Internet TV, The Google Way

I recently received a Logitech Revue (Google TV), compliments of Brian Hudkins, President - Gramophone in MD. Following my receipt of this toy (thank you Brian), I read several interesting articles and blogs on this subject in an effort to better understand first perceptions. Michael Heiss and Jeremy Glowacki in Residential Systems; and Leon Shaw of Audio Advice, on his blog (Leon is currently our HTSA president), all wrote detailed commentary and thorough reviews.

My initial contact with this product was very exciting. I felt after just one hour, that average consumers could afford this device, could set-up this device and could use this device with very little handholding if any. The concept of a software based controller giving you an all-access pass to content (much of it free) from a variety of different sources is awesome! I am willing to try just about anything that reduces my dependence on big brother! In this case Big Brother is the content providers (i.e. cable and satellite companies).

I have now had the opportunity to live with the Logitech Google TV box for about a month, which in real life, is a few days (I travel) and I have a few thoughts I would like to add.

First, the obvious, below is a picture of the back panel and included keyboard remote control. The USB inputs are for accessory devices such as the Logitech HD Camera or a separate source. Very few systems have succeeded using unconventionally sized remote controls, but this may be that needle in a haystack. This keyboard controller is remarkably comfortable and easy to use.

Setup

The keyboard is extremely lightweight and easy to use. The USB connections are for a Logitech Camera or external source.

The box is relatively small; a little larger than a new Apple TV and smaller than most set-top boxes. Installation was easy and straight forward. I hooked it up in our family room, which includes a 52” Samsung Plasma TV (800 series), connected to a Fios HD DVR and an Integra 40.2 controlling the audio portion. All other components are unimportant for this purpose because the Logitech Revue only asks you about the three stated components. Once I connected the pass through with HDMI, which is the only way to do it, the setup began and it was incredibly easy! If you can follow some basic instructions, you can do this!

During the set-up process the software asks you who you are, where you live, what you are connecting to it and your Google email address. Don’t worry, the software will make you provide a Gmail address, but that’s OK. All this helps them recognize you and seek out content for streaming on your selected services.

It also asks you to optimize picture size within your screen frame. This is easy, but if the settings on your TV are not adjusted for this box, it can make you nervous. One thing it doesn’t do is tell you how your TV is formatted (is it 16 X 9?), nor will it change your resolution settings, so be sure to look here if your picture does not format correctly.

The network set-up was a breeze and it connected first time and flawlessly. As a matter of fact the wireless connection was so fast, I never felt the need to hard wire an Ethernet connection. Even movies and data transfer were fast. I did have two issues I will discuss a little later on, but for now, I was duly impressed.

The Logitech Help Assistant is where I went next. Here I found documents and videos on Getting Started, Getting to Know Revue, Using The Controller and more. There is even a video for how to hook up the Logitech TV Cam and launch video conferencing.

There are IR blasters in the front and sides of this box and this gives the Revue a wide spread with which to contact the other necessary components. It literally took over my set-top box. Once the connections were made and the set-up completed it seemed like both the Fios remote and the keyboard from Logitech were interchangeable for most major functions. I did notice one instance at 180 degrees off axis where I could interrupt the controller.

Keyboard & Control

The full sized wireless keyboard is well organized and ergonomic, but I do so wish it had flip up legs in the back for use on an ottoman or table. I was also disappointed with the cheesy plastic clips used to hold the battery cover on the bottom. They bend and break too easily. (sorry Brian!) Even my child’s toys have tiny screws that hold the cover on a stronger battery compartment. There is a power switch for the keyboard on the back right, but it will sleep and awaken rather efficiently.

