Google Nexus TV Set-top Box Due Early Next Year, Says Report

Rumors of a Nexus TV set-top box just won't come to an end. A new report from The Information's Amir Efrati, citing anonymous sources, claims the search giant is hard at work on hardware that runs hardware and acts like other competing set-top boxes. It'll run services such as Netflix, Hulu and YouTube, and it'll even have the ability to play a small number of games. Efrati's sources say the device is planned for a launch during the first half of 2014, though it doesn't sound like that timeframe is concrete. Earlier this year, a report from The Wall Street Journal claimed the device had already been demoed by Andy Rubin behind closed doors.

The device will supposedly be controlled with an Android smartphone—there's also a remote with touchpad included—and a possible motion sensor with Kinect-like functionality. Google already offers a Chromecast streamer, though the little dongle is still relatively limited in its functionality. For consumers, it might not be the easiest thing to grasp; everyone knows how to use a set-top box, whether it's a Roku or an Apple TV—or even a simple cable box. Other entries Google attempted to make into the living room includes Google TV built into Smart TVs, but set-top boxes are certainly more accessible.

While a set-top box is slightly similar to Google's previous efforts, it's more suited to the consumer market; unsurprisingly, the Nexus TV set-top box will be "aggressively priced," definitely putting pressure on other competing devices. It definitely sounds like something is on the horizon, though this is all one big rumor for now. Maybe something will pop up during CES or shortly after.