It looks like Google's latest TV device is a solid offering, yet falls flat in a few key areas. The Nexus Player is Google's Android TV equipped replacement for the GoogleTV platform. In a perfect world, it would be dramatically better than its predecessor, but in this instance it is only marginally better than the GoogleTV device, at least according to most of the reviews across the web.
Most of the reviews had good things to say about the device, so this isn't meant to be taken as some scathing critique. For the most part, reviewers found several things they like about the device, including its speedy performance and its excellent access to great Android games. In fact, it seems that most of the praise for the Nexus Player revolve around its surprisingly solid gaming capabilities.
The main complaints stem around the fact that it doesn't have as many useful TV & Music features yet. For example, even though it has Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and HeartRadio, there's no Spotify, Amazon Instant Video, or HBO Go. For the most part, reviewers compare it to the Google Chromecast and the consensus is that it misses some of the features that define the Chromecast.
To be fair though, some of these issues, like the HBO Go, Spotify, etc. could be worked out with future licensing deals. Basically the final analysis is that the Nexus Player is a good product that is still missing some things to make it great. It's entirely possible that with further refinements and licensing deals, it could end up as a standout device.
Here are several links to some of the reviews to get a bigger taste of what is being said about the Google Nexus Player:
For further discussion be sure to check out our dedicated Google Nexus Player section here: Google Forums Android Forums at DroidForums.net
Also, here's a link to the Google Play Store for those who want to order one for $99: Nexus Player - Devices on Google Play
