Hisense Introduces Google TV Offering at CES
By Cynthia Herbert :: 8:42 PM
Hisense debuted a lineup of televisions and Google TV devices at CES this week that it hopes will put it squarely back in the US market after many years away.
The company’s booth occupied some prime real estate in the Las Vegas Convention Center – right at the front of the central exhibition hall, hallowed ground of Microsoft in years past. The company showcased a range of hardware, but what had people talking was its Google TV boxes.
The XT780 line of Google TV-powered displays will be available in 55- and 65-inch models, and feature the same Android-based technology under the hood that we see in other Google TV devices, like the Sony’s Internet Player NSZ-GS7.
Although pricing and availability have not yet been released yet, Hisense will likely make them available in the United States sometime during the first quarter of 2013 in the sub-$2,000 range. The company’s Pulse box is already widely available.
Hisense’s other HDTVs will also get an upgrade with models compatible with Roku’s Stick via an MHL-equipped HDMI port. Roku-ready sets can get all of the services and apps found through Roku’s traditional content channels simply by connecting the stick into the display’s port.