You know television technology is changing when “live tv” is talked about as an unassuming, almost secondary feature. That is the growing trend with the advent of Smart TVs, and set top boxes that are now being called internet players. One such “internet player” is the Sony NSZ-GS7 set-top box with Google TV.

We've been hearing a lot about the Sony Google TV since its announcement during this year's CES back in February. Late last month, we finally got our hands on some release dates for the UK, Australia, and the US. In line with the announcement, and in fact, a few days earlier, the Sony NSZ-GS7 is now available and being shipped from Amazon, for only $199.

What does $199 get you? Feature's of the Sony Google TV include:

• TV & Movies app for easy access to all your TV programming, including live TV or online services such as Netflix.
• Unique universal remote design. Clickable touchpad works like a laptop mouse-pad, including multi-touch and pinch-and-pull for zoom. Gaming is possible thanks to a 3-axis motion sensor. Flipping the remote over gives a full backlit QWERTY keyboard.
• Apps can be downloaded directly onto your TV from the Google Play Store. Apart from “just” video and music apps, you can download games, social networking apps, and any others that you use often, just like with your handheld device.
• Google Search functionality lets you cross-search and find results from your cable provider, the Internet, and apps very easily.
• Web experience on the TV is enhanced with the built-in Google Chrome browser.
• WiFi enabled, allowing you to wirelessly stream video and music from the internet, or your home network.
• 1.2 Ghz dual-core processor ensures fast and lag-free functionality.
• Picture-in-picture feature allows you to watch videos and surf the web (or anything else) at the same time.
• Your Android phone or tablet can be converted to a remote control with a free Media Remote app available on the Play Store.
•  Automatic updates ensures that the device software is always current.

If all these features seem worth it to you for just $199 (it does to me), you can buy the Sony NSZ-GS7 Internet Player with Google TV from Amazon here.

What are your thoughts? Will you be buying the Sony NSZ-GS7 Internet Player with Google TV? If you've already done so, let us know your experience in the comments section below.