Logitech Acknowledges Google TV Set-Top Box a 'Big Mistake'

[Kevtech1]

Sports!!

Honestly I think TV as it is today is crap. I have no need to watch TV or shows or anything like that, and I know that many people feel the same. The internet for me satisfies all my previously TV-related needs. I can watch anything online without commercials in much higher quality, I can watch DVDs on my computer, and the only drawback is the small screen. There is no need for a TV, only a big screen that mirrors your computer's video output.

I think TV today is like the radio: many people still use it, but there's no more innovation going into it, it's bad quality, repetitive and meant only for the average person and no one else, and there's no need to integrate it with the internet, it's easier and better to just replace it with the internet.

There is this huge thing called SPORTS! You ever heard of it? I would love to lose the bill, but I thrive on sports, oh and tech- obviously why I am on this site. Seriously though there is something to be said for "Live" events and even "Live" previously recorded TV. If you think no-one cares about TV you aren't paying attention...

Watching TV after the fact and recorded sports is not even an option!

 

[fixmymac]

The truth is, I don't care if Apple, Google, Sony, Samsung, LG, TiVo or Sky crack this mystery first. Television is changing right now, "on demand" internet based distribution is hugely popular - among all ages. It's convenient, you don't have to remember to set your STB to record, in fact you don't need an STB at all, just a decent broadband connection. I can't speak for the cable companies, but delivering content via a proprietary App (both as a traditional EPG and "on demand") is not that different to what we have today, but they do have a lot to loose. Why not give us channels we can rent, or just the TV shows we want.

There are a few "killer app"s
- Cable company content - this has to be equal to, or better than current deals, without them AppleTv, or GoogleTv just wont work.
- It has to be better than Sky+ HD / TiVo, easier to use, more social features, remote access.
- More integrated into the iOS infrastructure, so that it plays nice with your own home media service/iTunes library (basically the features of ATV2)
- Something that works right out of the box. It needs to be EASY! Plug it in, turn it on, connect it to WiFi, log-in to iTunes, download "channels"

I have to agree with you. The time of TV schedules is over. Internet-delivered Catch up TV and On Demand is the future.

 

[aristotle]

There is this huge thing called SPORTS! You ever heard of it? I would love to lose the bill, but I thrive on sports, oh and tech- obviously why I am on this site. Seriously though there is something to be said for "Live" events and even "Live" previously recorded TV. If you think no-one cares about TV you aren't paying attention...

Watching TV after the fact and recorded sports is not even an option!

I have heard of a thing called sports. In fact, I used to play soccer prior to high school and I believe that sports should either be "played" or watched in person.

Sitting in front of a boob tube watching sports is idiotic to me because you aren't even getting the exercise of going to the game.

If you love sports so much, take up a sport like golfing or go watch a game in person.

Sports are meant to be either participated in as a contestant or as part of the live crowd at the event.

 

[JAT]

I wish i had a simple answer. The troubleshooting steps in the Harmony software have you adjusting pulse times and garbage like that. Apparently, there needs to be a certain time gap between commands. It puzzles me that Logitech cannot make their remote control work with one of their other devices without the user having to manually adjust IR pulse timings etc.

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Another irony has sprung to mind. Who was it that invented the Universal Remote Control??

erm... who did he work for??

Timing is a bitch for HT systems. I have not worked with a Harmony myself, but I thought they had a way to add pauses in certain increments.

Wiki tells me the first urc was by Phillips/Magnavox, although the first programmable remote was related to Woz. Did not know either of those facts (assuming wiki is accurate), which is weird, considering my crazed geekiness on both Apple and HTs.

 

[Yvan256]

It's not complicated - yet it is

As a user, I don't want an additional box to help me manage things that come from cable/satellite that come in on a fixed schedule. I dropped cable more than four years ago. The cost just wasn't worth it.

I want a box that replaces that business model with an à-la-carte, on-demand model.

Apple is on the right path with their small, low-cost TV device. They have the servers in place with iTunes. All they need is studios and networks to get their head out of their asses and stop asking too much money and put too many restrictions in place.

