As long as you don't want to stream anything that uses WMA Pro (which you probably don't -- I think I'm the only person in the world who does), the WDTV HD Live (or whatever they're calling it these days) is really nice and works pretty seemlessly.

It's also like $70 unless you want the one with Netflix support which I think is closer to $100 nowadays.

11/3/2010 10:15:14 PM

I bought a logitech revue because I wanted to have something that made my TV semi useful (I only use OTA HD, and I have a nice sound system, wireless internet, and a decent 32" LCD TV that have been going unused). Setting up the media player to recognize stuff is a little annoying because it wants to use windows media player (of course I use iTunes so I had to import my library into windows media player so it would share correctly on the network, but even then I had to fiddle with a few things and convert a few songs just because each program won't read the same type of files (I have a decent amount of music in apple lossless for various reasons).

It runs fairly smoothly, and while it's not like butter I haven't seen any delay that lasted much longer than my reaction time so I'm pretty pleased with how it functions between browsing the web and watching TV or playing music with the media player. The interface is fairly intuitive, and it seems like, where possible, there are multiple ways to get something done. I had my mom browsing facebook within a minute by pointing to a few buttons and explaining a couple basic things. It's fairly good times using youtube with HD videos. I'll probably snag up a netflix subscription at some point just to expand my options. I can tell the basic platform is pretty solid, while not perfect, and that they'll be able to take it somewhere. For the price it's reasonable given the functionality and expandability, but I wouldn't recommend buying one of these units until after you can buy/install apps with the box and they resolve whether or not you will be able to watch certain networks with the device.

The little keyboard that comes with it is a rather nice design as well. It works very well with the unit and, for what I think they were trying to accomplish, it's some solid work.

11/3/2010 10:52:24 PM

Thanks Stein, I looked at those a while back but wanted to hold out & see what the boxee box was going to be like. That was way back when it was supposed to be out early this year though.

11/4/2010 7:51:03 PM

neon it's been more than two weeks

what's good with that microsoft tv son

12/7/2010 11:32:39 AM

I'm hoping by the time i get around to looking at buying one of the boxes things have developed a little more. I'd like if the networks just said fuck it or hackers find a new loophole.

12/7/2010 12:30:55 PM

Still think this commercial is hilarious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyQb192-CPQ

12/7/2010 1:29:32 PM

No joke, the KB commercials are incredible.

Still debating on TV... Revue... or now the slingplayer for Dish (would be nice to watch my DVR on my phone).

12/7/2010 11:10:09 PM

Got myself a FREE logitech revue, through the google tv developer program thing they launched:

Got the email today:

Dear Developer,

Congratulations! You have been selected as an official winner in our Google TV Web Developer Promotion and are eligible to receive a free Google TV device on our behalf.

As we announced on our blog (http://googletv.blogspot.com/) earlier this fall, we’re excited to be providing 10,000 free Google TV devices to help developers start building for TV.

Most of you already know that Google TV is a new entertainment platform that combines TV, web, apps, and search all in one easy to use experience. And, because Google TV provides automatic over-the-air updates, consumers will get the latest features for free. The platform was announced in May 2010 at Google I/O and will be open-sourced in 2011. Devices from Sony and Logitech are now on sale in the U.S., and more devices will be launching in additional markets next year. More details can be found at google.com/tv or by following us on Twitter @GoogleTV.

12/14/2010 5:27:04 PM

n/m

[Edited on December 14, 2010 at 6:02 PM. Reason : .]

12/14/2010 6:00:34 PM

^^ you gonna be developing any apps for it?

12/14/2010 8:11:03 PM

Yeah ... considering augmenting a product I have with a digital signage extension ... just an idea at this point, and it will depend whether my current customers find it to be something they are willing pay up for.

12/14/2010 10:34:14 PM

augmenting isn't quite in my vernacular, but good luck with that

12/14/2010 11:00:22 PM

to make larger; enlarge in size, number, strength, or extent; increase:

hope that helps

12/14/2010 11:10:04 PM

^6

Got the same email!!!! I ordered my Revue yesterday! Gonna be doing some websites optimized for Google TV. Can't wait till it comes in!

12/15/2010 11:08:04 AM

Noen, what's good with that Microsoft TV?

12/16/2010 9:19:49 AM

Played with a Revue at Best Buy last night, I will be getting one of these for Christmas if I have to buy one myself!

12/18/2010 11:24:23 PM

It came!!!!!! Gotta love the tech freebies. Now....time to start coding.

