Nexus Q Google Media Player

[reggie14]

Did you guys see Google's Nexus Q streamer?

http://gizmodo.com/5921745/meet-the-...media-streamer

I'm mostly confused. I don't understand how this fits into the picture with GoogleTV. It's kind of like Google, when looking at the failure of GoogleTV v1, thought "The problem with GoogleTV is that it was too cheap and had too many features. We should up the price and make it only work with our paltry streaming options."

How would anyone not expect this to be a complete failure? There must be more to this story than what we're hearing right now...

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by reggie14

Did you guys see Google's Nexus Q streamer?

http://gizmodo.com/5921745/meet-the-...media-streamer

I'm mostly confused. I don't understand how this fits into the picture with GoogleTV. It's kind of like Google, when looking at the failure of GoogleTV v1, thought "The problem with GoogleTV is that it was too cheap and had too many features. We should up the price and make it only work with our paltry streaming options."

How would anyone not expect this to be a complete failure? There must be more to this story than what we're hearing right now...

It seems we are the minority, "we" meaning the vast few who actually like having our recorded, ripped material under our own control in our own server. Streaming as it seems, is what is being forced down our throats whether we like it or not. Isn't that what's going on in KC with google - thier new streaming network/ISP service and the new GoogleTv xxHD100? I am not saying this new device is the same as the KC one but they will most likely be tied together some how.

Streaming is about monthly re-occuring payments and a server of our choosing with a one time purchased STB of sorts is not. it makes sense for them, but not for "us". I should say.


EDIT: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-medi...-35339164.html

[phelme]

Originally Posted by reggie14

Did you guys see Google's Nexus Q streamer?

http://gizmodo.com/5921745/meet-the-...media-streamer

I'm mostly confused. I don't understand how this fits into the picture with GoogleTV. It's kind of like Google, when looking at the failure of GoogleTV v1, thought "The problem with GoogleTV is that it was too cheap and had too many features. We should up the price and make it only work with our paltry streaming options."

How would anyone not expect this to be a complete failure? There must be more to this story than what we're hearing right now...

It's a Logitech SqueezeBox Touch competitor is how I see it. Exactly the same price point too. I think it's aimed at audiophile types, it has a small amp built in which accounts for some of the cost.

They were dismissing it on twit.tv during the live stream too, but I don' t think they understood who the target audience for it is.

[panteragstk]

Originally Posted by reggie14

Did you guys see Google's Nexus Q streamer?

http://gizmodo.com/5921745/meet-the-...media-streamer

I'm mostly confused. I don't understand how this fits into the picture with GoogleTV. It's kind of like Google, when looking at the failure of GoogleTV v1, thought "The problem with GoogleTV is that it was too cheap and had too many features. We should up the price and make it only work with our paltry streaming options."

How would anyone not expect this to be a complete failure? There must be more to this story than what we're hearing right now...

That is quite possibly the worst product I've seen in a while. $300 for youtube and the play store? Are they just stupid? How can they think that feature set will sell that product? Wow.

[gdippel]

Is this what the SageTV gang have been working on?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2406398,00.asp

[darcilicious]

Originally Posted by phelme

It's a Logitech SqueezeBox Touch competitor is how I see it. [...] I don't think they understood who the target audience for it is.

Agreed.

[panteragstk]

If it is, they need to go back to the drawing board. All that thing does is play youtube videos and stuff from the play store. If I'm missing something I must be missing a lot.

[Skybolt]

Originally Posted by panteragstk

If it is, they need to go back to the drawing board. All that thing does is play youtube videos and stuff from the play store. If I'm missing something I must be missing a lot.

Isn't that the device what will interface there GoogleTv type device and there android platforms? It will be much like AirPlay is for the iOS crew.

Not saying it looks cool or is priced right, but I think that is what it is.

http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-medi...-35339164.html

[darcilicious]

Maybe this will help:

• It comes with analog audio out, digital audio out, micro HDMI and a micro USB port – which was introduced as a way to enable future upgrades as well as “general hackability.”
• The device plays all of its content straight from Google Play, including the songs users upload to Google Music.
• The device can be remotely controlled from any Android device, and offers multi-room playback.
• Nexus Q allows social music-listening experiences, with multiple users adding songs to the device’s queue – think of it as a kind of Turntable.fm in your living room.
• Nexus Q can also play movies and TV shows straight from Google Play – which makes a little more sense now that Google has added movie purchases and a big library of TV shows from networks such as NBC and ABC to its digital storefront.
• Users can also watch videos from YouTube.
• The device will cost $299, and is available for pre-order through the Google Play store starting today. Shipping will begin in July.

http://gigaom.com/2012/06/27/heres-w...q-is-all-about

[gplasky]

Couple of things. It's priced at $299 because the whole thing is produced and manufactured in the good ole US of A. And it also includes an amplifier built into it. Think of the Google Play store as an eventual copmpetitor to the iTunes store. It will stream Music, Movies TV series out of the Google Play store. And also YouTube. Not only does your android devices control it, but your friends android devices can queue up music to its playlist. But it grabs all the media from the cloud. The android device is simply the controller. Is it a winner? Hard to say-especially at that price.

