Television as you know it is dead. We'll be sending out the condolence cards to the cable companies in the morning. Logitech's much anticipated Revue made its official debut yesterday in New York and San Francisco with much fanfare. Until Sony releases its Google TV-enabled set next week in New York (California must be feeling totally left out), the Revue is the only Google TV product that you can actually order. Integrating the web and television has never been an easy feat (anyone remember WebTV?), but the almighty folks at Google think they finally have that little issue worked out. Logitech must think so too because they have a lot at stake with the Revue. It does seem like a natural fit; one company wants to control the flow of information on the planet, the other builds nice universal remote controls, media players, and webcams. Works for us.
The first thing that stood out today about the Revue was the price; $299. DISH Network subscribers can get the Revue for a much lower price: $179. DISH is a Google TV launch partner and DISH customers will get a richer experience than others with integration of not just their custom TV guide listings, but also the recordings on their local DVR included in the search results. Before Apple fanboys start proclaiming victory because the recently launched Apple TV is only $99, they might want to take a look at the basket of goodies that come in the box for $299.
Aside from the Revue with Google TV box (which looks like another black box to put in your rack...Ferrari red would have been so cool), you get a super-lightweight wireless keyboard with integrated touch and directional pad, an HDMI cable, one IR blaster, and a package of batteries (which better be Duracells). Accessories were also announced today including a $149 HD webcam, and a Revue-specific version of the diNovo Mini Controller for $129. Logitech also announced a free Logitech Harmony App for iPhone/iPad users and for Android (which we kinda expected was going to happen). The ability to not only control Google TV using your phone, but fling content over to it had folks buzzing. The crowd was also impressed when Logitech demonstrated the use of vocal commands to search for a specific program.
The lightweight keyboard (which isn't that small) has Google TV-specific functions built into it and it looks like a winner. Logitech has a lot of experience building wireless keyboards so we expect this to be a decent product. The touch pad seems a tad dated in 2010, especially when you control the system with a touchscreen on your iPhone or Droid, but it did work rather flawlessly so maybe Logitech isn't wrong on this one. The smaller Revue-specific version of the diNovo Mini controller looked ten thousand times cooler than the one Sony is apparently going to release next week, which looks like a mishmash of PS1/PS2/PS3 controllers.
The rear panel of the Revue has two HDMI ports (in/out) which we presume is to connect the device to your HDTV and the brand new HD webcam. There are also two USB 2.0 ports, one Ethernet port, an optical digital output, and two ports for those IR blasters. It all looks rather svelte. The Revue can also connect to your wireless router at home as it supports 802.11a/b/g/n. The HDMI 1.3 ports offer 1080p, 60fps output. Another cool item is that all the major codecs; MP3, AAC, JPEG, and MKVs will be supported.
The Revue also comes preloaded with the Logitech Vid HD app. The only bad part is that you need to add the separate $150 camera to make it all work. The video quality of the camera was really outstanding, as was the fidelity of the sound. The camera uses a Carl Zeiss lens, dual microphones, built-in autofocus, and there is a real emphasis on low-light situations. Don't get any ideas; this is a 'PG' story. Your connection to the internet must be a minimum of 1 Mbps for the camera to function properly.
As excited as we are about the hardware, its the application that really matters. Will Google TV fundamentally change the way you watch television and surf the internet for content? We think it just might do that if it can offer really unique content. At the press event today, it was announced that Google was negotiating with Hulu so it looks likely that Hulu Plus will be available in the near future (fingers crossed). Google TV also showed what some of the exclusive content from networks such as HBO will look like. HBO GO looked pretty awesome with a really interesting interface and the entire line-up on the bottom. Hey look - Tony Soprano wasn't whacked in the finale after all. The NBA (that's the National Basketball Association for those of you who don't follow sports) also has a slick looking channel already set-up for Google TV. I'll be more impressed when one exists for the NHL and English Premier Division soccer, but that's my twisted fantasy. The Android App store for Google TV isn't ready for prime time yet, but it is coming soon.
The overall package looks really good. The $64,000 question is still; will consumers pony up $300 or more to make their existing HDTV a true media hub in their home, especially when it is going to be controlled by Google? Apple seems to feel differently, as do the folks at Roku and Boxee Box. One thing for sure, television as we know it, is dead.
Viva la Causa!
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