Nexus Q - The world's first social streaming media player

If this is a audiophile-quality device that seamlessly supports streaming from almost any device, then it could be worth the $300 price tag.

Right now the only real high-quality solution for remote streaming is Apple's AirPlay, and it has its limitations. The biggest problem is that it's locked down to Apple products and software; except for Airfoil, which improves matters greatly. But you still need an Airport express or AppleTV to stream to that you can hook up to your stereo.

But if we have an open lossless streaming/device API, then that's a great advancement. Hopefully they've thought that far ahead, hopefully it's open, and hopefully we can see other devices and platforms interoperable with it. We need an open media streaming API, and I truly hope that's what this is.

Also given that it's got an integrated class-D amp, and it appears the speakers (https://play.google.com/store/devices/details?id=nexus_q_tri...) made by Triad should be excellent and (hopefully) efficient little monitors, though $300 is still a bit steep (Paradigm mini monitors at $199 would be a better set). The combination could sound quite good. If not that, then it has integrated optical out to throw into your own DAC or receiver.

I think there's an audiophile or two in Google and this is the product of that. Not a bad thing!

I honestly don't see what makes this worth $300 over an Apple or Roku for $100. Aside from the amp and a couple very small features, it seems to do the same thing. They call it the first "social" media player, but what exactly makes it that? If it's the party/playlist mode, I have that on my first gen AppleTV. If it's the playing from mobile devices, Airplay does that. All in all it doesn't look like a bad product, just priced way out of whack with the competition.

Surely the killer app for this would be to turn it into a capable games console?

Elsewhere in google IO they showed the nexus tablet running a few games such as an FPS etc. The only problem is that I really don't want to play an FPS on a tablet.

One of these with a decent controller however..

Is this thing actually any different than an AppleTV + AirPlay[1]? It seems like essentially the same thing at 3x the cost. I'd love to know if there's anything I'm missing.

[1] I mean besides that this is for Android instead of iOS

$300, and all it will play is media I bought from Google and YouTube? Seriously? I can get the tablet and an HDMI cable for $80 less and play everything.

300 dollars is a steep price. I like that there is an amplifier in it. I also think they are aiming for more of a luxury item. They kept stressing that the Nexus Q hooks up to the best hardware in the house. Apple TV and Roku have a lower price point. Google has to put in effort to differentiate Nexus Q from its competitors. Besides, the Q looks very slick. The design language reminds me of Sony.

Looks like another overpriced Google TV. I already have one, and it isn't supported very well. Never again.

So the Google TV is dead? And their answer was a Apple TV/Boxee Box competitor for 300USD?

I am so glad I didn't build this. Had a similar social/dj/playlist idea except obviously the hub would just be a phone plugged into speakers. I'm sure many people thought of the same thing.

I think it's worth the $300 tho. I don't really have time to always download fresh music so making a party playlist is like 4+ solid hours of work for me. Or I can let guests fight over the input jack and inevitably the girls' top 10 dance party garbage wins the war of attrition. This makes that whole "hey let me show you this awesome music video" thing a lot more group friendly.

It's really hard to think what is in there that could cost $299 - you can buy a pretty good full on tablet for that price and sit it permanently in your living room connected with HDMI to your TV / stereo, and with some simple apps it can stream content from other devices as well.

Pausing and resuming across devices is awesome. Not sure if it's $300 awesome.

This is a ubicomp play, pure and simple, and they kept it bare bones. A) Less chance of confusing people with "apps" or anything fancy. B) Locked down to the Play Googlesphere.

This competes with Sonos, not Apple. Wifi connected audio units with powered amps, synchronized into playback groups, tablet-based controller, starting at a $300 price point? But with video, which Sonos doesn't have. Sonos does have audio input (so I can, say, connect my TV's audio output and broadcast it throughout the house) but otherwise, Sonos had better up their game.

I really like the device, and the queue appears to work exactly as I would want it to. I'm looking forward to owning one.

No.

Anyone who has ever run a MPD server and turned on the Avahi advertisement has run a social streaming media server.

DLNA and AirPlay come close, except they don't have editable playlists (just, loadable ones).

Does anyone have any information on APIs being available for this? It certainly has potential but out of the box its a cool toy at best.

iPod HiFi? + video?

$300? Pass.