SatelliteGuys Review: Logitech Revue with GoogleTV – A Diamond in the Rough

[GaryPen]

Google HAS apparently, though, asked manufacturers to not showcase GoogleTV in new products at CES 2011.

That doesn't surprise me one bit. I can totally see Google giving up on GoogleTV shortly after praising it as the greatest thing they ever invented. They do this with just about everything they create. They are like children who beg their parents to buy some piece of crap for them because it's the best thing ever and they must have it, then get bored with it right away and want something else.

And, the reason they act like children is because they literally are children. Take a walk through their campus, or eat in their cafeteria. You'll feel like you're at college, not a corporation. The few people over 30 look like the cool teachers who like to hang out with the students.

 

[GaryPen]

I was at Best Buy and asked about TV with WiFi integration. They showed me a Sony that had the GoogleTV built into it. He said it was the same as the revue with a small handheld keyboard. I hooked it up to my t-mobile hot spot WiFi and got online with it. We watch some youtube videos and it never paused at all. It was running a 720 HD video also. ...

I have the Sony set-top Google TV device with built-in BD player. (I forget the model number.) It's totally underwhelming. For one thing, I already have a BD player, so that part is not necessary. But, the GTV experience is simply a big yawn, and mostly redundant. I'd be royally pissed if I had paid the $399 they're charging for this thing, or even $299 for the Logitech version. (It was a Christmas gift from my wife's employer.)

My prediction is that GTV will fade away. It may return someday in a different form. But, the thing they were pushing at the Google IO conference, and ciurrently sold by Logitech and Sony will disappear in the next few months. I'll bet a dollar on it.

 

[FitzAusTex]

I was a bit skeptical about GoogleTV when I first got it. My main intention was to have a device that could integrate with my TV experience. I have two Rokus, which are actually quite cool, but because I had to change inputs and switch from "TV" to Roku Channels (by switching HDMI Inputs), I used it far less than I hoped I would. I should say that I have Harmony remotes that makes switching back and forth quite easy, yet I still switched to the Roku far less than I thought I would.

That all being said, yes, GTV isn't quite living up to ALL my hopes yet, BUT, I don't think I could go back to NOT having it. Yes, the blocking that the many of the content providers are doing sucks (but not really to me, since Hulu isn't really important to me). DNLA from my Mac to the GTV works just fine, although I don't have much content on my Mac that wish to view on my TV that often.

I needed Netflix, and the web. I can't tell you how many times I hit the Search key to google something someone just said on TV, and boom, there's my search result. I can listen to Pandora, while "watching" a TV show. All my podcasts integrated into a single queue with my bookmarked websites, my DVR'd event's AND my EHD archived recordings is kick-ass.

Oh, and the thought of a keyboard in my living room seemed insane to me (and maybe it actually IS insane) but it has found a permanent home on my coffee table, and doesn't seem so insane any more.

The single input concept is what makes GTV brilliant. The silo'd approach of Roku, Boxee Box, Apple TV etc, being on different inputs is now a non-starter for me. Those companies should definitely be working on the HDMI In/Out overlay approach that GTV uses.

My Nexus One phone is simply the best phone I've ever owned. I've never used a smartphone (and I've had many) as much as I use my Android phone, so I can't wait till GTV gets access to the Android Market. The thought of having all the apps that I have on my phone on my TV is my single biggest technology desire for 2011. I honestly can't think of anything more useful to me from a technology standpoint.

So, ok, yeah, GTV could use some improvements/refinements, and access to everything on the web (ridiculous that content providers can effectively block certain "PCs" from accessing content that other PCs can access, and should be illegal), but I'm now a convert to GTV. Sure Google may have blown the introduction, and GTV may fade away as a result, but many people who diss it because of the reviews it's gotten, may very well be missing out on something quite cool. It has certainly changed the way I watch "TV".

 

[tomcrown1]

First off the rumors of google tv not being at CES are out and out lies period. First off CES has never been a venue for showing of finished products the purpose of CES is to show prototypes of products coming out down the line. I fully expect google to show off what they have planned for google tv 2.0.

This will more than likely to be shown off by logitec revue which I hope scott will cover.

I also expect to see a variety of tv and cable boxes with google tv on display at CES.

If google tv is not shown at CES then this is a dead product with google letting the world know that they are killing off google tv.

 

[bsk116]

I was going to give you the thumbs up icon but I don't know how to do it

 

[DustoMan]

Sounds like we can welcome Vizio to the GoogleTV party at CES. So that kinda debunks the whole thing.

So Sunday when my wife got home from drill she wanted to sit down at watch TV while I ran out to Subway to get some dinner. When I got home, she was standing in front of the TV looking at it with a confused look on her face holding the Revue Keyboard and asked me. "Honey, how do I turn off the GoogleTV to watch TV?" I had left the GoogleTV on the Google homepage because I didn't want the thing constantly streaming the Twit Live feed while I had the TV off. I neglected to hit the Live TV button on GoogleTV before shutting the rest of the system off. Lesson learned...

 

[GaryPen]

Ooooh. Vizio. Now, if they could only get Funai, Apex, and Westinghouse aboard, too.

 

[tomcrown1]

Ooooh. Vizio. Now, if they could only get Funai, Apex, and Westinghouse aboard, too.

