Google has been trying to get into the living room for a long time, but it hasn't always worked out. The Google TV platform it launched four years ago never really took off and the curiously shaped Nexus Q was so beleaguered by its limited functions and high price that it didn't stand a chance. Last year, however, Google finally managed to get a taste of success with theChromecast, an inexpensive video-streaming dongle that was so simple it eschewed the need for a remote control or dedicated UI. Almost too simple, some would say -- you still need another device lying around to cast content to it and the lack of a UI means it's not quite as user-friendly as a Roku or an Apple TV.
The ASUS-made Nexus Player could essentially be described as a large hockey puck. It's a flat, disc-shaped device with the Nexus logo proudly inscribed on top. Yet, unlike the spherical Nexus Q, the Player is quite inconspicuous. Sure, its slightly unusual circular design might stand out amidst your home theater setup, but its small footprint and compact form factor -- it's barely the size of my hand -- means you probably won't notice it most of the time. Indeed, the only indication that it's powered on is a small LED positioned underneath the unit. That, combined with the fact that the remote works over Bluetooth and not IR, means you could tuck it out of sight and never have to deal with it once it's hooked up.
Speaking of which, setup is pretty easy. Simply plug the player into a power outlet, connect it to your TV with an HDMI cable (which is sadly not included) and you're done. There's also a micro-USB port located on the rear, which Google tells us is for developers to use to create and debug apps. If you decide to get a gamepad (which I'll get to shortly), there's also a button underneath the Player that you can press to initiate the Bluetooth pairing process with the accessory. From there, setup is as easy as going through the on-screen instructions: You'll pair your remote, choose your WiFi network and sign in with your Google account. And no, there's no Ethernet port: The Nexus Player is WiFi-only by default. That might not be a big deal for some, but I would've really liked the option; streaming videos over wired connections is typically faster and more reliable than wireless. You could get a micro-USB-to-Ethernet adapter, but that's an additional cost you would have to factor in.
On the inside, there's a 1.8GHz quad-core Intel Atom processor plus an Imagination PowerVR Series 6 Graphics 2D/3D Engine, which makes it more powerful than most, if not all, other streaming devices on the market. Navigating through the menus certainly feels zippy enough, and I experienced no noticeable lag when launching apps or playing games. It has 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, though the actual capacity might be less. That isn't a whole lot of space, which means you'll need to be careful not to load too many games on here.
No comments:
Post a Comment