Any word / hope for a Nexus Player reboot?

[JaySeeDoubleYou]

Two years ago, the Apple TV was a pretty ho-hum product that was cheap, but still didn't manage to be all that successful....and the same was true with the Nexus player. Cheap devices that were "okay", that did fine in their core competencies, but we're nothing special, and despite their low prices, really weren't going anywhere.

Then in 2015, Apple relaunches the Apple TV and this new one really is something special! And even though it costs twice as much as the old one, it's already selling better.....meanwhile, the Nexus player is just disappearing. I read an article this morning saying how none of the major retailers are even carrying it anymore. Though not "officially" discontinued yet, the Nexus Player, for all intents and purposes is effectively dead, it seems.

Now, I know that the Android space is different than the Apple space, where 1st party is all there is, and that 3rd party devices from the likes of nVidia or Razer can carry the Android TV torch just fine without a 1st party, and indeed, have already been doing so, as they are both much better products than the Nexus, and I would imagine, just as prolific in people's homes -if not even not more so. There's also the Roku* and the Amazon Fire TV, I suppose, though I have a nasty habit of not thinking of "non-gapps Android" as "Android" even though I know they technically are.

*=I thought Roku ran a forked Android, but I could be wrong. I'm definitely not wrong about Amazon, of course.

But what about those of us who like 1st party, "vanilla" Android, and would like something that's a more direct competitor to Apple TV, with all the material design flourish of a Marshmallow or "N"?

So, does anybody know anything about any plans, or rumors, or hints, or desparate hopes and dreams for a Nexus Player reboot, similar to what Apple did to turn their dull little Apple TV into a smash hit?...I know I'd love to see one like it from Google!!!

Cheers!

 

[Golfdriver97]

I wouldn't mind seeing a reboot as long as the hardware was updated (kinda goes without saying...lol) but seeing an entry level of at least 64 GB. I think Google should also pull a page from NVIDIA and have one that's 500GB.

Edit: Mod note: Moved into general Rumored devices Lounge.

 

[npaladin-2000]

Frankly, I'm ok with the SHIELD carrying the torch, it's an amazing device and very close to stock. The few add one are genuine value adds, and also serve to tie it to their tablet line. So unless Google is going to bring something unique to push the market, I'm good.

 

[JaySeeDoubleYou]

Yes! I definitely agree that there would need to be a 500GB version, as well as internals beefy enough to handle gaming on the order of the Shield - or at least the Apple TV, and the suite of software and services to support them.

 

[JaySeeDoubleYou]

Frankly, I'm ok with the SHIELD carrying the torch, it's an amazing device and very close to stock. The few add one are genuine value adds, and also serve to tie it to their tablet line. So unless Google is going to bring something unique to push the market, I'm good.

Oh, to be sure, it'd have to seriously up its game to be worth the time, and this isn't a slam on the Shield at all - fantastic device. I'm not anti-3rd party android at all, and the platform is so much better off because of it....I'm just personally such a 1st party person that if I can have anything of even comparable quality that says either "Nexus" or "Pixel" on it, I'm just gonna spring for it reflexively....otherwise, a Shield will do me just fine.