Vizio’s Co-Star set-top box with Google TV software can now be ordered for US$99.99, the company said on Tuesday.
The set-top box is the least expensive Google TV device available today. Co-Star will allow users to surf the Web or stream entertainment from Google’s Play store, Netflix, Youtube or Amazon. The box will also allow users to play online games from the OnLive cloud service without the need of a game console, the company said in a blog entry.
The Co-Star set-top box is the “first stream player to offer video games on demand,” Vizio said. The set-top box can be ordered off Vizio’s website. The company did not provide a specific delivery date for the box.
Google TV devices are available from Sony, which is taking orders for the $199 Internet Player with Google TV, and LG, which offers TVs based on Google TV.
The Google TV software tries to bring classic TV and Internet functionality closer. For example, the software can search for a specific movie and jointly lists results from broadcast, DVR and the Internet.
Users will be able to run Android applications and access 100,000 movies and TV content through Google’s online store. The Co-Star set-top box supports Adobe Flash, and Chrome web browser allows users to surf the Internet.
The box has wireless networking capabilities and also boasts 3D support. It has HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) ports (in and out) and a USB 2.0 port. The set-top box comes with a remote control.
Agam Shah covers PCs, tablets, servers, chips and semiconductors for IDG News Service. Follow Agam on Twitter at @agamsh. Agam’s e-mail address is agam_shah@idg.com