The layout can best be understood as four zones of control. The upper left portion of the remote focuses on basic functions: Volume, Mute, TV, Guide, DVR and left click buttons. The upper right focuses on component selection and Trak Pad mouse control and power on and off. Some devices require discrete on and off codes, but there are no discrete codes for use with DVR or set top box devices available on the Revue. That can potentially be a problem. Luckily, I don’t have that problem with my box, so I was unaffected. The lower right gives you a D-Pad, basic transport controls, Home and Back buttons and lastly the main or 4th zone of the remote, which is the full keyboard with Tab acting as recall, a list button and a search button. I was wishing I had one of those lap desks from the Hampton Inn, for the keyboard to rest on, but I will get used to operating with two hands. The A-Z keys and 1-4 can all be programmed to control other device functions.

Functionality

Let’s move on to functionality. When I first powered up the device, as I mentioned earlier, discovery, set-up and operation were incredibly easy. Hitting the TV Device button in the upper right turned everything on. (It does not switch inputs). I proceeded with caution like any tech-driven lunatic. Push every button until something bad happens! Thankfully nothing did. I forgot to mention that I had connected a storage drive to one of the USB inputs to see if I could operate the Gallery and it was also a simple plug and play type of approach. I was able to have slides of family pictures displaying on the TV with background music from a Pandora radio station playing while we had some relatives at the house for dinner.

I did have some difficulty adapting to the user-interface and as I later figured out, this occurred because I was so used to operating Google Chrome on my laptop that I had gotten used to scroll bars and a desktop, not found on their keyboard. When you activate the Home button it takes you to a splash screen that says Home.

On the right hand side are icons selectable from the D-Pad or the mouse in list form. On the left hand side in a column are the following listed options:

If any of you are like me, I don’t really have time to go exploring lots of different websites when I am working on my laptop, which if my boss is reading this, is All The Time! That just means having it accessible on my TV was pretty cool. I could do some things I wanted to do and never have time to do.

I had never used the Netflix online app until this device and it was literally as simple as creating the account online, paying my $8.99 and putting some movies in my Netflix queue. Once there, they showed up in the queue of the Netflix app and when I selected the icon, bingo easy access to movies!

Conclusion

The rest of the discussion would have to revolve around what you can do with each of the apps that are available under the various tabs and that is less about Google TV and more about the websites and the content they offer.

Overall, I was reasonably impressed with its functionality and ease of use and for $299 it is a more than capable device. I would also like to mention that I stumbled on a Tech Zone type of heading where you could discover several podcasts, websites and videos related to bringing technology information to the consumer. The danger here is that website positioning and recommendation can be quite predjudicial. I didn’t see one high performance website in plain sight. In summary I would like to offer a bulleted recap of the top highlights from my interaction with this product:

• Nice design and form factor
• Simplicity of set-up and ease of use are excellent
• The keyboard is laid out well and easy, but only time will tell if the size of the remote can overcome past history
• Easy integration of TV, Network, A/V and source devices
• The best of the web combined with the best of TV. You control the content
• It’s no iPad, but for those who want to interact a little more when they are watching TV, it is a great alternative
• Limited connectivity with only HDMI and USB
• App selections, in some cases made me nervous

I like Leon and others don’t have the urge to go do Facebook or Twitter, but I do like the idea of restaurant searches, shopping and informational interaction with my five year old present. I have an iPad, but I really like the idea of not having to open another device to see what I need on the TV. The search capabilities were outstanding and fast. The interface was easy to understand and navigate. The operation of the other connected components seemed operationally invisible which convinced me the keyboard was well designed.

If you are a couch potato who enjoys working on a laptop, you will enjoy the convenience, features and operation of this device. If you are a novice TV watcher who doesn’t have time to explore the web, you will also enjoy this product. As a matter of fact, the only people I can think of that wouldn’t enjoy this product are the people who have already been exposed to better solutions.

As a service provider, I like to think of this device like you think of an iPad or an iPhone. It is just another way to help clients understand the value of integrators and their systems expertise. The iPad, iPhone and Android can do some pretty amazing things on their own, just like the Logitech Revue, but it takes experts to integrate it with Savant and truly empower the client and the device!