access to video from the web, photos from Flickr, games, and music from sites such as Pandora and Rhapsody. It will include HD video calling capability, Netflix, Chrome browser and an app that lets you use your iPhone or Android phone as a remote for the device.

The box is currently available for pre-order on the company’s website, Amazon.com and BestBuy.com. It will be in retail stores by the end of the month.

Google first announced its set-top box platform, Google TV, at the company’s developer conference in May. Since then, it has partnered with content creators such as HBO, CNBC, Turner Broadcasting and the NBA.

So far, Logitech and Sony have agreed to build the hardware for Google TV.

The Logitech Revue is a slim device powered by an Intel Atom CE4100 processor and a keyboard controller. To use it, consumers will need a broadband connection. With the bundled HDMI cable, users can link the Revue to the port on their TV, while another HDMI cable connects the Revue to the cable TV box.

Logitech’s thin, lightweight but rather clunky keyboard controller lets users interact with the device, search and choose what they want to watch.

But if you are wondering why the equivalent of the remote has so many buttons on it, Logitech says it chose a keyboard layout so anyone can just pick up and use it without going through a “learning curve.”

The controller also has a rather smooth touch pad with scroll and buttons such as back and home. Logitech has included buttons that control the TV, A/V receiver and DVR, which explains why the entire device looks so complicated. After all, it combines the TV remote and a computer keyboard into a single package.

Video calling from the sofa

One of the interesting features of the Logitech Revue box is the ability to make HD quality video calls from the TV. The accessories–Logitech TV Cam and Logitech Vid HD–lets consumers connect to the the Revue using USB and make calls without the need for a computer.

The TV cam has a wide-angle lens so it can capture the entire living room. And it includes 5x digital zoom so consumers can get up, close and personal, if they want.

The TV Cam and Vid HD software enable high-definition video calls of up to 720p. It includes some neat features such as call notifciation. For instance, if you receive a video call, the TV cam will blink to alert you of an incoming call.

If your TV screen is on, you will hear it ring and have the option to pick up or miss the call. The software also ensures that the TV lights up when you’ve missed a call – even when your TV is off.

Overall, the Logitech Revue seems impressive with its hardware specs (1080p, 60 frames per second output, two USB ports, Wi-Fi and ethernet connectivity). It will be interesting to see if Google TV can go mainstream, something that Apple with its Apple TV has failed to do so far.

See Also:

• Google TV Announces Network and App Partners, New Website
• Logitech Google TV Box Embarrasses Apple TV
• Google TV: Google, Sony, Intel Team-Up to Make Television
• Boxee CEO: Google TV Could Boost or Crush Us

Photo: Logitech

Authors: Priya Ganapati

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