Google discontinues Nexus Player

Google has discontinued its Nexus Player set-top box, according to US reports.

Google confirmed to online news service The Verge that it was discontinuing the box but that it remained available on some retail sites for now.

The Nexus Player device was launched two years ago and was the first box to run on the Android TV platform.

Nexus’s launch followed the internet giant’s decision to discontinue the ill-fated Google TV platform and focus on Android TV. The latter has been adopted as the platform of choice for multiple set-top boxes and TVs, including screens produced by Sony and Sharp.

Other TV manufacturers, including most recently Polaroid, have focused on incorporating Google’s Cast technology, which allows users to cast content from other devices to the TV.

Google’s Chromecast HDMI device, which enables content to be ‘cast’ from smartphones, tablets and other devices to the TV, remains a highly successful product.