Logitech thought they were onto a good thing with Google TV and asides from Sony integrating Google TV into some Bravia sets, Logitech were the only company to release a Google TV set top box. The idea was great bring the features of a smart TV to a not so smart TV with a set top box that plugged into the back of your existing TV.
One thing Logitech got wrong was the price starting at around $300 you were paying a lot for something that was basically a glorified mobile phone plugging into your TV, the fact was that the set top box didn’t even ship with Android 3.0 Honeycomb or the Android market. Te idea was good but the way it played out wasn’t.
Logitech CEO Guerrino De Luca told investors that going all in on “beta” software was “a mistake of implementation of a gigantic nature.”
The company plans to run down its existing inventory of the Revue set-top box, already available for just $99 (£62), and will not release a successor of any kind.
He also said: “We executed a full scale launch with a beta product and it cost us dearly.
“To make the long story short, we thought we had invented sliced bread and we just made them. We made a commitment to just build a lot because we expected everybody to line up for Christmas and buy these boxes at $300.”
With Logitech dropping the Google TV platform, only Sony remain as Google’s partners on the project. Recently things were looking up with Google releasing a statement saying Google TV 2.0 would ship with android honeycomb and that existing Google TV products should get the update.
But Logitech are still cutting their losses and will not be releasing a successor to the Logitech Revue.
Who knows Google TV may eventually get to the UK but will it be a success? We will have to wait and see.
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