We aim to serve. And, by request, the Logitech Revue Google TV was dusted off for a quick look at HBOGo. At least that was the plan…
Like CrunchGear, I originally had a difficult time constructing our Logitech Revue, er, review headline and ultimately settled on the Star Wars inspired ‘A New Hope’ – as there was a whole lot of anticipation ahead of Google TV’s launch. Indeed, I was pretty fired up when the $300 box arrived, courtesy Logitech.
Without doubt, Google TV features the very best television-based web browsing experience. And the Logitech Revue IR blaster functionality is the most powerful I’ve come across. But this is the provence of geekdom, and not really suitable for the civilians amongst us. They’d only wonder why watching TV requires a (wireless) keyboard and touchpad while searching the couch crevices for a traditional remote that just doesn’t exist. Heck, the unexpected delight of discovering something new on a daily basis even became a frustration for a geek like me as it turns out the interface and keyboard interaction are both a mess. And, like so many other half baked products, our Google TV review unit was banished to the Land of Misfit toys (aka the basement cupboard).
After months of slumber, the Revue was put back into service for another look. Sure enough there was a large update to be had. Perhaps it clears a variety of Google TV errors and we know the Netflix experience has seen a significant Google TV update. Yet Google TV still isn’t quite ready for prime time. And probably won’t be until the UI is improved and an application market launches. For example, it’s baffling that YouTube access is provided via a web page, versus an app. Granted, they offer a customized ‘leanback’ interface. But it’s still not quite ideal for television-based viewing.
Bringing us around to that advertised HBOGo functionality. Which really means ‘website not blocked’ … like so many others. But, adding insult to injury, Comcast HBO subscribers are redirected to the Xfinity.com site. The one that only supports Mac OS X and Windows.
This post was originally published on the Dice Blog Network.
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