iGugu InterneTV Ships

The streaming Internet television device from iGugu, the iGugu InterneTV, is now shipping. Last seen in pre-production at CES, the iGugu connects to a home computer to receive online video programming, and then transfers that content to a home television. It's available in both wired and wireless models. The starting price of the iGugu InterneTV is $99 for the basic (wired) model. The wireless version sells for $249.

"The content available through YouTube, Hulu, and Netflix represents less than four percent of the video content available on the Internet," says Isaac Calderon, president of iGUGU. "InterneTV enables users to easily find and watch the other 96 percent of the content that is available through the Internet."

StreamingMedia.com correspondent Tim Siglin got a demonstration of the iGugu box at CES and came away completely unimpressed. He faulted the complexity and non-intuitiveness of the multi-button remote:

"The current implementation of the wireless remote, however, leaves much to be desired: The buttons aren't programmed to work consistently, so clicking on the ‘enter' button only works in some instances, and a user must look through tiny Chiclet-style keys to find the right ones for simple tasks," Siglin wrote.

The device's approach is a step back in the market: "In the end, what iGugu InterneTV is doing is nothing more than a Media Center PC with a custom remote control," Siglin said.

Given that Roku and Apple TV devices perform similar services for less money and don't require the use of a free computer, the iGugu InterneTV may never find an audience in its current implementation.

iGugu: What Happens When Internet TV Technology Isn’t Ready for Prime Time

Igugu's approach to getting the web onto television may have some merit, but the current implementation leaves much to be desired

11 Jan 2011