12/20/2010 2:42:13 PM

neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeon i know you see this shit

MICROSOFT TELEVISION

12/22/2010 2:25:25 PM

yep, got mine a few days ago ...

Wanted to plug it in downstairs to our 3 yr. old non-panel tv ... then realized I dont have anything but component jacks on that POS ....

Guess I'll have to just stick it in my office with my plasma ... but wanted to get some additional benefit out of it and let the wifey use it with the kids.

Oh Well

12/23/2010 10:37:20 AM

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?t=2506233

New TV for Christmas?

12/23/2010 9:34:07 PM

Logitech halts production of the Revue until Google "significantly improves" the software.

Whoops.

Froshkiller: Nothing new in Microsoft TV land, I'm still happy being able to watch my television from my laptop here in NC on my HTPC back in Seattle though

12/24/2010 8:32:05 AM

Quote :

"I'll just throw out there that you'll be able to do the exact scenario Frosh has described on another platform in about two weeks. Just sayin'"

12/24/2010 11:34:56 AM

Ahh, yeah it's possible to do on windows phone. The face thing is actually a really good idea, but I've got two more apps I'm working on right now. I'll add it to the list.

Actually both thing are very doable with the WMC API, imdb/bing/flickr Apis and the netflix API. Just a matter of someone Writing the app. Could publish as a WMC add-on as well as a phone companion app

12/24/2010 1:44:05 PM

All hail Noen, King of the backpedalers!

12/27/2010 6:08:30 PM

IN 2 WEEKS MICROSOFT IS GOING TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE, you just wait

12/27/2010 6:29:53 PM

Quote :

"Logitech halts production of the Revue until Google "significantly improves" the software. Whoops."

Not true, it has auto-updates over the internet and the hardware is sufficient, so why would they halt it?
http://blog.logitech.com/2010/12/27/alls-well-with-logitech-revue/

I agree, Google TV was rushed to market, and it's well apparent by the fact that Google TV is waiting to make more announcements until CES, a clear indication they are working to revamp it. But the Revue just got an update 15 days ago.

[Edited on December 27, 2010 at 6:42 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on December 27, 2010 at 6:43 PM. Reason : .]

12/27/2010 6:42:18 PM

How is that a backpedal? You can do it on win phone platform, you can't on android or the iPhone

12/27/2010 7:58:18 PM

Maybe because "the exact scenario Frosh has described" is still as much of a reality today as it was when you claimed it would be 2 weeks out 2 months ago.

But hey, as long as it's on your to do list, that's just as good, right? 2 weeks, 2 months, actually exists, theoretically possible, tomato, to-mah-toe. It's all the same thing.

12/27/2010 8:35:04 PM

I said you'll be able to do it on another platform. Able to be done != application exists. I should have been more explicit in my wording, as it was obviously misinterpreted (and looking back I can see good reason how and why).

12/27/2010 10:12:39 PM

If anyone bought the shit you were spewing I would suggest you look into politics.

12/27/2010 11:15:59 PM

I played with Google TV at BlogWorld and was HORRIBLY disappointed.

It crashed and froze on me three times in 15 minutes trying to stream content.

I feel more comfortable with any laptop with Boxee or Windows Media Center on my 360. Granted, it will take some time... but, color me unimpressed.

12/27/2010 11:34:31 PM

I went out and bought a bunch of MSFT stock based on what Noen said!

12/27/2010 11:34:32 PM

It's up 12% in the last month. So, if you did you would have made out pretty well

12/28/2010 10:45:33 AM

Google TV: "More returns than sales"

I'm not saying I told you so, I'm just saying.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/31/logitech-drops-revue-price-to-99/

7/31/2011 7:35:36 PM

it's still not a bad product. the market may not be reflecting the desire for it, but as you should understand (ahem....Windows Phone...ahem), not all quality products are well received upon initial release. once the honeycomb upgrade hits and market access comes to Google TV, combined with the lowered pricing, i think it will be a big hit.

7/31/2011 9:15:54 PM

if these things were integrated in the tv and powered by decent hardware that didn't make them asspains to use (like tv widgets) they'd be selling points. the real market is oem's not some extra bullshit settop for the demographic that has a ps3/boxee box/htpc already

7/31/2011 9:38:41 PM

^.

7/31/2011 9:44:55 PM

I gave my free Revue to my mom, and she just uses it for netflix on her TV ... loves it by the way and it still seems to work just fine.

Yeah, I expect to see this in all TVs within the next few years, outside of the HD Apple TVs that are rumored to be coming out in 2012.

