It’s not atypical for the first glimpse of an upcoming device to be spotted making its way through the FCC’s rigorous approval process.
Indeed, the federal agency snaps pictures and sketches as part of the process. Despite requests by manufacturers to keep the devices secret, images of future products routinely turn up on the FCC website. Case in point? The new set-top box from Netgear.
The box is currently known as the Netgear NeoTV Prime and has GTV100 branded on the box. The device is apparently powered by Mountain View’s rapidly evolving Google TV software, with photos of the remote control indicating that it will offer at least several popular streaming video services baked right in. To be sure, the image above shows a number of hot keys on the remote for Netflix, Amazon video, YouTube, Vudu, Crackle and HBO Go.
The last app (or shortcut) will obviously be quite convenient for HBO subscribers who want to catch up on Game of Thrones. On the same side of the remote are full media control keys for video, along with a touchpad designed for easy navigation. And yes, the back of the remote control boasts a full QWERTY keyboard.
We don’t yet know the full specifications for the set-top box, but we do know it is equipped with a wireless module featuring integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Engadget confirms the Netgear box is currently in beta, with some testers apparently reporting problems with the device overheating. Nevertheless, we believe the Netgear NeoTV Prime has a good chance of making its official debut at CES next month.
