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Logitech Revue Companion Box with Google TV and Keyboard Controller
Review by Rich : Fun and User Friendly

I got my Revue hooked up a couple days ago and my family is having a blast with it. My kids and I can't watch TV now without the Revue cordless keyboard on our laps.

Think of the Revue as turning your TV into the Internet while simultaneously watching TV. Check email or watch a video during the commercials. I can't get me kids off of YouTube. They love watching videos on the big screen. It also allows you access to photos and music stored on your computer. The keyboard allows you to quickly click between the Internet and live TV or do both at once with Picture in Picture (PIP).

The Revue was simple to set up. Just an HDMI cord between my cable box and the revue and another from the revue to the AV receiver (or TV). The on-screen set up was also very easy. Just follow the on screen directions and log on to your network.

Access to Google TV really is "seamless". A click of the button on the keyboard brings up the menu. No changing settings or inputs. A track pad on the keyboard makes it easy to click on menu items. The interface is quick and easy to use.

It has several apps preloaded, such as Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, etc. The Netflix app allows you to stream movies to your TV from your Netflix queue. Future updates and app development will make Google TV much more attractive.

I also got the optional Revue TV Cam ($150). This is a cool feature that adds video chat to your Revue. Again, click a couple keys on your keyboard and you can make an instant video call, on your big screen, right from your couch and without having to break out your laptop.

I'm not sure what the expectations were of this product before it was released, but after reading some of the negative reviews, I think some buyers' expectations may have been high. I don't consider myself a "techie", so I like products that are user friendly. Logitech has always fit the bill. For $300, I believe the Revue is a good buy that will enhance your television experience and provide a lot of entertainment.

Logitech Revue Companion Box with Google TV and Keyboard Controller
Review by Shawn W. Hall : A bit overpriced, but a good product and major potential

Logitech Revue Companion Box with Google TV and Keyboard Controller

While I think the price point should have been closer to $200, I am overall very satisfied with Google TV, using the Logitech Revue box and keyboard. I am an Android phone user as well and the OS used in Google TV is very similar. The set up was easy and intuitive. One note: You do need an HDTV, high-speed internet (wired or wireless), and a cable box with HDMI cable inputs to take full advantage of all Google TV has to offer. And while the box comes with 1 HDMI cable, you will need at least one more. I am not completely sold on using the keyboard to control the DVR, although it is possible. There is a free Harmony app for Android phones (iPhone coming soon, I believe) that is an added bonus.

I won't be getting rid of my laptop, but will be using it a whole lot less! If you use the internet for games, Facebook, searching, shopping, photos, videos, etc., then having quick access to that using the full Google Chrome browser while in your living room, is a no-brainer. I enjoy the integration of my DVR content with internet searching, if I search for "Desperate Housewives" it shows me not only my recordings on the DVR, upcoming shows in the guide, as well as related websites and other references. Neat. I like the Pandora application so I can listen to music through my stereo, surf the web, and watch the local news in picture-in-picture, all at once.

I look forward to having more application options (Google is aggressively pursuing developers to create apps for Google TV like they do for the Android Marketplace). I think a very basic app they should have included out of the box is Weather.com to quickly pull up the local forecast. When an app market is available and as other enhancements are added (updates over the internet), this will soon become the perfect product, until then, it's very fun and I'm glad to have it!

UPDATE: 8/1/11 - Glad to see the price drop to $99.99 (even though I paid 3x that much). This lower price point along with the upcoming update to the OS within a month or two, should make this a no-brainer. Check it out!

Logitech Revue Companion Box with Google TV and Keyboard Controller
Review by Richard Pearson : GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD!

History has repeated itself! In 1996 when WEBTV came into existence, the internet and computers were not as widespread as they are today. WEB TV was the perfect gift for a person who did NOT have a computer. Now 14 years later, GOOGLE TV is the perfect gift for someone who does NOT have a computer! Many things have changed in the last 14 years. The WEB or INTERNET has become so vast and TV has improved its signal to High Definition. Surprisingly the marriage between TV and the WEB has not been a smooth journey. There would have been no need for Google TV if Mr.Gates who paid half a billion dollars for WEBTV back in the late 90s had only improved and updated it. But no, he let it practically die on the vine. How many people do you know still have WEB TV???? In any event I am happy to say that GOOGLE TV is the answer to my prayers. I did take a couple hours setting it up, but only because I had 3 DVD Players hooked to my HDTV! Please learn from my mistakes and either unhook most of your connections or make sure all of the cables are labeled before you hook up your logitech revue unit.