As of right now, the prices are too high as soon as you watch more than a handful of TV shows. I should be able to view a single episode of a TV show for 25 cents. At that price, most people wouldn't even count how many shows they watch, or how often.

 

[paulrbeers]

This.

I have 100+ HD channels to choose from, and I only MAYBE watch 5 of them in a given month. Soon, Apple TV is also gonna be the answer for me.

I would dump my Dish if we could get sporting events (i.e. Monday Night Football and Thursday Night football, as well as college football) via my AppleTV.

I am still considering dumping it this summer when my contract expires even without the above. I figure even if I have to go to my local pub to watch all of these, it would still be cheaper than the almost $1200 I am paying a year (that's a lot of beer even at Pub prices).

 

[Kevtech1]

It's nice, but missing some key updates

Don't comment on this device or Google TV if you don't even own one!
I have had the Logitech Revue for about 3 months and I like it. You would think that big wireless keyboard would be awkward for other TV controls but its shockingly very comfortable after you get use to it. C-Net, YouTube and Pandora look great. The Netflix app is a little basic, but who cares- Netflix is garbage! Unless you care for old movies and TV shows....

Its great being able to search for anything on TV and the internet.
I like some of the apps and enjoy full screen web browsing. My complaints are this:

- Needs to have constant updates like with Windows/Mac
tried to watch a pre-season NFL game on the unit and it would not play because Chrome had version 10.1 of flash and 10.3 was required to see video.
This should be a simple update, not having to wait for a full firmware update!
- apps are outdated. The new Flixster app plays movies, not the version that is on this unit.
- The integration should be better with cable/satellite. For instance, say I run a search for a TV show that comes on in the future. Google TV does a great job at finding it, then when you click go to it. It just takes you to the station, it doesn't take you to that future spot on the menu that you can then click "record".
- access to the Android Market

If this announcement is true and the Honeycomb update isn't coming to the Logitech I will be hacking it to try it out. Otherwise, its a real waste.

Lastly, to compare this to Apple TV is a joke! Apple TV, although it has a great interface. It has no apps, and no internet search and definitely doesn't interface with your cable/sat service. Hopefully Jobs did crack the TV market and his invention is coming soon, until then there is no real solution!

 

[fixmymac]

Timing is a bitch for HT systems. I have not worked with a Harmony myself, but I thought they had a way to add pauses in certain increments.

Wiki tells me the first urc was by Phillips/Magnavox, although the first programmable remote was related to Woz. Did not know either of those facts (assuming wiki is accurate), which is weird, considering my crazed geekiness on both Apple and HTs.

Woz mentions this in iWoz. He was frustrated at the number of remotes he had amassed after he became wealthy with Apple. The Universal Remote was his solution.

 

[Hastings101]

Anything that involves "revolutionizing" television is a big mistake. The real market is toasters. Wouldn't it be great if your toaster had a little 4 inch touch screen on it and you could browse the web while waiting a minute or two for your bread to get nice and crunchy?

Actually they should just add a way to browse the web to everything. It'd make life a little less boring.

 

[dolph0291]

Steve Jobs was right about that because the original Apple TV - priced around there - failed to sell well. He wasn't predicting anything, he was voicing his own experience. I still own an original Apple TV and I use it every day and I love love love it, but it didn't sell well.

Jobs said that people don't want to spend $300 on set top boxes and that Google (well, Logitech too) will learn that Christmas. (2010) Again, he showed he was right and the success of the $99 Apple TV shows people don't want to go above a certain amount for set top boxes.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Anything that involves "revolutionizing" television is a big mistake. The real market is toasters. Wouldn't it be great if your toaster had a little 4 inch touch screen on it and you could browse the web while waiting a minute or two for your bread to get nice and crunchy?

Actually they should just add a way to browse the web to everything. It'd make life a little less boring.

I think it should blend too!

Seriously, what's to discuss?

The older generation sits in front if their TVs like they were trained.
Just bigger screen size and more choices.

