Netgear debuts a BitTorrent-enabled set-top box

The first of NetGear's three big product announcements at CES this morning is its Internet TV player set top box which carries on it, among the usual Web-based offerings, a built-in BitTorrent client.

Netgear's Internet TV delivers Internet content like other set top boxes available today, but ups the proverbial ante by including a video search engine called "Vtap" that combs through the associated Flash video sites, downloadable CinemaNow rentals, and even available BitTorrent files.

Through any browser from any location, users can queue torrents that will immediately begin downloading to the Netgear unit, similar to the way the Netflix instant queue works with the Roku set-top box.

Vice President and general manager of Netgear's home and consumer products Vivek Pathela said, "Some people just don't even know what to search, they don't want to bother with that in front of the TV, so what about those that just want to veg out in front of the TV?"

To address the "veg out" crowd, Netgear Internet TV includes the functionality found in products like WhereverTV; international broadcast television streams. Showing a full-screen stream from EuroNews and Sky, Pathela switched live between streams with very little buffering.

Netgear Internet TV is about the same size as Roku's Netflix box and remote, though each carry a much slimmer profile. The device will be available in Summer '09 for $199.