Google TV Buyers Say 'Take it Back!'
Woe to the ailing Google TV platform: an article in the Wall Street Journal reports that Logitech Revue set-top boxes are actually being returned at a faster rate than they're being purchased.
According to Logitech's chairman Guerrino De Luca, speaking in a conference call on Thursday, Revue revenue was "slightly negative" in the most recent quarter, the Journal reports. Returns outpaced sales.
While living room streaming is a hot topic nowadays, and set-top boxes and gaming consoles are doing strong business. Google and Logitech have been left out of the party.
One reason is certainly price. At $249, the Logitech Revue was over twice that of the most expensive Roku box. To make the price more appealing, on Sunday, July 31, Logitech will lower the price to $99, which is below cost.
Price, however, isn't the only reason for the Revue's poor performance. The device and the Google TV platform are widely viewed as too complicated. While the Revue offers many more features than competing set-top boxes, consumers have voted for savings and ease-of-use. They prefer living room devices that can be installed in minutes, with little to learn.
The next version of the Google TV platform is due for release later this summer, and will bundle in access to the Android Market. Time will tell if Google makes it easy and appealing enough for viewers.
Related Articles
The long-awaited firmware update eliminates basic features from the Google TV 2.0 feature set. Why is Logitech hamstringing its own device?
19 Dec 2011
Advertisers can now bid on terms and only pay for completed views.
28 Sep 2011
With so many set-top boxes, game consoles, Blu-ray players, and more vying for attention, not every platform is going to attract a following. Learn which are coming out on top.
07 Jun 2011
Product manager Salahudding Choudhary offers up a demo of how Google TV facilitates searching of broadcast and web programming
19 Nov 2010