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Nexus Player

Developer	Google, Asus
Manufacturer	Asus
Product family	Google Nexus
Type	Digital media player, set-top box, microconsole
Release date	November 3, 2014
Introductory price	USD $99 GBP £79
Discontinued	May 24, 2016
Operating system	Original: Android 5.0 "Lollipop" Current: Android 8.0 "Oreo"
CPU	1.8 GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 Imagination PowerVR G6430 Graphics 2D/3D Engine (1080p)
Memory	1 GB LPDDR3
Storage	8 GB internal eMMC
Input	Android phones/tablets, Android Wear, Nexus Player remote, Asus Gamepad, Bluetooth audio devices and HIDs
Connectivity	Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11ac 2x2 MIMO) Bluetooth Micro-USB HDMI USB OTG
Online services	Google Play Netflix HBO Go Hulu Plus YouTube USA Today CBS News Pandora Radio
Dimensions	120 mm (4.7 in) diameter 20 mm (0.79 in) H
Weight	235 g (8.3 oz)
Predecessor	Nexus Q
Successor	Chromecast with Google TV
Website	Asus website

The Nexus Player is a digital media player that was co-developed by Google, Intel and Asus. It was the second media player in the Google Nexus family of consumer devices. Originally running the Android 5.0 ("Lollipop") operating system, it was the first device to employ the Android TV platform. The Nexus player supports Google Cast, the feature for selecting and controlling media playback on a television that was first introduced by Chromecast. Sales of the Nexus Player were discontinued in May 2016, and product support ended in March 2018.

History

The Nexus Player was unveiled on October 15, 2014, and made available for pre-order two days later on the Google Play Store for $99, and later made available for purchase at retail stores in the US.

On May 24, 2016, Google discontinued direct sales of the Nexus Player. In May 2017, Google announced that Google Assistant was coming to the Nexus Player later in the year. In November 2017, the device was updated with the Google Assistant feature through the monthly security update. In March 2018, Google confirmed that the Nexus Player would not receive Android 9 Pie and that security updates had also ended for the device.

In August 2018, Android Headlines reported that some Nexus Player users were facing an issue where they became inoperable.

Hardware

It is powered by a 1.8 GHz quad-core Intel Atom Z3560 processor with 1 GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 8 GB of internal eMMC storage.

Remote control

The Nexus Player comes bundled with a Bluetooth remote control, with a direction pad & middle enter button, a back, home and play/pause button. It also features a button to activate the Google Search application to search for content by speaking through the remote's built-in microphone. The device can also be controlled by any Android smartphone with Google Play services. The app also features a Wear OS counterpart to allow remote input from compatible smartwatches.

Features

The Nexus Player and Android TV allows consumers to use an HDTV set to play music, watch video originating from Internet services or a local network, and play games (Emulators and Android Games). The primary interface is interacted with using a remote with a D-pad dial and 5 buttons. The remote also includes a microphone for voice search functions within supported apps and the main system interface. Android TV can be paired with Bluetooth gaming controllers to interact with the system interface / applications, as well as, playing games. Android TV also includes all features and streaming capabilities of the Chromecast device.

• Users can access the Google Play store directly through the user interface to rent / buy movies, TV shows and stream play music.
• Live Channels by Google allows users to stream from media sources including the HDHomeRun TV tuner with TV Guide functionality
• Kodi allows users to access a host of applications and content available through Kodi (formerly XBMC)
• Netflix
• Hulu Plus
• YouTube
• TED
• HDHomeRun App
• VLC media player
• FX Now
• Sling TV
• Disney Movies Anywhere
• Crackle
• Epix
• Plex
• HGTV Watch
• PBS Kids Video
• CNET
• CBS News
• Bloomberg TV+
• HuffPost Live for Android TV
• TuneIn Radio
• iHeartRadio
• Songza TV
• CBS Sports
• Red Bull TV
• MLB.TV
• Vevo
• Showtime
• Vimeo
• Vudu

FCC difficulties

During its initial days on sale, the Nexus Player was pulled from the Google Play Store because it had not passed FCC certification. Two days later, the device returned to the Play Store after receiving said certification.

See also

• Nexus Q
• Chromebit
• Apple TV, a similar product from Apple Inc.
• Roku, a similar product from Roku, Inc.
• Amazon Fire TV, a similar product from Amazon

References

1. "Nexus Player - Support".
2. Martonik, Andrew (October 17, 2014). "Nexus 6, 9 and Player arrive in Google Play, orders live for 9 and Player". Android Central. Archived from the original on January 29, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
3. "The Nexus Player Is Now Available At US Retailers: Best Buy, Newegg, And Amazon". Android Police. January 25, 2015. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
4. "Google confirms the Nexus Player has been discontinued". The Verge. 2016-05-24. Archived from the original on 2023-06-14.
5. "Welcome to your New Home on Android TV".
6. Torres, JC (16 November 2017). "Nexus Player surprisingly gets Google Assistant in November update". SlashGear.
7. Gao, Richard (23 March 2018). "[Update: No more security updates either] Confirmed: The Nexus Player will not be updated to Android P". Android Police. Illogical Robot LLC.
8. "Increasing Number Of Nexus Players Have Suddenly Stopped Working". Android Headlines. August 13, 2018 - Written By John Anon. 13 August 2018.
9. "Nexus Player". Google. Google Inc. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
10. Spradlin, Liam (18 October 2014). "Google's Nexus Player Hasn't Passed FCC Certification Yet, 'Out Of Inventory' On The US Play Store".

External links

• Asus website

• Google Nexus
• Microconsoles
• Digital media players
• Android (operating system) devices
• Streaming media systems
• Smart TV
• Asus products
• Set-top box