The younger generation and mobile crowd with iphones , ipads etc. will consume what they want to watch on their own /on demand time type schedule and if possible commercial free.

Key for everything in the future will be on demand, plus who needs a real TV screen?

Give me a portable projector in iphone size and we'll watch anything anywhere.

Leaves the sports crowd. who will watch at the time slot it's on.

Something for everybody.

 

[Jon the Heretic]

Killed by content

If the content providers hadn't blocked most of the good content, Google TV -- at a lower price --- had a good chance, after especially a good UI revision or two.

If I could play regular Hulu (not freaking Hulu Plu$) on it, I'd definitely consider one at $99. But good free web content is soundly blocked on the GoogleTV. I don't think Logitech or Google quite anticipated how the hard the content providers would come down on GoogleTV. As soon as that happened, it was dead in my book. If Google had come up with some kind of arrangement that allowed free content to remain free and to share some of that Ad revenue with the content providers, Logitech may be singing a different song.

Same thing with Boxee. Last year, I sooo wanted a Boxee Box, so I could dump using crappy PlayOn to my PS3. But as soon as they announced only Hulu Plus would be supported, forget it. And so I have...

Finally, I honestly have no use for AppleTV --- already have Netflix and increasingly wondering why I keep it. And I have no intention of ever using iTunes to rent free TV shows. I have a DVR. I want access to the free content out there, and NONE of these boxes do that -- and definitely not AppleTV, the most blocked of them all (by Apple). Only using AirPlay from our iOS devices sounds interesting, but it looks like Apps can block AirPlay whenever they want, so it may be much less interesting than it sounds (like AirPrint before it).

Heck, I'd be happy if Sony could just make a native Crackle app available on the PS3---they own both! Their browser solution is a POS. And just maybe Hulu can use the free basic service as a tease to upgrade, without blocking set top box use (oh yeah; offer the free content on the paid service as well; what the heck is that about?)

Til they can break away from making users pay for what is already free, all of these boxes are 'meh' in my book. I have plenty of other crap to waste my money on.

 

[jasvncnt]

I picked up the Revue for $50. love it. Hopefully once the update is released and apps start coming on the market it will get even better. I don't have any issues with it at all. I'm not sure why some people feel its so confusing. I wish they would have come out with new hardware though. I know my feelings are probably not the most common on this board.

 

[Xtremehkr]

Google TV was an optimistic endeavor at best but it reminds me so much of Microsoft's WebTV/MSN TV that I don't know why they just didn't look at how poorly that worked.

SJ believes that he cracked the secret to modernizing content delivery, and I hope that he has, but it seems like it will be an uphill battle against the current content delivery model, which is complete crap.

If Apple, Google, Sony, MSN, and other tech giants are all circling television in an attempt to make inroads than there might be more of a chance for this to happen.

It seems like the large entertainment companies that currently own and deliver the content like the model the way it is. Even if set top boxes are outdated, don't suit consumer need for flexible viewing times, expensive, fragmented, and poorly presented, it's what they know and makes lots of money. If they invited Apple to develop a better system they'd have to share revenue and probably lower prices in order to encourage more consumption.

SJ made the same comments about the music industry before the iPod came about and he started to change their business model.

Hopefully the iPad will change that by making content on demand more appealing, taking viewership away from conventional television until one of two things happen. One of the tech giants circling television make a break through or the content deliverers relent and adapt before they're made obsolete.

 

[Kevtech1]

Did you not read the article?

I picked up the Revue for $50. love it. Hopefully once the update is released and apps start coming on the market it will get even better. I don't have any issues with it at all. I'm not sure why some people feel its so confusing. I wish they would have come out with new hardware though. I know my feelings are probably not the most common on this board.

It states: "De Luca admits that Google TV may yet have success in the market but that any such developments are some time away and will not involve Logitech. " AKA- we, the consumers are screwed!!!

 

[ProVideo]

I have heard of a thing called sports. In fact, I used to play soccer prior to high school and I believe that sports should either be "played" or watched in person.

Sitting in front of a boob tube watching sports is idiotic to me because you aren't even getting the exercise of going to the game.

