Sony NSX-24GT1 user reviews (Google TV)

Pros The concept is teriffic, too bad Sony executed it so poorly

Cons Selling an apparent BETA product as ready for retail. Poor and dated flash performance. OS is unstable and inadequate, inability to perform as advertised due to a lack of agreements with major media carriers. Poor LCD performance.

Summary To sum up the experience, our advice is WAIT, and even re-think purchasing any Sony internet TV device. While in Las Vegas, we were enticed by the new Sony Internet TV on display at the Sony store in the Forum shops at Caesar's Palace. It was the day of its introduction, and it seemed like the answer we needed for our bedroom (a 24" TV, perfect for the bedside, that would give us one-stop access to internet tv content, cable tv, netflix, and our movie library on our Apple TV). No Netflix account was available to try in the store, so we were not able to demonstrate Netflix in the store. Since we saw the TV on the very first day of Launch, we were able to pull up ABC and CBS for online streaming. Never once were we told there was not yet any agreement to allow this access, access that would later be denied once we got our new TV at home. We placed an order at the store through Sony's website, and the TV arrived a week later when we were at home. Out of the box and connected for the first time, the TV had an update, a good sign we thought... but an omen of things to come. As we already know... CBS, NBC, ABC, Hulu have all blocked access to the Google TV interface. Sony should have not shipped a product claiming internet tv capabilities without warning customers that they had made no agreement with major carriers to use their content. Secondly, the OS is terribly slow. The simply process of raising/lowering the volume was slow and unresponsive at best, and often resulted in an error message on screen from the volume control driver. The built in apps, which are actually not built in but are simply links to web apps you reach through the built in Google Chrome browser, worked about 30-40% of the time due to the poor flash performance built into the device. Many would not function at all, with the "wheel of death" spinning on screen while the flash player tries to decipher the app's code. We also soon found out that the included Netflix interface is slow, outdated, and has almost ZERO CACHE FOR BUFFERING!!! Movies don't buffer, the either won't play, or would stop, the message "checking connection" appears, and Netflix resets itself. Basically useless. The spec sheet in store listed the displays as all being edge lit LCD, with a tiny, easy to miss asterix denoting that the 24" model was a CFL LCD. Poor viewing angle. LCD was very dim. After 10 days, we decided that $599 for an outdated 24" LCD tv was too much, and decided to return it to Sony. Even though their website specifies a 30 return policy, a phone call to customer service told us that returns on the Sony Internet TV would not be accepted, only exchanges. We filed for a return through the website, and sent the TV back today. I will post updates as the return process continues. VERY disappointing from one of our favorite product manufacturers. I highly recommend thinking twice before buying a SONY internet TV device.