Google TV - Logitech - Revue Part II

In my last post I introduced Google TV via the Logitech Revue box.  Today, I will give you my impressions of the overall experience with this setup in our home as well of those of my wife and kids.

Keyboard:
The keyboard is a major 'bummer' for me.  It’s too big and cumbersome in the family room.   I keep thinking, ok when will I spill my drink on this thing,....it’s only a matter of time.  My wife won't touch it!  She doesn't even like to use the keyboard at the computer so she won't go near it on the TV.  Seriously, if it’s on one end of the couch she won't even sit near it.  But the kids, ages 6 & 9, think it magically converted our TV into unlimited access to funny animal videos off YouTube.  The only benefit I have found to the size of the keyboard is that it’s perfect for them to play tug-of-war with it.  In sum, two thumbs down.

IR vs. RF:
Infrared has been in remote controls ever since the "clicker".  It is old school technology.  The biggest drawback is line of sight.  Meaning, you must point and shoot which can get tricky at an angle depending on the power of the remote and geometry of the IR receiver on the box.  With the Logitech, it turns your entire setup into RF which is a radio frequency that has near unlimited range in the home and none of the point and shoot issues.  The A/V receiver, DirecTV DVR, and Logitech all operated off the keyboard using RF.  This came in handy when cooking in the Kitchen while viewing the Family Room TV.  In sum, two thumbs up.

Media Center:
Over the years, we have collected thousands of pieces of media which include music mp3s, home movies, DVDs backed up to Divx, and pictures from my wife's Nikon camera.  The ability of an Internet TV box to also play media on the local network is extremely important to us.  The Logitech has this ability and can see both our networked computers.  However, the "beta" software used to play the media only worked for .mp3 files and some, not all, of our pictures.  Larger full resolution .tiff files would not work at all and even simple mpeg2 or mpeg4 wouldn't play nor more compressed and HD files like .mkv would work at all.  In sum, two thumbs down but optimistic that this could work better in the future with a software upgrade.

Apps:
The majority of folks looking to buy this box will because of the apps and its ability to work in conjunction with their subscription TV service.  In my case, DirecTV.  Just for the record, this box is designed more for Dish Network than DirecTV or a cable service provider.  However, it did work but with some difficulties.  For example, I recorded a college football game.  Then did a Google search on the game and it didn't pull up the game off the DVR.  The Google search was limited to web and didn't pick up content off the DVR at all.  I also noticed it didn't search Netflix either.  It’s as if the search only goes to the web not to my subscription services like Netflix and DirecTV.  This was my understanding of how this box works and why it is so innovative.  In sum, two thumbs down.

Netflix worked fine but again I was left disappointed.  On some of the other boxes I've tested, only your instant quit would show up which means you must use your PC to find movies then jump over to the TV to watch.  With the Logitech and Google search technology I was hoping it would be the best "search" experience of the Netflix library.  Wrong, the Netflix library was "unsearchable" only the instant queue was displayed.  Even the little $69.99 Roku box lets you search movies within Netflix but this $300 box won't?  In sum, two thumbs down.

I didn't have the opportunity to test two way conferencing audio/video but there is an app for that and demonstration on the box.  This looks very cool and think some people may buy this box for that capability alone.

The Logitech has a slew of other apps including Pandora, flicker, YouTube, etc. etc.  They all work fine, enhance content, and the experience depending on your needs.  You will either love the apps or care less depending on you and what you consider "entertainment".  Some people like to watch teenagers wipe out on skateboards others could care less.  Hey, I am just saying.

Summary:
So am I keeping this box in our home?  Sorry, its going back.  It doesn't suit our needs and we still plan on cutting our DirecTV service as described in my first post.  Perhaps, if we had Dish Network, wished to keep traditional subscription TV, and the media center functions worked properly, we would change our mind.  But none of these are the case in our home.  I say all this because this box could be the one for you.  It is expensive though at $299.  Regardless of your needs, it isn't the best value.  I can find a keyboard laying around for the kids to play tug-of-war and if I spill coffee on that no biggie.

So what now?  I plan on testing and reviewing several more boxes.  Western Digital Live Hub, Roku XDS, Boxee, and Apple TV.  So stay tuned for more reviews and my humble opinions.  J