Sony NSZ-GS7 Internet Player with Google TV

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Price: $144.97 Too low to display   

Product Feature

• Search live TV, internet & apps with voice search6
• A full-browsing experience on your TV with Google Chrome
• Access thousands of Android apps at Google Play Store2

Product Description

Internet Streaming - H.264, 3G2, 3GP, MPEG-4, AVI, MKV, MOV, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, M2T, M2TS, ... - AAC-LC, HE-AAC, M4A, WAV, MP3, WMA, ASF - BMP, JPEG, GIF, MPO, PNG - Ethernet - HDMI - USB

Sony NSZ-GS7 Internet Player with Google TV Review

I am very pleased with this Sony NSZ-GS7 Internet Player with Google TV which I received two days ago, August 21, 2012, from Amazon Vine.

I have two of the Roku XDS Streaming Player 1080ps, purchased a year or so ago and which I use frequently; they are quite good (the newer, replacement, model is the Roku 2 XS 1080p Streaming Player which, I understand, is quite similar).

But this new Sony model is much more capable than the Roku because it has a built-in web browser. The browser is Google Chrome, normally a full-featured browser along the lines of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari, etc. Unfortunately here it appears to be somewhat restricted as, so far, I have found no way to add extensions, such as AdBlock. Nonetheless, the presence of this browser adds a great deal of value to this media player.

For example, one of my favorite web sites is the Internet Archive [archive<dot>org] which has thousands upon thousands of free public-domain movies, music, books, and so forth. (You could spend DAYS on this site and not see it all!)

Not only was it easy to "bookmark" this site, I also created an application ("app") from it so that it appears in my "All Apps" folder. (Please read further for instructions as to how to create a bookmark and/or an app.)

Netflix is built-in, common on these devices, as is Amazon Instant Video. There is no native TuneIn Radio app (my favorite Internet Radio portal), but it does have Slacker Radio as well as Pandora. However I went to the TuneIn Radio site via the browser, logged in to my account, and created a bookmark as well as an app from it, as I did for the Internet Archive.

I also created a bookmark and an app from my Watch List on the Amazon Prime Instant Video selection, so I have this in addition to the built-in Amazon Instant Video app. Creating these apps is simple once you know how to use the device. Please note that I am almost 70 years old and have had NO computer or computer-device training whatsoever; I am completely self-taught. I have had my Sony media player just two days. If, in that small amount of time, I can learn to use and manipulate (customize) it, so can you, no matter how "technologically-challenged" you may think you are.

There are many, many native apps offered on this player (too many to mention here) and there are lots more offered in the Google Play Store. Take it from me - as far as media goes, there is something for everyone, whether it be music, movies, or television.

If a particular app you want is not present, or even offered in the Google Play Store, it is very easy to create your own app, as I did. In other words, you can customize this player any way you like. How do you create an app? Easy! When you're using the browser and you're on a web site you wish to save, merely click the bookmarks button on the front of the remote and you will be offered choices, one of which is to bookmark the page, and another is to place the page on your My Apps page (essentially creating an app). In my case, I have done both for the pages I wish to save (such as the Amazon Prime Video Watchlist page and the TuneIn My Favorites page). This capability is very, very welcome.

Now I have to tell you that initially the Google Chrome browser gave me no end of frustration. That is because, out of the box by default (WHY Sony?), the cursor click arrow (shaped like a fist and which appears when placed over a link on the screen) did not work (at least on my player)! Neither did the Enter key (on the back of the remote control) nor the center Okay (or Enter or Select - it doesn't seem to have an official name) button on the front operate when clicked on a link. I clicked and clicked and nothing happened.

So I could go to a site by entering its URL but couldn't go any further! Clicking the links just did not work. (I do not know if this is the default setting for all samples but it was on mine.)

I went online to see if others were having the same problem (they were) and if there were a solution (as of yesterday, August 22, 2012, there was none).

So I went into the Settings and investigated EACH and EVERY option until I found the solution.

To make it easy for anyone concerned, the steps are these:

Go into Settings

Scroll down and go into Language & Input Devices

Within that, scroll down and go into Remote Settings; within that dialog box are three options: Tap to Select (turn it ON), Backtouch (turn it ON), and Backlight (it's your choice if you wish it to be on or off; I chose OFF as I found the backlight is of little use to me and it does drain the batteries).

At that point, you'll be able to click on any link you like.

I hope that helps some people.

I STRONGLY recommend that any purchaser do what I did: go into the settings and at least LOOK at every single option even if you have no intention of changing any of them. This is how you will learn your system. (You do not have to do it all in one day if you don't want to.) If you do change any of the options, it is very easy to change them back if you find the changes to be unsatisfactory. You will not "break" your system.

The initial setup, which does take a fair amount of time, is, however, very easy and straightforward and is done only once, the first time you turn on the unit. The choices, which apply to your particular situation, can be changed at any time if you find that you would wish to do so. Wi-fi connection was very easy; a wired connection would be even easier. Found on the back of the unit are two USB ports, an optical audio output (if needed), and an HDMI input and an HDMI output connection, as well as the LAN (wired Ethernet) port. These ports are all self-explanatory.

You can (and I did) password-protect the Google Chrome Browser as well as the Google Play Store. While you can password-protect these (good), the password can only be a 4-digit number (not so good). And, once the password has been entered (it must be entered separately for each of the items if you use both during one session), it stays active for your entire session (definitely not so good); so far I have been unable to find a way to log out. To "clear" those passwords, you must turn off the unit and then restart it.

You also have the ability to "hide" (not remove) some (but not all) of the pre-installed apps if you have no interest in them.

We do not have cable or satellite TV so I cannot comment on the unit's performance with them.

