Sony's DMX-NV1 Bravia Internet Video Link now available

Remember that Sony Internet Video Link for Bravia TVs that we told you about way back in February of 2007? Well apparently the $299.99 units have hit stores, and are now available for your purchasing pleasure. If you'll recall, the pricey boxes allow you to stream internet video, music, and light content (like weather and traffic) into your television via the company's familiar Xross Media Bar interface. Of course, you'll be dropping a pretty big chunk of change on something with fairly limited use, but hey... it's your money.

[Via Zatz Not Funny!]

[Jagster @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:35AM]

What an overpriced waste. If it was a $50-$100 add-on it would be OK.

[Reme @ Apr 23rd 2008 4:10PM]

This was a bold move to try and include internet streaming video in a tv. It works as an HDMI passthrough so it doesn't waste ports to connect (it's almost like it's integrated). The video quality is OK. On par with youtube's quality mostly... but here's the thing, you can only stream video of a certain quality through average broadband unless you want to include a hard drive (a huge point of failure and a big expense) and this would increase your loading times for videos.

Remember, the box is a 1-time cost and the services are all free... news, weather, music videos, viral videos, and there's new services being added all the time.

One of the newer ones is FearNet that lets you watch full length feature films.

Also, these are service providers, not sony based. There's a couple like Inside Sony Pictures that are Sony services... but unless Sony purchased Yahoo, AOL, and Sports illustrated recently, the content comes from them.

There's been a few attempts to offer web-tv-like experiences, and I think this one offers some interesting videos, especially AP news which is probably one of the only truly fair news organizations left out there.

all in all, not AWESOME, but I like where they're going with it.

[Miami Diver @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:38AM]

Popcorn Hour - $179

[alienvenom @ Apr 23rd 2008 1:59PM]

Yeah... plus a 6+ month wait...

[Kiwi616 @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:39AM]

Why didn't they just tack on $50 on every HDTV set and include this with it. I don't need anymore connector flying out of my TVs...I want much less.

[gabe @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:44AM]

at least its not ugly like the ps3

listen not everyone wants a game system attached to their tv's.

this has a small form factor and looks pleasant.

Why i just made an order.


not.

[Clete R. Blackwell II @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:50AM]

I swear they were being sold long ago. I demoed the device over 50 times to customers. We have had one in my Sears store for a long time now.

[SirWalksAlot @ Apr 23rd 2008 10:55AM]

For $100 more you can get a PS3 that does all of those things and much much much more. What's the point?

[Devon @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:25AM]

Agreed.
The PS3 also adds Blu-Ray.

If this were maybe $150 I might consider it.
*emphasis on maybe and might

[Hatch @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:12AM]

This mounts on the back off the TV. Out of sight. And it's been on Sale in Canada since the Fall.

[stan @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:46AM]

That device has been available since last year.... You guys are probably confusing this older model with the upcoming extensions to Bravia line......

[Arkweld @ Apr 23rd 2008 1:55PM]

yep, this has been available from SonyStyle for a long time and it's just as useless now as the day it was released.

Another case of Sony promising amazing services that would utilize it, which then fail to appear.

[John Botts @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:47AM]

I purchased my tv from Sears & this came with it as a bonus. I would never had paid the retail price for it, but it is kinda cool to have for free. You can stream quite a bit of content from RSS providers such as Google Video, AOL video and such. The weather/temperature function is nice, although not very accurate in my opinion.

[R @ Apr 23rd 2008 11:51AM]

I saw one on display at Circuit City a couple months ago. It certainly is limited in features. Watching streaming videos was a horrible experience. I selected a music video from the menu. The compression quality was horrible in the native size, which was roughly about 6 inches x 8 inches on screen. When I hit the full screen option, it was unwatchable. Definitely a waste of money.

It would have made more sense to offer a low cost internet connectivity device with a built in web browser. Limiting the content to Sony's site is pretty lame, especially for $300.

[Mike Doherty @ Apr 23rd 2008 1:11PM]

Or the less expensive option, a Nintendo Wii.. which also surfs the internet, checks weather, streams music and movies, and much much more.

[James @ Apr 23rd 2008 4:59PM]

these have been on sale for almost ever, this is very old and overated news

[Dave King @ Apr 23rd 2008 5:41PM]

This is a complete waste of money for what it does. It has limited services available. If it were only 100$-ish, it would be ok. But 300$, I want my money back.

BTW, Anyone interested in a slightly used DMX-NV1?

[laurie @ Apr 24th 2008 5:41AM]

If this was made by just about anyone except Sony, and a lot cheaper, then maybe, but there's no way in the world I would buy anything related to moving digital files around from the likes of Sony, who's whole ethos seems to be based on stopping us plebs from doing what we want with what we've already bought. Screw Sony!