Sony NSZ-GS7 Google TV set-top box hits pre-order

If you’re in the market for a new set-top box that supports Google’s TV operating system, you might be interested in Sony’s new platform currently up for pre-order in both the United States and UK.

The set-top box – dubbed NSZ-GS7 – is priced at $200 in the United States and about £200 in the UK.

Sony lists the ship date as July 9 for pre-orders, with the set-top box hitting stores on July 22.

After its initial launch, Sony is expected to roll the set-top box out to other countries in Europe and around the world. As expected, the content the set-top box offers will be localized to the purchase country, with users in the UK accessing content from The Guardian, for example.

The NSZ-GS7 set-top box was officially introduced at CES in January, and the launch of the device makes Sony the first manufacturer to roll out a product using Google TV outside the United States. Along with the NSZ-GS7 set-top box, Sony is also talking up its NSZ-GP9 Blu-Ray disc player with Google TV, which will be available in October in the US followed by an international launch.

The set-top box features a rather interesting dual-sided remote. One side of the remote boasts a touch pad that controls the cursor, and the other side includes a full keyboard for typing out search queries, e-mails, and updates for social media.

The Blu-ray player also allows an indvidual to use his or her voice to search for content, while the universal Blu-ray player remote control is equipped with a motion sensor for playing games and accessing additional components in an entertainment center.