Official GOOGLE TV Thread - Page 3

Am I the only one who assumed the the announced partnership with Dish meant that a box was coming out with googletv integrated into it?

I thought the idea behind extra boxes like the Revue was that you could integrate with any cable or satellite DVR? But if this is true, why is dish charging a $4 integration fee with your existing dish dvr? Does this mean I can't just "use" the Revue with my directv dvr unless they offer an "integration " service?

Confused.

On the latest Charlie chat Charlie Ergen said the first generation would roll out as an external box. He also stated that the current 922 receiver was not fast enough to run googletv. He said there would be a model 923 coming out that would have googletv (but nothing official).

http://www.satelliteguys.us/attachme...2&d=1282622015

Thanks! So, I guess that would come out shortly after CES next year. Why would you want to buy the Revue now if you know a new box with tighter integration is coming out? Strange.

Also, what is behind this $4 integration fee? I'm really confused by this. I thought that it just controlled your non-integrated DVR via IR blasters, and passed the content through the Revue. I mean, does every DVR provider have to "allow" the Revue to talk to it....and charge you 4 bucks?

There is confusion because Google, Logitech, etc. haven't provided details yet. Just basic info on their websites. What we've gotten are leaks via Engadget so far. The recurring $4 recurring integration fee is stupid (they're creating a hook to tie us into Dish); I wonder if someone who buys the Revue at $300, then ends up subscribing to Dish will need to pay it as well (I'm guessing yes). In any case, I'd think it would be in Google and Logitech's advantage to make this work with DirecTV, Comcast or any provider, especially w/the $300 price tag and several competing (albeit lesser known to the masses) media players like Boxee Box, SageTV HD300 and Netgear NeoTV 550.

Brajesh,

I totally agree. At $300 bucks, it is asking a lot to charge a monthly fee just to essentially "route" my DVR data (that i'm already paying a fee for).

For me, I really want to to like this, but if I need another box (Boxee; NTV550) to play back BD ISOs, etc., then this really becomes an unnecessary 3rd box. If it can do all that Boxee, NTV550 can do, PLUS integrate with my DVR, then I'm on board. But if it can't handle local media as well (I'm guessing no full menu BD support), then I need to buy a Boxee/NTV550, plus have my DVR for TV already, so I'm failing to see the benefit of GoogleTV.

I am hoping since Dish is on board that we will not need the IR blaster and that it can control it through the HDMI cable. The spec allows for it but very few use it. If that is the case then it would work as if it were integrated and be the better option.

Exactly... if it can't do local media playback at 1080p like Boxee Box, then forget it, GoogleTV will be worthless, especially at $300.

I just don't see GoogleTV supporting the type of local content that many of us here are accustomed to.

The platform is the same as the Boxee Box, and it is certainly capable.

If Google has any sense of understanding the market (which, I suspect not), they would put in a BR license for the $300. Well, you can always dream

Yeah, I bet it isn't going to be well received on these forums...but we are a minority!

I can't imagine that they prioritized local playback in such a manner to make it competitive to the Dune units, or the NTV550 (or the Boxee if they follow through on what has been "rumored").

Maybe future iterations will be great (or maybe the first generation of GoogleTV will be great...who knows!), but I just can't imagine they've gone out and got BD licensing for this thing.

Yes, but there is one big difference, Boxee has experience with Media Centers/playback, GoogleTV does not. For example, and I am just talking about stuff that many of the folks here care about, does Google have any clue about 23.976, HD Audio, subtitles, ISOs, etc... The fact that Boxee already has the software in place and has a working model gives them a big leg up

If they don't do this, we here won't buy it, and I don't expect the masses to either at $300. They'll lose on both fronts.

Andrew Kippen of Boxee stated a while back that they are working on an Android Boxee app for GTV. If their app is a full blown Boxee app, including the ability to play all local content, then you've really got something.

If that happens, then essentially you've got a Boxee + GTV in one device for $300. Yes, please.

But, Boxee and Dlink are working on specific enhancements for their box (via additional security, licensing, etc.), so there may still but benefits to the Boxee Box over a Boxee app integrated into GTV (BD licensing, etc)...right? Only time will tell

I think some of you are missing the fact that GoogleTV is a platform, not a device. The first device to use this new platform is the logitech box, but it almost certainly won't be the only one. Logitech wants to charge too much for their box? Fine. Someone else will come along and sell one for less. Heck, since they're running the same hardware, and google plans to open-source the platform next year, it's very likely that you will eventually be able to run it on the $200 boxee box. In a year or two, there could be dozens of cheap knockoffs available running the platform.

$300 is a mistake, but it's not google's mistake, and it's not a mistake that will doom the platform to irrelevance - not permanently at least.

To throw another wrench into the toolbox, it'll be interesting to see how the LG/Plex deal turns out, and whether it is exclusive or not.

Even if it exclusive, it still means we'll have BD players that can potentially compete with Boxee for streaming and local content hitting next year. TV and other devices are expected as well.

Now if it isn't exclusive and Plex is actively shopping for suitors, things may get VERY interesting.

@skro: Yes, I'm sure there will be some things a Boxee box can do that the Boxee GTV app won't do. You're probably right about the BD licensing. We'll have to wait and see. But if a Boxee app running on GTV can play back all the biggies like mkv, ts, mts, flac, etc., then I will probably go ahead and pick up a GTV.

@ candre23: You are correct, there will be multiple GTV devices appearing over the next year or two, both STB's and TV's w/ GTV integrated. GTV is essentially just like the Android smartphone OS, in that it will be free and open to development. I had already presumed that even if Logitech doesn't support local content on their box, somebody else eventually will make a GTV box that does.