Anyhow I must say that after several hours of playing around with my logitech unit that this is the REAL DEAL! Having the power to display the WEB in all its glory on an HDTV is the ultimate thrill! And to do it with just a few clicks with the mouse key is so convenient! And an added bonus for me is that the mouse key is on the extreme left of the keyboard which I prefer since I use a lefthanded mouse anyway! But I digress. This is the best integration of TV and the net. I did use a wired connection and my download speed is in the high 20's believe it or not! I have only watched a few videos but they looked damn good! YOU TUBE is beautiful on Google TV. I could spend all day on that website. Anyhow I am typing this review on my logitech unit and having very few problems. I would suggest that you should magnify the text by hitting control key and the "+" key if you are having any problems reading. It works like a charm.

There are a lot of things you can do with the logitech unit and more apps are promised so what is not to like? I just don't understand the 1 star ratings some reviewers are giving this gadget. Look it takes up very little room and the keyboard is a work of art and if you dig getting on the internet in a second or two while a commercial is running how could you possibly hate it?

I remember the early years of WEB TV and I have recaptured that feeling again with TV and the WEB available to me with the control of my fingertips. WEBTV is dead, long live the new king GOOGLE TV!

Logitech Revue Companion Box with Google TV and Keyboard Controller
Review by Amazon.Buyer ""Never argue with an idiot.... : Most people don't know how to use it.

I have had the revue for 5 months now and recently the revue hdmi output died (not the boxes fault..it happened during a surge that came from the cable box which also killed the hdmi switch at the revue output...trust me I know exactly what went wrong). I cannot begin to explain how you miss it after you have started using it for a while. Basically your tv is not the same anymore without it.

First off I want to address an issue I have seen on reviews with Netflix. I use netflix on Xbox 360, PS3, PC and the revue. The revue interface has everything you have through a pc with full search functionality and ease of use. The xbox and PS3 are far behind. The only reason people jumped to conclusions about this is because there are two choices to watch netflix. One is on the left menu which is sort fo a preview of netflix and the other is to go to Applications->Netflix and launch the dedicated netflix application. Thats when you have the full featured app. As for quality the revue is at par with the PS3 as the top two. The xbox for some reason decides to lower my quality at times due to bandwidth. This never happens with the PS3 or the revue.

Second I want to address the concern people have about blocked video websites. This has nothing to do with the revue. This is due to sites like hulu blocking android from accessing their content because they want to charge for this. If this bothers you, do not complain to logitech or google, but to the FCC. Tell them to take action because they are allowing sites to block content to charge. This should be illegal. The fake messages you get from hulu saying we are working on bringing hulu to android just means they are "working" on a monthly plan and hulu plus app.

Next ill address the mentions of connecting a pc to your tv to get the same or better results. the convenience of just having the web access at just the push of a button without needing to get up connect your laptop or having a dedicated pc for this purpose is not comparable. Just think of watching a movie, getting that brain freeze of where you saw that actor before, pausing your film, clicking the search button on your keyboard and checking on imdb in an instant and then resuming your film. You cant achieve this with a dedicated pc or bringing your laptop to your tv. Not to mention that not all tv's have a vga input, not all laptops have an hdmi output. Plus the revue is a tiny box that fits right next to your home theater setup without any bulky pc next to it (even a shuttle is bulky in comparison).

Other benefits I have. Streaming my media from my networked PC's to the revue. I just power up any pc in the house that contains the media I want and is shared (windows 7 and windows media center make it rather easy..even though im not a MS fan..but thats how it is). Use the logitech media player app and it will see any networked device sharing media. Pictures, music or videos. You can even use one of the two usb ports to connect an external hard drive with media and it supports a wide range of formats.

