Lastly, Google TV's streaming services are pretty good, since it has most of the Google Play store at its disposal. All in all, it feels like you're using a computer from your couch, not a set-top box. It also has the quirks we've come to know on Android phones, like the occasional force quit or popup confirming a security certificate (which isn't a huge pain, but something regular users will find confusing). Sometimes you'll only need to do this for certain actions, like seeing a movie's info, but in some cases-like with Amazon's absolutely horrendous streaming "app" (which is really just a shortcut to the Amazon Prime web site)-you'll need to use the mouse for everything, which is really not an enjoyable experience. Some apps are clearly ports of tablet apps that don't work very well with a remote, and you'll need to control them with the clunky trackpad or control stick on your remote. Unfortunately, its similarities to Android do it more harm than good. You can download Google TV-optimized Android apps from the Google Play store and put them on your home screen. You have a wall of icons representing your media, live TV, apps like Netflix and Amazon, and others. The software, however, is very reminiscent of an Android tablet.because that's exactly what it is. As such, we can't talk too much about the hardware here (though the VIZIO Co-Star, shown at the right, is a great looking model available for preorder now). It's available on a number of different devices from different manufacturers, in different price ranges, and with different remotes. Google TV is, quite literally, the Android of streaming boxes. It isn't ideal, but it'll get the job done for just about anything you want to watch. Anything else you want to play can be shot to the Apple TV through AirPlay on an iOS device, or via AirPlay mirroring on a Mac. It even has a list of recent and popular movies along the top if you aren't sure what you want to watch, which is kind of fun. You have all your basic channels on the front page in a grid, letting you access your movies, TV shows, and music from iTunes, as well as streaming channels like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and sports sites like MLB.tv, NBA, and NHL. It's fast, smooth, and incredibly simple. I wish I could set up things like Netflix and Hulu in iTunes from my computer, but for now you'll have to trudge through the remote-driven setup. Typing in your credentials is kind of annoying due to the lack of keyboard. Setup is a snap: just plug it in, link it up with your iTunes library and Apple ID, and you're ready to go. It feels very solid, and the buttons respond nicely, making the whole product pleasant to use. The remote is very basic, but extremely easy to use-something a lot of living room remotes lack these days. ![]() The $99 Apple TV is a tiny little device that fits anywhere in your living room.
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