Android 4.0 Google TV Gets AirPlay-Like Movie Streaming

Google TV may be getting a second chance with new set-top boxes based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. Logitech and Intel may have ditched Google TV after the first version failed to gain adoption, but now Google TV boxes are emerging with Marvell's ARM processors along with some new features that integrate the boxes more with Android smartphones and tablets.

At Computex, Taiwanese manufacturer Honeywld has announced a new Android 4.0 based Google TV box that can stream movies directly from Android 4.0 smartphones and tablets. The feature works similarly to Apple's AirPlay, which lets iPad or iPhone users directly stream content to their Apple TV.

The box can also sync other multimedia content between the devices, such as pictures. However, an app must be installed on your Android mobile device in order to get the streaming and synchronization capabilities. That app is still under development.

The Honeywld set-top box features a Marvell dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor, 4GB SSD, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, microSD card slot, Ethernet and HDMI ports, and optional WiFi. It runs a customized version of Google TV based on Android 4.0 and is expected to ship in July, priced between $95 and $120. However, distribution will be initially limited to Taiwan.

[via IDG]