Gerry

[phelme]

Originally Posted by gdippel

Is this what the SageTV gang have been working on?

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2406398,00.asp

Highly doubt it.

Google TV will be covered on day two of Google IO tomorrow so look out for that.

[nycjoe]

Originally Posted by phelme

Highly doubt it.

Google TV will be covered on day two of Google IO tomorrow so look out for that.

Either on day two or possibly Google IO 2013 (2014 at the latest). Just keep waiting and eventually it will come out.

[reggie14]

Originally Posted by phelme

It's a Logitech SqueezeBox Touch competitor is how I see it. Exactly the same price point too. I think it's aimed at audiophile types, it has a small amp built in which accounts for some of the cost.

I understand that, but I'm still confused by the product. It seems like its either trying to do too much, or its not doing enough. And, even more perplexing to me, it seems oddly similar to GoogleTV. Why put out two products so close to each other, particularly when it's been tough to sell the first?

Google lately seems to have this nasty habit of putting stuff out that's about 90% done. They seem to be getting worse, too. The company doesn't function as a cohesive unit at all. Why are Google Drive, Picasa, and Google Music three completely separate things right now? Even then they try to integrate stuff, like Google+ and Picasa, it turns out pretty ugly. I'd love to use Google Music over iTunes, but I need some easy way to sync downloads of music I purchase (because I don't always have an Internet connection).

Plus, the Nexus Q seems to be going after a weird market. SqueezeBox and Sonos are probably the closest things, but those are pretty niche markets. If Google wants to get more customers in their Google Play music store they're going to need to come up with something more mass market than the Nexus Q.

I have the distinct impression that Google would have been better off just putting additional resources to improving GoogleTV and support for Google services on existing devices (e.g., Roku) that actually have market share.

[darcilicious]

Well, Google Play seems to be an example of them coalescing around online content...

[paulie]

Is this not in essence google's answer to apple tv ?

[Carlton Bale]

Originally Posted by paulie

Is this not in essence google's answer to apple tv ?

Only if the question was "How do we make a more expensive AppleTV that offers only a small feature subset?"

[SWKerr]

Originally Posted by paulie

Is this not in essence google's answer to apple tv ?

I thought the $99 Vizio Google TV box was Google's answer to AppleTV.

I really don't understand what this thing is going to do better than a GoogleTV box.

[Taddeusz]

I read an article recently talking about Microsoft and how they make a lot of good products but as a company they don't really have a grand goal or vision. Until more recently their products as a whole have never really been cohesive. They seem to be trying to change.

I see Google as the new Microsoft. Their moniker "Don't be evil" is nebulous in goal and vision. I don't see them having a direction. They are just a collective of intelligent people all working on disparate projects. Other than the evil thing they don't really seem to have a grand vision. Just like Microsoft they have a lot of different products that don't seem to fit together in any kind of obvious way.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by Taddeusz

I read an article recently talking about Microsoft and how they make a lot of good products but as a company they don't really have a grand goal or vision. Until more recently their products as a whole have never really been cohesive. They seem to be trying to change.

I see Google as the new Microsoft. Their moniker "Don't be evil" is nebulous in goal and vision. I don't see them having a direction. They are just a collective of intelligent people all working on disparate projects. Other than the evil thing they don't really seem to have a grand vision. Just like Microsoft they have a lot of different products that don't seem to fit together in any kind of obvious way.

I agree with most of that, except that Google's grand vision is to consolidate and index the entire world's information. That includes text, images, and even thought (i.e. social aspects). Now, how they seem to go about doing that is perplexing, but, ultimately, I do think all their projects play into that vision, even if some (many?) of them fail.

[gplasky]

I think they're figuring it's all about the store.

Apple has iPads, iPods, iPhones and Apple TV. They sell meida access thru iTunes and makes lots of money.

Amazon has Kindles, Kindle Fire. They sell media access thru their Prime membership and thru the Amazon Store. And makes lots of money.

Now Google is going down the same track. That's why they went with the new moniker Google Play. They want to sell media access and they need devices to do it. Nexus 7 and Nexus Q is just the beginning. And they are adding their own twists to the Nexus Q. (You or anyone with an android device can queue music to the Q (Q=queue, get it?) It streams directly to the Q and not the intemediate device controlling it. With the built in amp put it in any room and connect speakers and the Internet to it. They want to make lots of money too.

Gerry