The only way logitech can justify this price tag is if it comes preloaded with its squeezebox server. I mean come on, WTF did logitech actually create here? That "remote" is far from innovative...and remotes are supposed to be one of its specialties? Logitech and Dish are really letting google down in this partnership--$4/month Dvr integration?

Will you be able to play Hulu Plus content (assuming you have a subscription) via the Logitech Revue?

Thanks

Not initially maybe After the sdk is released & market opened up. Read some review by a beta tester saying he couldnt watch hulu--didnt say anything about plus. Hulu probably blocks thinking its an android phone with no app

I agree. In fact, I would not mind if they went in a direction similar to the appletv where you paid subscription fees to the channels you want to watch. In this sense you can customize the channels you get so you dont have to sort through endless pages of shows and you can have live shows such as the news and sports. Or you can access shows anytime through on demand for those channels that you subscribe to.

For me, all i want is:
Access to Netflix
Stream my own home media from my computer/external hard drive
Pandora and maybe some other apps
subscription service to channels I actually watch and enjoy.

I dont mind paying a subscription service if it allows me to cancel my satelite.

I also see it as freeing up the market. It makes the channels more competitive and therefore there is a drive to be better and provide better entertainment.

I also like the social networking that boxee is looking at doing but at the same time I dont care about what others like. However, it would be nice if friends could send suggestions for a show you may like and you can watch it at anytime via ondemand.

As this has Dish's backing, they're probably going to make it a hard choice for people to ditch Dish and go with IPTV content only.

you tube and 99% of the so called free tv on the net is worth NOTHING.

If its not something people want to see or see again google is just blowing smoke.
a $300 box to do what a roku can do and then a monthly fee on top of it...along with custom commercials.
Then we can add X for $$$ and have a way to watch whey say we can watch. And oh this week Y is offering a chance to see old movies for $$$$$$ this week only.
AND DONT FORGET G tv lets you want commercials with minimal commercial interruption. saturdays from 2 to 3 pm

Grow up.

There is a lot of content available online for free or at a reasonable cost that is nothing like the teen-made home-videos of Youtube. If it isn't to your liking, that's fine, sit happily with your cable remote and enjoy. But don't bellyache to us about the merits of online fair when we clearly have browsers to check what is available for ourselves...

In any case, how about just waiting until a couple of GoogleTV based products actually hit the market before declaring the whole thing a complete failure?

-Suntan

Suntan you are correct.
I think with all this now I am just not optimistic about anything.

The demos they've shown so far have it listing recorded shows along with scheduled and internet content, it would need to talk directly with the DVR for this info. The leaked info so far indicates that at first just the DuoDVR Vip 722 will be capable of this. True that the Revue can control other units via IR, but it needs some form of integration to have access to the recorded show info. Hopefully other providers (DirectTV, various cable companies) will eventually allow this kind of integration.

I'll wait, but it's pretty easy to say (a) this product seems poorly conceived (b) it's not clear it really does much of anything (c) it might well not replace a dedicated media player (d) I doubt very much it will replace a home theater PC (e) there is little evidence of content partnerships.

I mean, again, I'll reserve judgment because this is from the company that made the search engine, Maps, Gmail (great), Android (solid)... but also made Wave, Buzz, Orkut, etc. and has a very large heap of idea-based products that became a whole lot of nothing.

Bottom line is Yahoo blindsided Google last year with apps on everything that was showing apps. Google got all Google about it and reacted with some monolithic plan to rule the living room. And yet it has a giant keyboard, an IR blaster, and all sorts of things people don't want to deal with in their living rooms.

a) what product? Google's livingroom flavored Linux OS idea they are calling GoogleTV and hasn't even become available for people to try, or Logitech's individual CE device that will released soon? I agree Logitech's thing doesn't look all that appealing, but I haven't been that impressed with Logitech stuff in a long time (my DiNovo Edge excluded.) However, judging GoogleTV by what you see from Logitech is a little misplaced.
b) All the more reason to wait for it to be released.
c) People seem obsessed with this overdriving compulsion to have only one component... Fair enough, but I think you're going to be looking for that one component that does all for a very long time. Personally, my AVRs have a lot of inputs and my universal remotes can swallow a lot of learned codes.
d) Agreed, but quite honestly, internet based content isn't all that attractive on a HTPC in my experience. Functional, but not attractive.
e) Again, all the more reason to wait a bit and see how it actually turns out.


Didn't imply that a person would be out of line calling it a dud after it has actually been fleshed out and consumers have had a chance to see what kind of content and abilities actually become available. Just said that waiting to see how it matures might be advisable.

FWIW, I remember looking at the first smartphone that offered Android and thinking it didn't seem all that polished or functional...

-Suntan

With Dish Network receiver integration, your GTV search will encompass not only online content, but also every channel you subscribe to via Dish, everything you have recorded on your DVR, and of course future shows as well. While this is not strictly a single box, nevertheless the GTV with integration would have a single, snazzy interface that covers pretty much everything.

I can't begin to emphasize the roadkill of Internet-TV convergence concepts that were announced by powerful, profitable companies with great fanfare only to find themselves alongside the dead squirrels and deer soon after.

And while it's too soon to proclaim GoogleTV "convergence roadkill" it has the makings of it. One thing people don't get is that few companies can sell something completely new and revolutionary without a crystal clear explanation and value proposition. One important thing to realize is that neither Google nor Logitech is one of those companies.

So short of being able to top in Hellcats with a full-sized keyboard and getting some LOLcats dressed as the devils to appear in the results right below the new CW show, I'm not getting what this product offers. Can someone take a pass at a 10-bullet-point product sheet and post it here?