Another issue people have mentioned is the difficulty browsing websites. I noticed this mainly with scrolling. The on board mouse and buttons do not make this easy. However you can connect any wireless mouse and use that. It makes a big difference. I have a logitech wireless trackball mouse and that is a perfect companion for web browsing. some sites that are flash heavy might be a bit slow and jumpy but the fact that you can view them right on your tv with such ease makes a big difference. The trackball is also great since I do not need to move the mouse around. I just hold it next to me on the couch. I also love that I can go to youtube and show friends any youtube video right there on my tv without having to open up a laptop and everyone crouching in front of it. The youtube app offers the "leanback" experience but I am not really a fan of that.

Another great feature is how you can customize the keyboard to any functions of your various remotes that are not built in by default. For example i chose "fn" key and "I" for tv input source and "fn" and "1" to scroll through my favorites list on my cable box.

I really can go on and on about the features. The more you look into it and customize it (bookmarks, keys, websites etc), the more you find to love. Not to mention that Honeycomb was announced for the revue to be coming this summer. I cant wait to see what that is like.

Finally I have to mention Logitech customer support. They start off with the normal simple questions for ...lets say "inexperienced" users but as soon as you identify yourself as a tech they treat you very professionally and help you all the way. They offered a replacement unit, sent me a UPS return label for free shipping, I sent them an email once I dropped it off at a UPS location and they shipped the replacement before even receiving the defective one. Granted this whole process is taking me a week without my revue...and the weekend went by without it which killed me since I use it so much for everything...but as I said, very helpful, very understanding and honestly, Ive dealt with them before and several other customer service departments of many reputable companies and Logitech is at the top of the list.

So overall, I think that the bad reviews come from people who either do not know how to fully use their revue, or were expecting something the revue is not. Its and addition to your home theater setup that enhances it with several features and I feel this is the future of tv...Google knows what its doing. You can bash them all you want..but that is the plain simple truth. I highly recommend this purchase....especially now that its dropped to 200 bucks..Im considering getting a second one for my bedroom tv.

Logitech Revue Companion Box with Google TV and Keyboard Controller
Review by Matthew Feinstein : Paradigm Shift in TV Watching

Probably like many of you I have tried many a TV set-top box that promised to change my TV viewing experience forever. Countless "digital media adapters" from many different vendors. Inevitably they failed to live up to the promise--of the "god box"--one box that will play any media from anywhere. Often they more than failed to deliver on this promise, they were impossible to use or simply too buggy to keep in my living room.

The Revue, on the other hand, while not perfect yet, has largely done what none of these boxes could do. And we are at the early stages of GoogleTV and what it will be able to deliver.

Setup was fairly simple, taking me through a few screens to connect to my home network, do a software update, and then link up to my DISH Network ViP622 DVR. The $4.00 charged by DISH is just silly...but I do give DISH credit for bringing this product to their subscribers ahead of anyone else.

Having to use a keyboard to interact with my TV took a bit of getting used to, but is not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. The keyboard is very small and lightweight. The logitech iphone remote control app is interesting also and the right vision in terms of two screen interactivity, but for now I think I like the keyboard better.

Searching for content across the internet and my dish DVR is simple now. There is a bit of an adjustment period of getting used to TV as just one of many applications the Revue can deliver on. I have been enjoying a variety of content on the web from amazon VoD and many other sites.

Integration with the DISH DVR is OK, although I have found that some recordings are not setup correctly when done via the revue. But overall the integration is good, you will never pick up the dish remote control again.

BTW, actually one of the best features of this product is that it is "transparent" to your TV watching unless you pick up the keyboard and interact with it. If you have someone in your house who is not so interested in using the Revue, they can continue using the dish DVR the same way as before.

The logitech vidHD camera is cool, but at this point I don't know many people that have one. Disappointingly, the built-in camera on my laptop seems incompatible and I need to purchase an external camera to be able to call my googleTV. If they could make my iphone 4 front facing camera work with it, that would be very cool feature.

The built in media player app (for playing content off the HDD) is a nice addition, although I would say not a mainstream feature. Although it is marked as "beta" it was able to play most of the video files from my collection.

All in all I highly recommend this product. As a 1.0 product I think Logitech and google have done a remarkable job in delivering on the vision of bringing the Internet and TV together.