Vizio Co-Star

Pros: Improves with every Google TV update. Android based. Google Play Store. Keyboard on the flipside of the remote and touch pad. Hooks up between your cable box and tv, it overlays your tv and interacts with the cable box. Games incl. Zynga apps

Cons: No on/off indicator light. 10 secs to start up. Major channels block Google TV from getting to content. AMC has worked for me, though. The CW looked like it was going to work but video locked up over and over

Summary: I have an Apple TV second generation, a Playstation 3 and two web-enabled tv's and the Co Star is clearly the most versatile of them all with so many available apps. If the major networks stopped blocking access to their sites, I think this unit would be the best media streamer out there. Other than getting to my Apple media, it seems to do everything that any other system can do.

Probably the biggest frustration with it is the unit goes between your cable box and your tv so, if it isn't on, you don't get your cable signal. Because there isn't an indicator light it regularly provides confusion to my spouse and kids when they aren't getting cable to the tv. It's a stupid problem that could be easily helped with an on/off light.

Even though the setup leads to the frustration with not being able to see your cable feed unless the CoStar is on, this setup provides valuable benefits. When I use my other streaming media devices, you only interact with them. With the CoStar, it lays over your cable feed and interacts with it. There are several search functions and apps that are way more effective in finding content in my Comcast box than the Comcast box does itself. I think this is the main feature that really sets the CoStar apart. It does pretty much everything that the other units do but it also improves the capabilities of the cable service you already pay for.