If you love sports so much, take up a sport like golfing or go watch a game in person.

Sports are meant to be either participated in as a contestant or as part of the live crowd at the event.

I agree. No one wants to watch live sporting events on television.

On another note, I sure do love Apple's 1984 commercial.

 

[Kevtech1]

I have heard of a thing called sports. In fact, I used to play soccer prior to high school and I believe that sports should either be "played" or watched in person.

Sitting in front of a boob tube watching sports is idiotic to me because you aren't even getting the exercise of going to the game.

If you love sports so much, take up a sport like golfing or go watch a game in person.

Sports are meant to be either participated in as a contestant or as part of the live crowd at the event.

Newsflash, you can't fit 5 million people in a stadium/arena! And what does me playing a sport have to do with enjoying watching it?
Sports are meant to be enjoyed regardless of where! The above is def your opinion, and an opinion of the minority. That's why sportsbars and a nice TV's were invented! Maybe they don't have those up in Canada??

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I agree. No one wants to watch live sporting events on television.

On another note, I sure do love Apple's 1984 commercial.

No-one? Like the millions that watch every night and weekend? Seriously, step out of the twilight zone!

 

[FieldingMellish]

At least taxpayers won't be covering Logitech's losses the way they are with Solyndra. Businesses make gambles at their sole risk, which is why they normally tread carefully and thoughtfully before making a move.

 

[NashMan2]

According to Logitech's own Revue forum the update is going to be issued.

Logitech says they didn't get their hands on the final update until Google released it...2 weeks ago.

Still, Logitech is doing a bad job at PR.

 

[japeurotrash]

relying too much on Siri...

Siri needs to be able to learn people's accents. As in give you a list of sentences and have you say them. Due to my french accent, it can almost never understand what I say. I wonder how people in boston fare...

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Businesses make gambles at their sole risk.

Hahahaha... yea, in the 1800s.

Public risk, private reward. You're gonna be shellshocked when you start getting a view of the bigger picture.

 

[divinox]

I like the apple TV and all, but to me it's severely limited. You can only play movies that are in an apple format, and since most of my movies are not in one of apples formats, an apple TV is useless to me. I already have pandora, and netflix on my blu-ray, and oddly enough, it has dnla capability, so I can watch any movie I want from my computer wirelessly. The only thing I'm missing is iTunes on my TV, and the ability to remote control it with my iPhone.

Apple tv with full format support + HDD option + 1080p. I'd buy that, and i dont even like the damn product to begin with :- )

 

[kuwxman]

LOVE my Google TV! Best $99 I've spent on entertainment. Sadly, it was doomed from the start with it's initial price point and couldn't recover from the poor first impression.

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I agree. No one wants to watch live sporting events on television.

On another note, I sure do love Apple's 1984 commercial.

Must be why they are in the top five watched TV programs every week, huh? lol

 

[BC2009]

guys, Im confused..Isnt Apple TV a "Settop Box" too?

Please enlighten me..

Apple needs to get AirPlay integrated directly into the TV so you don't have to switch inputs. You are correct. But this is why Apple calls it a "hobby" and does not invest heavily in Apple TV. Logitech invested heavily in the Revue. Some interesting concepts in Google TV, but the notion of using a full-size keyboard as a remote is kinda dumb. And much of what Google promised was useless to most folks except single guys who are the only ones who watch their televisions.

Google TV does not really work in a family setting because families don't use the TV as a computer to search things, Facebook, tweet, or lookup maps because somebody else is always watching the TV (which is its primary purpose). A mobile phone or tablet is the best device for those kind of tasks, so all Google TV brought to most families was a much faster way to get to shows and channels via search and to search your DVR -- this feature is not worth the money.

Google TV seemed like an interesting "concept" to me. Like a concept car, it lets you explore what somebody might do, but typically the concept car seems some refinements before it gets brought to market. It seems to me that Google just shoved this out there and only now is it starting to get interesting (a little too late).

 

[Eidorian]

It is really hard to justify another box connected to the TV when I already have my computer there.