Hisense shows off the Pulse Pro at CES, runs on Android-based VIDAA TV platform

Google TV might not have caught on in a big way, but that doesn’t mean the concept is dead. The reality is that although some folks are more than content with the media experience provided by Chromecast, others want the full power of Android and that’s where Hisense and its VIDAA platform comes into play.

The new Hisense VIDAA platform isn’t exactly Google TV as we know it, but it is certainly a very similar experience. Aside from Hisense’s customized UI and a few other changes, there’s still many of the same features as found with a traditional Google TV device including Google TV apps and the PrimeTime Guide. There’s also Netflix, Pandora, Youtube and more.

We have already reported on several TVs that include the VIDAA Android TV experience, including a line of 4K televisions. For those that aren’t looking for a new TV however, there’s also the Pulse Pro. If that name sounds familiar, that’s because the Hisense Pulse was a standard Google TV powered box that was released back in late 2012.

The Pulse Pro features the same software found on the VIDAA TV series, but in set-top box form. The Pulse Pro is a dramatic improvement over its nearly two-year-old predecessor, and this is equally true when it comes to the remote.

Gone is the dual-sided remote with a full QWERTY keyboard, and instead we get a simple remote that ditches the keyboard in favor of a built-in mic that works flawlessly with voice commands. The touchpad has also been replaced and the entire remote now works as an air mouse, with motion sensing technology baked right in.

The Pulse Pro certainly sounds like a decent multimedia device for those looking for a more advanced smart TV experience, but unfortunately Hisense has little details on when we’ll actually see the device arrive commercially or how much it will cost. Still, if the price is right and it can live up to the hype, this could be a device worth looking out for. We’ve reached out to Hisense for more details about when we might actually see the Pulse Pro hit stores shelves.

What do you think of the Hisense Pulse Pro and the VIDAA platform in general, based on the limited information and pictures we currently have? Interested in the idea of a ‘full’ Android experience on your television or not?

*all photos used come from the article source, Matthew Moskovciak/CNET*

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