Logitech Revue Google TV box hits the FCC
By Donald Melanson 
posted July 5th 2010 11:21AM
posted July 5th 2010 11:21AM
It may not be reaching consumers until sometime this Fall, but Logitech's Google TV companion box, the Revue, has recently landed in a few important hands: the FCC's. Not much in the way of surprises with this one, but we do at least get a glimpse of the device's internals (check out a shot after the break), and the mystery of the FCC label has been solved at last. Of course, if it's information and excitement you're after, you can always check out our hands-on from Google IO.
Woot!
@okok yep
@okok only Apple Fanboys bought i
Does ios4 have widgets? And at least I can make calls on android.
@okok only Apple Fanboys bought i
Does ios4 have widgets? And at least I can make calls on android. Haters gotta hate.
@okok only Apple Fanboys bought i
You always have to start a flame war between Apple and Android don't you?
@MrFluffyThing
How is the Logitech Revue a war between Apple and Android...?
@deliteguy
Widgets? You mean applications that ard constantly running in the background and draining your battery.
@doasis23
No; that's called "multitasking." (Sorry, I couldn't resist. I own a Nokia 1661, btw. It has a flashlight.)
@doasis23
Yep.. like a clock with weather, soo battery hogging. I personally like to have my phone anyway I like it and not constrained by someone who thinks I need better battery life by taking away features.
@deliteguy
Why on earth do you need a weather app running all the time? Can't you look out a window? It takes one touch and three seconds to launch and update the weather channel app without it running all day.
@marsel Can't wait for this.
Does this have a webcam? I recall Logitech and Google talking about web conferencing.
@doasis23 If you don't want to run out of battery, get a Nokia candybar. The fact is that, in 2010, you should just be able to look down at your phone and get a bunch of information from a bunch of differing services without having to boot into each app separately.
@JONNNathannn HD Video calling on your TV, one of Many Logitech Revue options, also Social Networking into your TV, include a Google Chrome browser, also will have Logitech option keyboard/pad to control & could be controllerd by Logitech Harmony remotes links DVR fro recording, Flicker, Music and many more
@marsel
Cant wait for this!! GOOGLE TV is going to rock it!
@JONNNathannn You will have to get a separate webcam if you want to use it. There are specific models that will work with it.
@FORDY Uhm...AppleTV vs GoogleTV (which features Android Apps)
@KMGLOBAL,
I hope it will bee controllable by my Nexus One as well. If I remember correctly, those Logitech Harmony remotes cost almost more than Logitech Revue would cost.
@deliteguy U are just making yourself look stupid
@vkelman Logitech is making a harmony app for Android and iOS4... So there will be a remote, and from my understanding it should be free to download, but there was no mention of a price on the engadget article talking about this.
Awesome. Can't wait to see this. I wont be jumping onto anything like this just yet, but I do look forward to this.
@EggoEspada
Does anybody else think that the design of this would make a pretty good looking phone with a slide out keyboard? just an idea...
Sweet
Cable providers would save so much money if they just provide all their content via the web.
@bit1 Yes, but I can see ISPs like Comcast keeping a bandwidth cap on and if you hit that limit you'll be charged some ridiculous overage charge or something...
@bit1 I hope this actually catches on enough for content providers to quit being stick in the mud about the web. There's no reason things can't be web based with the same ads that are on the normal broadcast mechanisms. We would also need net neutrality laws then as well.
@bit1, a great idea!
@Blaque14K, I hope FCC will succeed with it's war for net neutrality laws!
Android is EVERYWHERE! (so is iPhone but that's not the topic!) I wonder what goodies they're gonna pack in this baby...
Google TV??? What's next?
@ngko Next thing you know Google and Microsoft are the two juggernauts. I think they are already! But are they friendly to each other?
Release the Kraken! And by "Kraken" I mean anything that will destroy cable. Really, I don't care who makes it, we just need to bring the cable era to an end. They're selling you about $25 worth of value for $100 per month and often forcing you to buy channels that may be so useless to you that they are literally in a language you don't understand. News in Cantonese is fine for people who understand it but I really don't know why I should be paying for it in my cable package.
@Marbles My cable has a daily South Korean news program about South Korean news spoken in Hangungmal.
@Marbles Yeah, it's a bit ridiculous to me, I think my main case-in-point would be one of the most sought after networks ESPN. ESPN get's something like $3 a month to have it's network included in a cable-providers line up, ESPN2 gets about $.50, that's 3.50 that the cable company is probably charging you $5 + for, while so many people don't watch sports. Meanwhile, they also charge ISPs to include espn360 in their packages. Obviously, ESPN is better off being in 98% of households that have cable (made-up stat) than charging 5-10 for 50% to 25% respectively and hypothetically, but the general customer loses. I'd much rather pay for my top 5 choices and put together that package. Also, just about all cable providers wont include an HBO/Showtime without you paying for both the cable-box and cable package, meaning if all you want to watch is HBO/Showtime you still have a $70 bill.....this industry is laughable, they guard their profits excellently continually finding a way to pick-and-prod for every cent out of a consumer's pocket.
