The third device that Google announced last Thursday is the Nexus Player. This is the first device to take advantage of the Android TV platform that was announced during Google I/O 2014. For the Nexus Player, Google opted to collaborate with ASUS, which happens to be one of its long time Nexus device partner, who also was responsible for both the Nexus 7 and its refresh.
The Nexus Player wants to be your complete entertainment hub and as such it will be able to stream movies, music and other videos. The player will also be able to cast the media, that is being played either on your Chromebook, Android/iOS smartphones or tablets, on to the connected TV as it is Google Cast ready. Another interesting point to note is that the Nexus Player is also gaming console. The Android TV platform that powers the player will allow you to start a game or video on the console and then continue playing on your mobile device.
Click to view slideshow.The main console has a 1.8 GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 processor for computing and a PowerVR Series 6 (Rogue) G6430 chip to handle graphics. The Nexus Player has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of on-board storage. That may seem too little for media storage but fret not as it also has micro-USB 2.0 port to handle external drives. The are only 3 ports/plugs on the Nexus Player and they’re all located at the back, with the HDMI port as well as the power connector making up the remaining two. The device also has 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO, Bluetooth 4.1 for connecting to the remote or the gamepad, and requires TV with HDMI input to work with the TV. It has a 120 mm diameter, is 20 mm thick and weighs 235 g.
The Nexus Player also ships with a voice-activated remote with which you can start a search using just your voice. The remote connects via Bluetooth Smart and requires 2 x AAA batteries (included) to work. Without batteries, it weighs 40 g. If you prefer to have your own remote for the Nexus Player, Google’s Android TV Remote Control app should work just as well on your smartphone.
Click to view slideshow.The Nexus Player also has its own Gamepad but that will have to be purchased separately. The Gamepad for Nexus Player pairs via its Bluetooth 3.0 connection and has a range that’s slightly more than 9 metres. Similar to the OUYA console, you can add up to 4 controllers to a Nexus Player and the player number is indicated by the LED lights on the face of the controller. The controller has analog thumbsticks, pressure-sensitive triggers and a familiar gaming-buttons arrangement that’s found on most other controllers. Users can also easily switch between a gaming session and the Nexus Player home screen. The controller is powered by 2 x AA batteries and weights 237 g without them. It also has a 152 x 108 x 63 mm dimension.
The Nexus Player has a price tag of US$ 109 (~RM 357) while the Gamepad for Nexus Player will go for US$ 44.99 (~RM 147). The devices were awaiting FCC certifications when Google had accidentally started the pre-order but it looks like they have already passed that. The Nexus Player should make it for the November 3 availability date or sometime soon after that. You can check out the Nexus Player and the Gamepad for Nexus Player on Play Store – Devices but the links would not work for network connections that are outside of the supported regions.
The Nexus Player reminds me of the Amazon Fire TV that Reuben had reviewed previously and the resemblance is even more evident on the voice-enabled remote. I’m not hopeful of seeing either of these devices officially in Malaysia any time soon but I would love to be proven wrong.
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