Vizio Co-star
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Vizio Co-Star update brings enhanced Google Play experience, boosts performance
Vizio has released an update that adds enhanced Google Play features and a performance boost to the affordable and adorable Vizio Co-Star. Owners of the tiny Google TV box can now buy or rent directly from the Google Play Store and sync purchases made on other devices. There's also a handy new search feature that scours the Google Play store, live TV and video apps like Netflix and Amazon to make sure you never miss an episode of your favorite TV show. In addition, the update promises faster menus and navigation, enhanced HDMI stability and improved Netflix performance. Looks like $99 buys quite a nice little Google TV box, as long as you can live with that awkward remote, right?
Vizio Co-Star review: how good a deal is this $99 Google TV box?
More Info Vizio Co-Star Google TV set-top box is up for pre-order, $100 brings it your way in August Vizio Co-Star teardown supplies the tech specs we never had Sony NSZ-GS7 Google TV review And then there were two. We're talking about standalone Google TV boxes, folks, with the Vizio Co-Star recently joining Sony's NSZ-GS7. Both feature the same version of Google's software and come with a remote offering a full QWERTY keyboard and touchpad. But with Vizio's model selling for just $99, it's half the price of Sony's entry, so you might be wondering how extensive the differences are. Now that we've had a chance to test both, we're ready to weigh in. Read on to find out if that 50 percent price difference makes the Co-Star worth it.%Gallery-165446%
Vizio Co-Star teardown supplies the tech specs we never had
Vizio's Co-Star Google TV hub has been public knowledge for more than half of 2012, but it might as well have been a black box as far as its internals were concerned. It's mostly been a mystery beyond the acknowledgment of a Marvell ARM chip inside. The teardown gurus at iFixit certainly weren't content to let that riddle go unanswered. Their exploration of the box shows that Vizio is very much clinging to the initial Marvell vision of using a dual-core, 1.2GHz Armada 1500 to handle 1080p video at that $100 price -- albeit with just 4GB of flash to store everything the Android OS demands. What may interest hobbyists is simply the accessibility of the set-top box: just about every board and component comes out easily, which could lead to some cheaper DIY surgery. The full parts list is waiting at the source if knowing how your Google TV box operates is as important as catching up on Netflix.
OnLive-capable Vizio Co-Star now up for pre-order
The Vizio Co-Star Stream Player, the box that turns any old HDTV into a "smart" TV, is now available for pre-order. The device will add advanced internet features (via WiFi) to any HDTV with HDMI input. Said features include Google TV, Netflix, YouTube and, most relevant to readers of Joystiq, OnLive support – making the Co-Star the first Google TV device with integrated OnLive, according to Vizio.Pre-orders are now open at $99 with free shipping for a "limited time."
Vizio Co-Star Google TV set-top box is up for pre-order, $100 brings it your way in August
As promised, Vizio has starting taking pre-orders for its Co-Star Google TV box. For a penny less than a Benjamin, it adds the new Google TV experience to your existing setup, and brings along its remote with QWERTY keyboard on the underside and integrated IR blaster. Based on one of Marvell's ARM processors it's ready for apps like OnLive, and now that the price is competitive with the hockey puck streamers like Roku, Western Digital or Apple, we'll see which one consumers choose. August 14th is the current estimated shipping date, if you'd like to be the first with one (and take advantage of a "limited time" free shipping offer) before the box hits retailers hit the source link to get in line, or check out the press release and quick video preview embedded after the break.
