No Set-Top TV Device Market Domination For Google

itwbennett writes "According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, returns of the Logitech Revue (Google's set-top box) exceeded sales in the first quarter. Explaining why sales were so poor, Logitech Chairman Guerrino De Luca went way out on a limb, saying: 'There was a significant gap between our price and the value perceived by the consumer.' So significant that 'Logitech must take a $34 million charge in the first quarter, which more than comprises the company's Q1 net loss of $30 million,' writes blogger Chris Nerney. 'In other words, Google TV is pushing Logitech into the red!'"

Comments

250 is little much

[arbiter1]

I haven't used it so can't say how much streaming options it has but being new and late to the game they should put it at 200 or even 150. to try to fight popcorn hour and boxee box that have been out for a while

Re:250 is little much

[davester666]

I'm not sure what Google and Logitech were thinking. They both seemed to assume the content providers wouldn't mind providing it for, well, free so these guys could sell hardware to display it to consumers.

Once these devices were released, it was, yeah, no. You can't display our content. Try licensing it from us first.

Re:250 is little much

[Pieroxy]

Moreover, for a device catered to the mass market, it lacks many layers of polish. Android started also like that, and went from horribly unusable to great in a few years. Google TV will do the same, if given the opportunity. The problem is, far less people are likely to spend $$$ in a set top box than on a phone. The market is far less volatile (look at the number of vendors) and they are paying the price now of a rev 1 product unfinished and rushed to the market.

Re:250 is little much

[hairyfeet]

Well if you read TFA (I know, but I got bored) it says they are slashing the price from the original $299 to $99. So if you don't mind not getting support when they end up bailing out it might be a pretty sweet deal. Anybody know what the specs on the thing are? How hackable is it?

Re:250 is little much

[ColdWetDog]

Apple TV is only $99. It's not android, but you can hack at it anyway if you're so inclined.

Re:250 is little much

[mwvdlee]

Then Google got sued and had to settle with the publishers for quite a bit of money.
Some publishers that didn't want to settle forced Google to remove their content.
What was the point you were trying to make?

Re:250 is little much

[twidarkling]

Probably the point was "Google fucking hates asking for permission." Or maybe that it's a pattern.

Re:250 is little much

[Pieroxy]

I believe that's what hairyfeet wrote. So?

Given the choice, would you buy an Apple TV of a Logitech Revue?

* Price - same
* Support - probably *very* short term for the revue. Apple TV wins.
* Media Availability when not rooted - Apple wins in my view. Plenty of legit online content, plus the stuff you have at home.
* Hackability - on par. You have to root the box in both cases.
* Mmmmm, what else now?

No brainer

[Anonymous Coward]

$78 Roku box with a ton of channels, and new ones being added all the time; or Logitech Revue With Google TV for $199.00 and a more controlled selection. Easy choice...

Aside of the price

[phoebe]

The more significant concern should be how complicated the device is. The Logitech Revue has the hallmarks of being rushed to market by a furiously masterbating manager in the corner of an office somewhere, refusing to listen to anything anyone is saying.

Just look at the Revue website and find anywhere mentioning how simple or easy the device is to use, no just a very daunting picture of a gargantuan remote that is some nerd's wet dream.

A lot of effort has been put into the product launch, the Logitech website is larger than any other product they ship and it also extends onto the support side. It is nice to see that they have a series of support videos until you actually view one. Oh dear. I'm wincing at these poor actors having to drive through an overly technical and obtuse script which spends far too much time discussing "HDMI capable AV systems" and optional components which only serve to make it look more complicated than it needs to be.

my first response seems attached to the wrong post

[frovingslosh]

the key concept is for the quarter. It seem likely a few saps bought them the previous quarter and finally got around to returning them.

Why $250?

[Rix]

There are lots of devices that do the same thing going for significantly less than a hundred.

Also, it's puzzling that Google cooperated with the content blocking schemes. They should have just set the browser ID to Internet Explorer and told the networks to go fuck themselves.

Re:Google's war against Apple

[gilesjuk]

Google are not the little guy. They are like Microsoft in that they have a couple of highly profitable revenue streams which they use to try to expand their product range.

But they simply haven't a clue on producing a product that people want or will want (after all, technology companies are supposed to think ahead).

Their successes are fairly obvious things, online email, search engine, online office suite and mobile phone OS. Nothing ground breaking are they? they are all things Microsoft has done or is doing.

If I want a net-TV box I want everything I can get now on TV with some extras for less money. There needs to be a large advantage to it.

So what happens to SageTV?

[jbarr]

With Google's acquisition of sageTV, it was speculated that SageTV would either become or become part of a revised platform for GoogleTV. What will happen to this fine company? Their DVR software was fantastic, and their "media extender" hardware was very useful. Many companies that get assimilated by Google become integral parts of a greater whole. But what will happen here? I seriously doubt that Google will shelve the set-top box concept. They may transform GoogleTV into something different, but I doubt they'll abandon it.

Re:Google's war against Apple

[Anarchduke]

No one has come up with hardware better than last year's iPhone? You might want to check your facts on that one. It took me all of five seconds to google a phone with superior hardware specs.

Statistically nobody sets up an HTPC

[tepples]

Gee, a PC like device that costs about as much as a basic function PC

But "a basic function PC" comes in a much bigger case and lacks any sort of SDTV-compatible output without an obscure VGA-to-TV scan converter.

Who wouldn't want to buy this and hook it up to their TV rather than use the cash for a real multi-media PC?

People who don't want a big, ugly, noisy tower in the living room. People who don't know how to build a small-form-factor PC from parts. People who have an SDTV and don't know that scan converters exist. People who have the mental set that PCs are for the desk and TVs are for the living room and never the twain shall meet. In other words, the majority. I've been told that statistically nobody sets up an HTPC.

Re:At $99 you it must be as good as the Apple TV

[cHiphead]

Apple TV is garbage. Roku is decent. Logitech priced themselves out of it. nothing to do with Google TV.

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