Sony's Google TV box coming to Canada in August

Sony is bringing Google TV to Canada this summer and will begintaking pre-orders Wednesdayforits newset-topdevice that allows television viewers to stream online video content through their home theatre systems.

The NSZ-GS7internet player with Google TV will allowusers toaccess content fromonlinestreaming services such as Netflix, from websites such as YouTube, and from personal computers or portable storagedevices like USB sticks.

The Sony system consists of a slimbox and adouble-sided remote control with a touch pad and a keyboard. The box connects to your TVwith an HDMI cable and to the internetor your home network throughits built-in WiFi or via the ethernet and USB ports.

The box, which was unveiled earlier this year at theConsumer Electronics Show,is expected to go on sale around Aug. 13 at a price of $199.99 and can be pre-ordered online or at Sony retail stores as of Wednesday.

The Sony device will be the first in Canada to feature Google's internet TV software. The company had previously released a Google TV-enabled Blu-ray player in the U.S., but it was not available elsewhere.

Sony plans to also bring a new version of that Google TV Blu-ray player north but not until the end of the year.

Billed as a more easily searchable and versatile alternative tocompeting streaming mediaboxessuch as Apple TV or Roku LT, Google TV's leg-up over its rivals is meant to beits search function, whichmimics theonline Google toolbarby allowing users to search for filesacross all available platforms rather than having to search within each service individually.

The device has both stand-alone streaming applications like NetflixandGoogle'sChrome browser, which allowsusers toaccess some ofthe samevideo content they would be able to view in a browser online. It can also access someapplications in Goggle's Android Market.

Competing with Roku LT, Apple TV

Apple TV, by comparison, is more limited in the video content it can retrieve, drawing mainly on its iTunes Store and some online services such as Netflix. It can also stream video stored on personal computers, its iCloudservice or Apple devices that use its AirPlay technology.

At $109 in Canada, it is cheaper thanthe Google TV box and has been praised for having a more user-friendly interface.

TheRoku LTmedia player, whichwent on sale in Canadain April,is similarly priced as the Apple device, at $109.99 or $89.99 for thetwo models available here,and in the U.S. offers more streaming options than Apple or Google although this advantage is less relevant for Canadian customers who don't have access to sites like Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant and Pandora.

Unlike its competitors, Google doesn't provide its own hardware but partners with third partiessuch asSony, LG, Vizio or Samsung, which also have or are planning to launch Google TV-enabled devices.

Software 'buggy,' critics say

Technology writers who have reviewed the system in the U.S., where it goes on sale July 22, have praisedSony's hardware but been less than enthusiastic about GoogleTV itself.

CNET called the software "buggy and difficult to use" and gavethe Sonyboxa 2.5 out of 5 inits June 24 review.

Although U.S. customers have access to a much broader range of streaming services than Canadians,critics have pointed outthat Google TVdoes not support dedicated apps for some of the most popular of these services, including Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus and MLB.TV or Google's own movie-rental service.

Content from major networks like ABC, NBC and Fox is also unavailable since those networks prevent their browser-based videos from being streamed through the Google service.

The new version ofthe SonyGoogle TV-enabled Blu-ray player, the NSZ-GP9, will go on sale in the U.S. in the fall and in Canadabefore Christmas and will sell for $329.99.