The Logitech forums are alive with music, or rather screenshots, or rather, if I’m honest, one screenshot. Yes, one user has reported that the 3.1 software has appeared on his Revue box. Users of Sony Google TV products already received this update more than a month ago, so Logitech users are probably foaming with righteous anger and expectation. But the screenshot does suggest that the update is being seeded, and if it’s anything like other updates, will roll out over the next week or two.
Google TV 2.0, as we call it, is based on 3.1 and is a significant improvement over the original interface. But as we noted, there’s a lot of functionality still left out. The slickest interface in the world can’t help you if there’s nothing to watch.
Engadget was tipped off first, but the press release they cite is from last year, so the December 17th date isn’t actually applicable. And although the user on the forums promised more pictures, none have been forthcoming and no other users have reported the update going through. An isolated case? Possibly, but it wouldn’t be the first time an update went out to a few isolated units before going live.
There’s not much more to say. But if you’re the proud owner of a Revue, you might boot it up a few times tonight and tomorrow to see if it picks up the update.
After the Logitech Revue lost the CEO who spearheaded its progression into the marketplace and saw its price drop from $ 299 to $ 99, it’s probably not that surprising to hear the new company leader isn’t entirely enthusiastic about it. Guerrino De Luca told investors during the company’s earnings call back on October 29th that Logitech would not be building a successor to the Revue and it would be “on the bench” waiting for an opportunity to build peripherals to present itself. During an Analyst and Investor Day on the 9th, he was even more frank, crediting the launch of the Revue and the company’s issues in the EMEA region as costing it over $ 100 million in operating profit. While still calling Google TV a “great concept”, and believing that success of it or a descendant is “inevitable”, he admitted that a massive marketing push for a $ 300 box with “unfinished” software “cost the company dearly.”
Clearly, he’s working on getting the company back to basics working on high end accessories and remotes — there’s also a note about . Whether or not Google TV — or any other connected TV platform — hits it big, expect to see Logitech hawking popcorn in the stands rather than on the field with an IR blaster connected box no one asked for, and running a bunch of creepy ads. Check out both transcripts on Seeking Alpha for more gems — we’ll wait to hear how other Google TV partners react going forward.
Logitech’s new CEO sees the failures of the Revue clearly in hindsight and doesn’t plan a sequel originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Nov 2011 07:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Now that eager hackers have actually managed to shoehorn the latest flavor of Android onto Logitech Revue units, the question is what does it actually look like? We got a few screenshots at Google I/O but now there’s pictures and videos popping up all over. One of our tipsters sent a few shots over, while the Channel Android folks on YouTube have posted a video walkthrough (embedded after the break). So far it looks good, with little remaining of the original Google TV UI, now replaced by widgets, box art-style listings of TV content and more. Thinking about dropping a Benjamin on one of these units and upgrading to Honeycomb yourself? Be warned — it’s very raw, so with no Netflix and not much app compatibility to speak of, remaining a voyeur is probably advisable for now.
Gallery: Logitech Revue running Google TV Honeycomb beta
[Thanks, Michael]
Continue reading Logitech Revue running Honeycomb caught on camera, looks pretty good
Logitech Revue running Honeycomb caught on camera, looks pretty good originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Aug 2011 23:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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GTVHackers has released an Android 3.1 beta built specifically for the Logitech Revue Google TV device. The hitch? It’s not quite ready for public consumption, it could destroy your user experience, and you could end up with a GTV that can’t be restored to its original OS or that is completely bricked.
You can download the update here and instructions are here.
This is BETA, it is not meant to be widely used and has bugs. If that’s something you don’t care about and would like to risk it anyway, install the update. Also, If you want to help Logitech and Google out buy another Revue ( preferably from logitech.com ), at $ 99 its worth every penny.
What does this add? Not much, yet, but the media player seems to be able to play more formats and Netflix doesn’t work. You can also install apps from the Android Market. Maybe you should just pick up the $ 99 device and wait for the update and, rest assured, it works and we like it.
Google TV not worth 300 bones to ya? How’s about a cool Benjamin? As promised, Logitech has slashed the price of its Revue set-top box from $ 299 to $ 99 on its own site and at retailers like Best Buy, giving prospective customers something awfully tempting to consider alongside the prospect of running Honeycomb on their TV right away. Oh, and the much-reported nugget from its earnings about “returns exceeding sales”? It should probably be noted that wasn’t about returns from end users, which the company claims “have averaged at levels comparable to other Logitech products”, but from the distributors and retailers it sells most of its hardware to. So, you in, or are you still holding out for the 90 percent off sale that may or may not ever materialize?
Continue reading Logitech officially drops Revue price to $ 99 today, clarifies ‘more returns than sales’ remark
Logitech officially drops Revue price to $ 99 today, clarifies ‘more returns than sales’ remark originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 31 Jul 2011 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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I’ll just say it: Google TV is sinking and taking its crew down with her. The service promised to bring new life to HDTVs when it launched last October. But it didn’t. Big media made sure of it by blocking access to their online streaming, seemingly taking away Google TV’s most novel feature. Without online streaming, Google TV’s awesome search tool is crippled and the system is just an overpriced DLNA client and Netflix streamer.
