Mountain View first introduced its Google TV platform in October of 2010.
The reception to Google’s TV software has been less-than-stellar, with many manufacturers choosing to go with straight Android as an operating system, rather than Mountain View’s specially modded OS.
Back in August, we talked a bit about the Chinese electronics manufacturer HiSense and its plans to launch a new Google TV set-top box.
Well, that set-top box is now officially unveiled and it’s called the Pulse. One of the sweetest features of the new Google-powered set-top box? The $99 price point. Plus, the unit ships with a tricked-out remote control that boasts normal TV buttons for volume, channel, and others – along with a designated touchpad sector.
The second side of the remote control features a full QWERTY keyboard. The remote also offers hotkeys for video services such as Netflix, YouTube, and others.
Unfortunately, it remains unclear if you’ll actually be able walk into a retail store in the US and purchase the Pulse. Since the failure of Logitech Revue, which was the flagship Google TV device, retailers haven’t been exactly keen on adding new Google TV devices to store shelves.
Another interesting and very nicely priced Google TV set top box comes from TV maker Vizio and is called the Co-Star.
This little Google TV set top box is only available online. The pulse measures 4.4 x 4.4 x 1.3-inches. It is capable of rendering 1080p resolution and supports H.264, MPEG-4 as well as AVC formats.
