the real problem is that not enough developers have created apps that are compelling in a TV environment. Regardless, I mainly need the google tv to watch cable, watch netflix, amazon video, espn 360, you tube, google play movies, pandora, google music, and a about a dozen internet sites. This seems like quite a bit considering I am used to paying over $500.00 for a HTPC that takes forever to boot up, text is impossibly small, good remotes are expensive and MS is prone to become buggy. The only drawback is not having built in blu-ray. I have, however, managed to play a movie from a usb jump drive and I have yet to start using PLEX so there a ways around this if you put in the work to consolidate your discs into digital media. The remote, although could still be improved, works well and does a lot considering how much it needs to be able to do. I will say the absolute best android remote i have used with this device is the sony remote app. It works seamlessly with the box. Also, there is an app you can put on google tv that allows your iphone and ipad to play movies or show pictures and slideshows on the tv just like apple tv. This is a really cool feature as my wife is always wanting to show me the funny day to day happenings of our kids and this makes these videos a living room 47" experience rather than on her 3.5" iphone screen. So in conclusion, I would say that this device is well worth the money. Google will continue to update it and add their ever expanding cloud services to it (which are far better than icloud). Remember you are buying this thing for about one to two years of use and then something so much better will be out and this will be retired to a secondary room. So if the money is too much for this timeframe then hold on to your money. However, for me it's a bargain that I am happy to take considering it does everything I need. I will update my experience periodically. UPDATE: I have the device for nearly two months, and I felt compelled to update especially after reading all the negative reviews. First of all, expectations are a difficult thing. There are expectations that are in line with what is currently on the market versus those that are crafted with a view of what will be but is not yet. The Sony Google TV is the next step forward to what might eventually be the "ultimate entertainment solution". The Nexus TV or something like that. So if that is your expectations, hold on to your $166.00. However, if you want something right now, then keep reading. First of all, in the last two months a fair amount has been updated. For instance just last week You Tube was updated so that anything from the youtube android phone app can be sent to the TV no matter what application the TV is in. This is very slick if you have an android phone or tablet. Also, the play store movies and music apps keep getting better. The movies app works great and is now my preferred place to buy movies even over amazon because it is so much easier. Google music is still a little buggy but is getting there. The GTV guide is now called Primetime and I find myself using it more and more as it is quicker than the cable box guide. I just need to setup my favorites a little better. I have had no problem playing movies from a jump drive and plan on getting a 64gb flash drive to have a nice selection available. The device does not work with a spinning hard drive only flash drives. It does have two usb ports so technically you could relatively cheaply add 128gb of movie storage. Does the device sometimes need to be unplugged, yes. Maybe once every three weeks. It is hardly even an annoyance as it fixes so quickly and I agree with another reviewer that it could be the fault of the app not the GTV. As for remotes, I love being able to get rid of them all and have just one. I also like the android Sony TV app, able Tv app, and even the google tv app on android work very well. Because the main remote works on bluetooth there is no stretching to try to get the IR to recognize and cabinet doors can remain closed. The ultimate test is that my wife, a non techie, has zero complaints. This is a big deal and is the ultimate litmus test for the device in my book. Netflix app loads quick and is our second most used app on the device given our young children. Netflix has become the go to for quick kids movies and shows and is worth the money just for that. I hope more apps get developed for the GTV as it is a solid platform that has a lot of potential.