We thought that Android on your TV in the form of Google TV could be a game changer but we were less than impressed with the experience when it launched and apparently, so was Logitech. The company’s CEO Guerrino De Luca said that the software was in “beta,” cost Logitech up to $100 million and that it won’t be following up with a Revue sequel. Ouch.
We only really covered Google TV because it ran Android and our minds were dripping with the possibilities of how you could integrate your smartphone with the device or how Android apps could work well on a television. Well, the Android controller experience is pretty solid but the Google TV experience hasn’t proven to be very compelling to consumers.
Logitech’s CEO expressed a lot of disappointment in Google and said the software was “beta” and said that Logitech was launching its Revue on the thought that this software would revolutionize TV out of the gates. “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 […] that was a big mistake,” he said, according to The Verge.
I’ve had a Google TV pretty much since it launched and I’m extremely disappointed with it on most levels: Setting the thing up is a pain, the user interface is nothing exciting and my unit just turns on randomly to interrupt what I’m watching. To be fair, the Netflix experience is simple and smooth, watching YouTube leanback on a big screen is awesome, the Android controller is also cool and being able to just type what you want to watch is awesome.
While I feel for Logitech a bit, I think just blaming Google is not what you want from your CEO. Google releasing beta software? No shit, Logitech, that’s what Google does. God forbid Logitech actually look at the products it’s releasing beforehand to realize how to market it. Additionally, if the product wasn’t up to what Logitech wanted, it should have tried to pull the cord instead of just shoveling this “mistake” down our throats for $300.
Either way, Google TV will continue to improve but I don’t think we’ll see Logitech partnering with Google any time soon.
[Via The Verge]