@Marbles This wont bring cable to an end, this is meant to work in conjunction with your media supplier....
Do people ever read anything about the products on here?
Hmmm not excited about the fan.
@Timmmmmm
I am. If it needs a fan, then it's got a pretty beefy processor. Beefy processor + open Android OS mean there's a LOT you can do with this thing. The 1.2GHz Atom doesn't require a lot of active cooling, so that fan is probably oversized. Oversized fans can run slow, so it will be essentially silent from more than a couple feet away.
What's the approx price of one of these things?
I really don't understand the concept behind this. If it *could* playback HD mkv from USB and network (what I understand it CAN'T) it could at least pose a substitute to all these crappy HD media players such as popcorn hour, WDTV or xtreamer.
as far as I'm concerned I'm gonna stay with my XBMC Netbox and maybe have a look or two at this boxee box. I just don't need another IR extender even if it's powered by android.
@Hannes The Hun It's an easy, no nonsense setup browser and media center (of sorts) for your tv, powered by Android.
Pretty simple to get. Not everyone wants a Boxee or to purchase a PS3 for simple videos on the tv. Plus, it's the Chrome browser, which beats the PS3's browser, hands down.
@Hannes The Hun
XBMC on my HTPC is the best , there really isnt any other media center software that can touch it.
I have to agree this comes off as pointless , as i am guessing its much cheaper to just buy Atom Dual Core system like Acer Revo and put XBMC on it , and its miles better then this.
@JONNNathannn it's nice of you that you're trying to explain it to me, but I already understood what Google wants with this box. it's just that I don't see the real value in adding this to my already quite complicated setup. this thing screams network HD playback and just can't do this simple task because of hardware limitations! IF somebody could build a fantastic media player device with an awesome scraper&metadata functionality including indexing my music&video library over the net it would be Google! android has so much capabilities and all they're doing is repeating the failed WebTV "experience". IR Blaster: MY ASS. Web browsing on the TV: MY ASS. I agree that there are some benefits when you have google TV and the full android experience integrated in TV sets, but just another set-top box that clutters my rack for no real reason whatsoever... nah.
Google&logitech definitely need a selling point for this thing. it's not like it's from steve jobs and has an apple logo... ;)
@Hannes The Hun I do think it will come to play .mkv and the like and attempt to replace these media boxes that you speak of...it's just not first up on their agenda. It's open-source with plenty of partners and room for growth, because it doesn't suit your tastes yet, doesn't mean it won't be adopted by over 10% of households in 18-24 months...remember, this will come in forms that just get included in what you get, so if one is HDTV shopping and they see a $1500 HDTV with and without GoogleTV, they might just get that one with the Google TV instead.
Give it time, let it do it's thing. They don't need every consumer to like it and hardware OEMs will find other places, that launch hardware didn't, to make a buck.
@Hannes The Hun
What exactly makes you think it can't do 1080p MKV? On the one hand, nobody has specifically said it can, but on the other hand, the CE4100 is actually a pretty beefy media processor specifically designed to do just that. In fact, it is capable of simultaneously decoding TWO 1080p streams with hardware acceleration. It can also record 1080p video. Even if google doesn't stick the functionality into the box from the factory, their open OS makes it easy enough to add it yourself. Hell, since it's an x86 processor, a linux/XBMC port is practically guaranteed. If this comes in at well under $200 (as expected), it legitimately could replace a PCH/boxybox/WDTV/PS3 for media player functionality. If devs can actually get at the video encoding hardware, it just might replace your DVR as well.
@IMarius "XBMC on my HTPC is the best"
Maybe for you but not all consumers. The fact that this replaces multiple remotes on the coffee table without having to use complicated plugins trumps your Revo. My mother doesn't want to have to buy a box intended for one purpose, then install software to make it do something else. She doesn't really care about HD. All she wants is a simple box that Geek Squad will come set up for $100 that will give her these features. Think of this as a more flexible, feature rich, Web TV for the 21st century. As Engadget readers we should all take note: we aren't the target audience for this product. That doesn't make it a bad product; its just not the product for most of us.
@Chip I was assuming that the hardware would be limiting. looking at the specs of this CE4100 I humbly excuse my ignorance and say LET'S HACK XBMC ONTO THIS THING!!!
I say no to a glossy case. Otherwise interesting thingy.
Can't wait the ERA of Tv and Internet riding together in the same box !!! :-)
I can't get my head clearly around Google's business plan. Apple sells shiny, polished and arguably 'walled-garden' hardware and makes its money. Correct me if I am wrong, the only way Google makes its money is by selling ads on these devices.
@JojoMojo By the way... I think this product will be a flop. I don't think most people will get the purpose of this. It is just an opinion, I will eat crow if proven wrong (but not before that).
DAY ONE PURCHASE!
I hope this thing gets rooted. Imagine the possibilities of a hacked Android powered box with HDMI, WiFi and USB...