7/31/2011 11:14:35 PM

Quote :

"if these things were integrated in the tv and powered by decent hardware that didn't make them asspains to use (like tv widgets) they'd be selling points."

They are, and have been for almost 6 months. And no one is buying them (Sony has been pushing this lately).

The market is not OEM's, because GoogleTV is way too complicated for non-tinkerers to use. Honeycomb isn't going to fix that. Honeycomb is tablet targeted, not TV 10' experience. GoogleTV is still a LONG way off from being a ubiquitous integrated solution.

8/1/2011 1:45:27 AM

ordered a Revue today. We'll see how it compares to my Roku

8/4/2011 7:21:46 PM

ordered a Revue today yesterday. We'll see how it compares to my Roku Popcorn Hour, Apple TV & WDTV

[Edited on August 4, 2011 at 8:11 PM. Reason : God damn no html. Who lives like this?]

8/4/2011 8:10:31 PM

this thing desperately needs native apps

8/9/2011 6:02:40 PM

I got mine today. I am drastically underwhelmed. I really should have read up more on what this thing does (or more importantly, what it doesn't do) but I really assumed that it would at least browse files over a SMB share and index/play those. I swore I thought I heard it had that capability, but it doesn't. Also, (and again, this is my fault for not reading more) but this thing is pretty much so useless if you don't have a cable box or satellite TV. I guess it's just really not meant to me a local media streamer, but this thing is pretty much so a web browser thrown on top of whatever TV service you already have. And since I don't have pay TV service, it's just the browser. Even the Amazon VOD "app" is just a redirect to amazon.com in a browser window. I played with a display unit this weekend and I swear there was an actual app, like netflix, but I can't seem to figure out how to get it to work properly. The videos do play in the browser though. Also the Harmony iPhone app only allows you to control the Revue itself, plus the TV, Receiver, and whatever STB you have plugged into it. It doesn't actually allow you to control any other devices you have, so any thoughts of turning my iPhone into a Harmony are gone.

I ended up taking it over to my parents house tonight and hooking it up there cause they have DirecTV. When I left, I didn't even bother to bring it back home with me. I might take it back when Honeycomb gets officially released and there's an app store with actual apps that don't suck. But right now, I'm totally seeing why the return rate on these things was so high.

8/9/2011 7:48:04 PM

yeah, i'm debating whether to hang onto it for honeycomb or return it

it works fine with the uverse dvr, but it degrades the video a little bit so i disconnected it

right now it's an amazon and youtube box :/

also the media player app should let you stream local media, but my network is weird currently so I can't test it

[Edited on August 9, 2011 at 8:14 PM. Reason : moar]

8/9/2011 7:53:23 PM

It only allows you to stream stuff from a DLNA server. Which isn't the way I'd prefer to handle things if at all possible. My dad already has an Orb server running on his network, which works fine pushing stuff to his iPhone. The Media app on the Revue didn't see any of the files on there at all(saw the directories just fine). I don't know if it was configured properly, or what, don't really care. He's already got a PCH, and an Apple TV hooked up to that TV, so if anything I'm looking to replace that functionality, not go backwards, which is what DLNA is, IMO.

[Edited on August 9, 2011 at 9:26 PM. Reason : insert ghost edit here]

8/9/2011 9:25:03 PM

eh at $100 I'm willing to sit on it and see what it can develop into

[Edited on August 9, 2011 at 9:28 PM. Reason : theres a leaked gingerbread beta out for it, so hopefully an official release is soon]

8/9/2011 9:27:42 PM

Even after reading this entire thread, I am not sure what it can and can't do.

That is probably a bad sign but I want to be on the front end (if you can still call it that) of this technology. Its possibilities seem endless and good, but maybe just not yet.

If I have TWC with DVR, will this thing rock my world or will it just be "kinda cool"?

8/9/2011 9:55:25 PM

^^Yeah, same here. I thought about returning it, but I'd probably just end up buying a new one as soon as it becomes useful anyway.

^If I had a cable/satellite box my opinion of it would go up at least 500%.

[Edited on August 9, 2011 at 9:57 PM. Reason : ]

8/9/2011 9:56:20 PM

hell, i feel like for 100 bucks it can only go so wrong. maybe i will use my best buy reward zone points on this thing.

edit: well I am such a spontaneous shopper i just bought the fucking thing. expect me to have many questions regarding this device in the near future.

[Edited on August 9, 2011 at 10:14 PM. Reason : throwing money]

8/9/2011 10:02:55 PM

welcome to the hopeful derp club

8/9/2011 10:21:25 PM