Earlier this month, Logitech was the first manufacturer to announce a Google TV product. Logitech's Revue set top box is currently available, and the only way that existing TVs can access Google TV (Sony Internet TVs with Google TV will be available soon as will Sony's network Blu-ray player with Google TV on-board).
The Logitech Revue package includes almost everything you need to get started with Google TV. We connected the slim, shiny Revue set-top box to our DISH Network ViP622 satellite box via the included HDMI cable. Yup, the Revue has an HDMI input for accessing and displaying content from the DISH Network DVR. Another HDMI cable is needed to hook the set-top to the TV. Of course, the Revue really needs a web connection, which can be wired or wireless. And if you want to wire your Revue up for Big Sound, it's simple to route the output of your Revue to an HDMI-compatible A/V receiver or home theater system using the HDMI output to the receiver and the receiver to the TV.
The Revue also features options for video calling. However, an add-on camera is needed, which we were not sent for this review.
What we did get was the Logitech Revue Keyboard Controller, which is part of the Revue package. This wireless keyboard provides complete control over your connected devices and all of the content on Google TV. The keyboard is pretty straightforward. It's laid out like your typical keyboard, with a few new buttons designated for tasks such as TV, DVR, Dual View, and more. This is a good thing. However, there is a bit of a learning curve. For instance, when using the touchpad, you can't "tap" to get on-screen results. Also, the OK button works for some tasks, but the touchpad button is needed for others. It's not the end of the world, but did throw us off more than a few times during initial testing.
Once we walked through a 20-minute (but simple) setup process, we were instantly connected to a variety of Google TV applications. YouTube, Amazon Video on Demand, Netflix, CNBC Real-Time, and Twitter are just a few of the apps available right out of the box. Searches will retrieve matching content from these and other sources. Of course, the most important "app" is probably the Google Chrome browser, which serves as a catchall for anything you want on the web, and may make the need for a laptop in the living room a thing of the past.
Speaking of catchall, that is sort of Google TV's motto. For instance, when searching for a TV show like HBO's Flight of the Conchords, results will include options for Amazon Video on Demand, web videos, whatever is on your channel lineup for upcoming episodes and DVR recordings. From there you can cast an even wider net via the web. For now, the one-stop shopping, which includes the service provider's program guide and DVR access, is restricted to DISH Network customers -- ones with a ViP622, ViP722 or ViP722k DVR. As a DISH subscriber, this is quite convenient for me, but compatiblity with other providers and other hardware should come over time.
My initial impressions of the Revue are quite positive, though we did hit a snag as we're still waiting for our DISH box to be activated for use with the Google TV service. Look for a more in-depth Revue review, as well as more details on Google TV coming in our full review, early next week.
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