The excellent remote control included is unusual; I have never seen any like it. It has a "hidden" battery compartment (though it's easy to discover and access: a very clever design) and the remote has TWO functional sides, unlike any other. The first side, used the most, has many control buttons and the tap-sensitive touchpad. The reverse side has a complete QWERTY keypad, with numbers, letters, and symbols.

I do have some minor criticisms of the remote control: the front of the remote is in, for want of a better term, "portrait" orientation while the rear is in "landscape" orientation. Going from front to back (and the reverse) is, at least for me, somewhat awkward. I wish that Sony had chosen ONE orientation for the remote control. Now the following is perhaps unique to me: I like to use Symbols in my passwords (for extra protection). The symbols on a computer keypad are standardized. Not so on this Sony keypad. Symbols appear in different places than they do on a standard keyboard. I had to call to my wife, who was in another room, to tell me the symbols which appeared above certain numbers (I could not remember them) so I could enter the password from the Sony keypad.

We do not watch television shows. Thus, frankly, I have zero interest in Google TV. We watch watch streaming movies and listen to music. This is our reason for using these media devices. The actual performance of this entire Sony unit (the device itself and the remote control) is exemplary, the best I have experienced thus far. HD videos from Netflix and/or Amazon Prime look spectacular; ditto for the sound quality. And the reception of commands from the remote is amazing, the best I have ever experienced. (Another plus: in my opinion, the Netflix browser on this unit is slightly better than the one on the Roku.)

Would I recommend this one over the newer Roku to you? That depends. The Roku has, among other attributes and in addition to digital outputs, ANALOG AV outputs (which the government, in its wisdom, has banned from newly designed items) so it will work with older TV sets which have no HDMI inputs. Plus, the Roku, is much simpler in its operation (because it has fewer capabilities, though the ones included will be satisfactory for most purchasers; they are for me). This newly-designed Sony has ONLY HDMI and digital audio outputs, though, of course, all modern televisions and audio amplifiers have them too. Plus, using the HDMI cable in conjunction with a modern TV/audio system, the ONE HDMI cable carries both video and audio information. What a convenience!

By the way, it would have been nice had Sony included even a short HDMI cable. They do not so you MUST buy one. Fortunately one of the very best places to buy such cables is right here on Amazon (and make sure you consider their AmazonBasics cables; in my experience, they are very good in construction and performance and they are priced "right").

This Sony in much more of a media center in concept then is the Roku due, of course, to the presence of that genuine browser. You can watch any media from any site you wish, something not possible with a Roku. Activating Netflix and some other apps is much easier on this Sony than it is on the Roku. Plus the Sony boots up much faster than does our Roku.

But the Roku is half the price or less than the Sony. And, as I stated, its apps may be all you need. Finances, of course, play a very important part in deciding which, if any, media player you want to buy. I myself now much prefer the Sony over the Roku because of the Sony's greatly enhanced operating features. I feel that, even at its higher price, it offers much more value than does the Roku (but that's not to say that I do not like the Roku - I do, very much). The above is my opinion. But your opinion, of course, may be different - and yours is the only one that counts for you.

This Sony uses Android, a GNU/Linux operating system created by Google, in its version 3.2. Whether Sony will ever upgrade the Android version on this player is something I do not know (but I hope they will). Now I have been a "Linux" man (and my wife has been a "Linux" woman!) for quite some time (we have six currently-in-use computers, four using Xubuntu, one using Ubuntu, and the last being used for experimentation with GNU/Linux distributions: I have recently tried Fedora, Linux Mint, and am currently trying PCLinuxOS). but I have to say that, owning two Android devices (this one and the Dell Streak 7 Wi-Fi Tablet), I do not like Android. It is the weakest and "clunkiest" Linux distribution I have ever seen. (If I owned only Android devices, that would be enough to "turn me off" to Linux! Fortunately, that is not the case). Part of the reason for the "clunkiness" is that manufacturers can "customize" (i.e. hamstring!) their installations (a truly "open" Android might be all right) and Sony has attempted to do this here.

That being said, this Sony is essentially a budget-priced full-fledged media center and, as such, functions easily and well. And you can bypass Sony's restrictions by creating your own apps. Note that no matter how "clunky" I regard Android, at least it is VERY stable and does not crash (at least not very often)! Though this player is twice the price of the top Roku, I feel that it represents very good value for money.

A small, but very welcome, bonus is the fact that this player has no "wall-wart" plug or even a "brick" between two halves of a power cable. It has its power supply built-in, just like in the "old days" so there is only one (detachable) cable and it has a small two-prong "regular" plug on its end. (When I first opened the box and saw just this one power cable, I thought I was missing something!) This is superb engineering.

One of these days (when finances permit!) I am going to buy a full-fledged media center computer (the ZaReason MediaBox 5330 is the one I would like) for our home theater. Until that day arrives, however, the Roku units and, most especially, this Sony unit will suffice. (In addition, on trips, I plan to take this Sony box with us for use in hotel rooms.)

Needless to say, the construction quality, as is usual with Sony products, at least in my experience, is first-rate. A one-year warranty protects your purchase. Frankly, except possibly for connecting the unit, it is not necessary to read the instruction manuals (they're useless anyway; that's my impression after reading them). Going through the Setup options (ALL of them), as I suggested above, is the only way (in my opinion) to learn this device and the user will find the time spent to be quite rewarding.

I like this Sony NSZ-GS7. And I recommend it to anyone interested in such a device. I think that any purchaser will be pleased IF he or she takes the time to learn how to use it to maximum advantage. (Regarding the so-called "freezing" problem mentioned by some reviewers, please see Comment #6 which I wrote concerning this anomaly and the workaround I employ.)

Thank you for reading this. I hope that it has been informative to you.

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