Sony NSZ-GS7 Google TV Box Goes To Pre-Order Status

Oh, yes, Sony is giving Google TV another chance. You may recall that the last time it went all out with support for Google's television-based operating system, it sort of crashed and burned. Sony's line of Google TV-powered "Internet TV" models were so much more expensive than other Internet-connected TVs that they captured monumentally low sales levels.

On top of the increased price, Google TV was a nascent, under-utilized platform. In fact, to any sensible person, buying an Internet-connected TV from pretty much any other manufacturer made more sense because they were cheaper and offered more content. Now, though, Google TV has matured a bit, and Sony is willing to give it a second chance. This time, though, it's playing it safe and going for a high-margin, low-cost set-top box device.

The Sony NSZ-GS7 has just gone up for pre-order at J&R Electronics stores, with a price of $199. The most interesting part is the remote control that comes with the new box – it has an accelerometer, a touch pad, and a microphone. With no native support for them, Sony had to make those things come to life, by allowing for speech-based searches and accelerometer controls for navigation through menus and other content.