Are you willing to give Google TV another go? If so, the latest option for adding the Google TV platform to your TV is the Asus Cube, which is now being offered for sale by NewEgg.com for $140.
We first heard about the Asus Cube (then called the Asus Qube) back at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. Like other Google TV boxes we've tested, such as the Sony NSZ-GS7 and the Vizio Co-Star, the Cube is meant to be placed between your cable or satellite box and your TV, so it integrates what's playing on live TV into your search. The box, which runs Android 3.2 (Honeycomb), has built-in Wi-Fi, a full Web browser (Chrome), and access to the Google Play apps market.
The Asus Cube also has a few differentiating features, including a rotating-cube-style interface, plus voice capability that lets you change channels or conduct searches using voice commands. In addition, the Cube comes with a dual-sided gesture-based remote control with a touchpad on one side and a full QWERTY keyboard on the other. (The remote has a built-in mic for voice control.) You can also download an app that lets you use your Android phone or tablet as a remote control.
Find the best model for your needs and budget: Check our TV buying guide and Ratings.
Included with the purchase is 50GB of Asus WebStorage, a cloud-based service for storing your media content. (The new Boxee Cloud DVR also offers free and paid cloud storage.) In addition to playing live TV from your service provider (an IR repeater is included for controlling your cable or satellite box), the Cube can access a variety of streaming video services, including Amazon, HBO Go, Netflix, and YouTube. Apps can be organized into categories, such as TV & Movies, Games, Sports, Music, News, and Favorites, for easier and quicker access.
The box itself is a fairly nondescript cube measuring about 5 inches on each side, making it larger than the hockey-puck-sized players such as the new Roku 3. In addition to the HDMI input and output, the Cube has two USB ports (one side-mounted) and an Ethernet jack for wired connections, plus a two-piece power cord with an inline power supply so there's no wall wart occupying space in a wall outlet.
At a price of $140, the Asus Cube falls between the $100 Vizio Co-Star and the Sony NSZ-GS7, which has been selling for about $170 recently. The Cube is closest in price to another new Google TV streaming player, the new Netgear NeoTV Prime (GTV100), which we also saw at CES.
In fact, now that we have both the Cube and the NeoTV Prime in our new streaming-media lab, we'll take these two new Google TV-powered players for a test spin soon. Check back for our first impressions.