Their are rumors that Toshiba will show google tv as well.

 

[GaryPen]

Ah. A real brand. Cool.

I'd like to see Panasonic get on board, as well. But, they're letting their Internet apps stagnate and flounder. They haven't added any new apps to their stupidly named VieraCast in quite some time. And, they're still rockin' the old Netflix UI. No browse. No search. Just a long line of titles already in your queue.

They really need to get moving with that stuff. They can't rely on being the only game in Plasma Town forever to keep their sales moving. Pretty soon, they will lose the California market when the new energy standards kick in, and Plasma goes bye-bye. So, they need a line up of hot LCD/LED models with full 'Net capability. It'll be impossible to catch up to Samsung and Sony without it.

 

[DustoMan]

Panasonic is actually doing a lot with VieraCast. They just announced support for HuluPlus, MLB.tv, and some others. And the joystick maker ThrustMaster is making some controllers for the platform because some players are going to ship with games on them. The problem with Panasonic is that they didn't make the VieraCast hardware very upgradable to the new versions that are needed to support things like Netflix and Hulu. I bought a Panasonic Bul-Ray player right before they announced Netflix support. Let me tell you there were some pissed off folks when they said that the 2009 model year VieraCast players lacked the ability to be updated to whatever DRM scheme NetFlix required. That's a load of crap if you ask me.

 

[blueoval4ever]

Sounds like we can welcome Vizio to the GoogleTV party at CES. So that kinda debunks the whole thing.

I just bought a Vizio 26" with Wi-Fi built in. The apps are not that much fun. Standard Netflix, VUDU, Facebook and many more. I just don't understand why they could not add GTV to this buy just adding a USB Keyboard and Mouse. I would pay $39 for that upgrade.

 

[DustoMan]

I just bought a Vizio 26" with Wi-Fi built in. The apps are not that much fun. Standard Netflix, VUDU, Facebook and many more. I just don't understand why they could not add GTV to this buy just adding a USB Keyboard and Mouse. I would pay $39 for that upgrade.

Because the hardware that is in that 26" Vizio with Wi-Fi is not the same as what's required for GTV nor would that hardware cost you $39 retail to add to that TV. Same reason why the 922 won't ever get GTV built-in.

 

[SQUEEZON]

My oh my- here we are on the 9th of January and Google TV's heart is still beating! Over 7 brand name manufacturer's have now announced they will include Google TV in their products.

Now who was it that said this thing would die?? I Love It!! and it would appear an awful lot of people dont know how to use it across the various media.

" I don't care if your name is Thomas Edison, it will never work"!!!

 

[DustoMan]

My oh my- here we are on the 9th of January and Google TV's heart is still beating! Over 7 brand name manufacturer's have now announced they will include Google TV in their products.

Now who was it that said this thing would die?? I Love It!! and it would appear an awful lot of people dont know how to use it across the various media.

" I don't care if your name is Thomas Edison, it will never work"!!!

Yes... the force is strong in this one. Granted nothing new was announced software wise, but at least it wasn't the "No Show" that some people were speculating.

 

[GaryPen]

Since I didn't pay for my GTV device, I'm just adopting a wait-and-see attitude. But, I still think GTV will either be re-tooled, or fade away. I do not think it will survive in its present incarnation. It is simply not good enough, as it is today.

I am definitely looking forward to the SlingPlayer app that was demo'd at CES the other day. But, knowing Sling's history of slow roll-outs after CES, especially after being bought by Echostar, I'm not holding my breath.

The big milestone for GTV will be the opening of the Android Market. If it doesn't take off after that, it probably never will.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I have Netflix on my Panasonic 3DTV it was added a few weeks ago. I hope they keep adding things.

 

[GaryPen]

I have Netflix on my Panasonic 3DTV it was added a few weeks ago. I hope they keep adding things.

Does it have the new Netflix UI with search/browse, or the old linear UI with a single, long, horizontal line of movies from your queue?

 

[cobalt]

I was one of the 1st to get a dish network google tv and I've just dropped my $4.00 fee and have disconnected it from my dish receiver. Reasons for disconnecting it 1. no app store 2. very slow to navigate 3. couldn't get it to send a 5.1 signal to my receiver through the hdmi (dish and google both) 4. the dish network image quality was degraded on the pass through.
5. no network support (blocked) and 6. No hulu plus. I'll use this device for surfing the web while on the couch but I'll just use it as a stand alone device. I hope the release of the app store will solve some of the road blocks to network programing. This on top of loosing my dish absolute doesn't add up to a good dish network start to the new year

 

[MikeD-C05]

I have the exact opposite reaction to this receiver. I think it makes the DISH stuff look better in 1080p. I can use my hula app through playon.com application over my computer ,which the google tv sees. But I do admit that the google revue unit needs more applications and more perks and tweaks to make it worth more than it does now. I love the way the Netflix works now . It is much nicer now and I can add what I want right over the unit itself.

 

[DustoMan]

I don't have any issues with picture or audio quality either and I think the UI is pretty snappy. I did notice one odd side-effect of having the Revue in between my 922 and AV receiver though. The normally loud commercials aren't quite as loud as they used to be.