Logitech somewhat signaled the end of the platform’s life today but slashing the price of the Revue unit down to $ 100. This comes just months after the CEO stated with its 2010 Q4 earnings that they are enthusiastic about Google TV even with just 5 million in sales during last the last holiday season. Today’s price cut states loud and clear that Google TV is on its last legs and one of its launch partners is trying everything to get rid of back inventory.
Google TV launched as a typical Google product. I called it half-baked as it felt like a beta product. Then back in May, Google demo’d the next-gen version at I/O and promised that it would be out sometime within the summer. I also spoke to the Google TV team earlier this year and when asked about the Android Market, they indicated it would be out by the end of the year. Both of those items are confirmed for a summer launch within Logitech’s financial statement and couldn’t come at a better time. The Revue is bleeding Logitech dry.
Logitech posted its Q1 financials today and the company’s Google TV unit was a popular discussion point mainly because of its dismal performance. The company as a whole posted a net loss of $ 30M, caused in part by the Revue. Apparently the company saw more returns than sales of the Revue during the first quarter, which prompted today’s price cut from $ 249 to $ 99. Deeper within the report, Logitech notes that the massive Revue price cut cost the company some $ 34 million, but will better position the unit within the market and hopefully help with the 13% increase of on-hand inventory caused by unsold Revues.
Logitech took a risk with Google by being one of two Google TV launch partners. As the other partner, Sony launched a Google TV HDTV and Blu-ray player at the same time as the Revue and continued to show support for the platform with a huge Google TV display booth at CES. All three products had a fair amount of hype before they launched, but then big media quickly killed the buzz by restricting access to all the online viewing locations.
Google TV promised the world and delivered it. The world just wasn’t ready. The original intent of Google TV sitting between a cable box and your TV to serve as a universal search tool and online streamer is genius. It was never supposed to replace cable. It worked as advertised until big media pulled back their cards. So here’s Google TV, sitting here as an irrelevant product, crippled by the very source of content it was trying to promote all while Logitech is in the corner rocking back and forth with its head between its knees.
While we wait for the OTA update that will bring Android 3.1 to existing Google TV devices, Logitech’s Revue — check the official blog post linked below for some of the features being added — has apparently already received its price cut and CrunchGear points out it is currently available for $ 199 on Amazon. As we noted a couple of weeks ago when the company announced weak sales and a plan to drop the price to $ 249, getting the price under two bills was probably as important as smoothing out the software experience. Of course, after Google I/O we wonder if anyone interested in Google TV is still jonesing for a launch device (even with the promise of updated software and Android Market access in the future) when something newer and better is likely on the way. After all, you can get Honeycomb on a T-Mobile G1 now, but that doesn’t mean you would want to do it.
Logitech Revue price drops to $ 199 on Amazon originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 May 2011 21:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Looking for a good deal on the Logitech Revue? Amazon has you covered. While I’d caution most from going the Google TV route — especially with the new GTV hardware and changes on tap — there’s no questioning a 33% price drop is huge. Amazon’s new price, assuming it’s not a limited time sale, puts the Revue at the same price point as the Boxee Box.
The two are fundamentally different, though, as the Boxee Box is designed to be a cable replacement where Google TV works best with cable. If you want to browse the Internet on your HDTV, go with the Google TV — or a HTPC and a wireless mouse. The Boxee box is a much safer bet if you want to watch local or web videos, though.
Logitech reported making $ 5 million on the Revue Google TV device. The device, which allows users to browse TV shows in a unique, Android-esque interface, is still a priority at Logitech and, according to their CEO, they are “enthusiastic about Google TV.”
The Revue, initially lauded by the tech crowd as a unique and usable device, has been hampered by network push-back and the lack of an app store. The device has been rooted and updated since its launch in October but it hasn’t gained much traction over similar devices from Apple, Roku, and Boxee.
Earnings report via Gigaom
There wasn’t much good news for Logitech investors when the company revealed its results for the financial fourth quarter, as it fell far below targets for sales and revenue. Most of the blame went towards weak performance in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, but it also suffered from far lower than expected sales of the Google TV-powered Revue and its accessories, accounting for only $ 5 million in sales, down from $ 22 million the quarter before and short of its estimate of $ 18 million. Beyond fixing its issues overseas, CEO Gerald Quindlen still sees a future where internet connected TVs follow a similar path to smartphones and cited the next generation of Google TV as a major opportunity. Starting in May, the company will cut the price of the Revue to $ 249 (which is still at least $ 50 too high) and plans to “re-accelerate” its marketing at “the appropriate time” — probably sometime after Google I/O and the addition of the Android Market. As for that current hardware, both the Revue and the Sony Google TV products received unspecified “security updates” today, although Qriocity and Music Unlimited access remained offline on our Sony Internet TV unit. So let’s do the postmortem and guess what contributed to the low sales more: high prices, a half baked product or ads featuring a hairy-legged TV and Kevin Bacon?
Logitech’s ‘disappointing’ Q4 results not helped by poor Revue sales; will cut price to $ 249 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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