Logitech Revue With Google TV [REVIEW]

By jnherder January 27, 2011 4:00 pm Posted in Electronics, culture, Gadgets, Gadgets, Guy's Room, Mobile, Tech, Television jnherder g+ page

Google and Logitech teamed up in an attempt to change the way we watch TV. After spending a few weeks with the unit they’ve branded it Logitech ”Revue” and we have to say Mission Accomplished (and not in that George W Bush landing on a flight carrier way either). Couch potatoes rejoice, you’ve got a whole slew of new reasons to never leave the depths of your basement again.

What does it do?

A better question would be, what doesn’t it do? First of all, the remote is an actual full keyboard, so you can surf the web, watch YouTube videos, do Nexflix streaming, update your Twitter, and even check on live sports scores. Running on Android it basically brings the almighty powers of the internet straight to your HDTV.

Key Apps:

Netflix – Stream unlimited movies from Netflix straight to your TV
Pandora – Free and personalized to play only the music you love!
Twitter – Why not, it’s everywhere else.
CNBC - Designed exclusively for Google TV, the CNBC real-time app features real-time stock quotes.

More TV apps are coming to the Android market this year.

Use your smart phone as a remote!

Made for Logitech Revue Absolutely one of our favorite features, the “harmony” app gives you the full control of Google TV right from your smartphone, where wifi is available. It’s sweet, it turns your phone into the ultimate remote with a built in keyboard to find shows, a touch pad to browse the web, and a remote control for your TV.

Caution – Side Effects: Having more than one active remote in the living room may cause channel fighting and volume control wars, you’ve been warned!

Is the Logitech Revue right for you?

What you need

What you need…

An HDTV with an HDMI port
Internet (Ethernet or WiFi)
Cable or Satellite Set Top Box with HDMI out

Pros:

Very easy to set up and begin
Apps, apps, apps!
Ease of use
Full keyboard remote
Dual view mode

Cons:

Missing Hulu / Hulu Plus
Non back-lit keyboard, very hard to see in the dark
The touch pad requires you to scroll to what you would like to click then click a separate button to “select”, which can be frustrating.

Overall, the Logitec Revue and Google TV work great together, we had our unit up and running in just under 10 minutes. This is an exciting open platform system that has a lot of potential. We especially like the the “What’s On” feature, dual view, and the smart phone remote. It’s not going to replace your computer or laptop at the moment, but we’d highly recommend the Revue to anyone who’s still sitting on the fence about Google TV.

Price: $299

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