In the beginning there was TV. And the people said it was good. But not great, because there was no way to interact with what was being viewed. TV was passive and did not allow or condone anything other than to sit in front of it and watch. Then along came the Internet. And again the people said it was good, because it did allow interactivity between the user and websites.

Then a wise individual had the idea of combining the two together. But the people were unimpressed because the Internet could not be displayed on the TV with the same clarity as a computer monitor. Time passed with the two remaining apart - until the appearance of Google TV, that is.

What's Going On?

Google TV is a technology created by the search engine giant with the purpose of combining the interactive nature of the Internet with the passivity of television broadcasting. The end result is a hybrid in which both share attributes of the other: both can be viewed on the TV screen at the same time and function independently or in tandem with the other. Google TV's initial appearance is through the Logitech Revue. The consumer purchases this set-top box; it is neither rented nor subscription-based. The Revue consists of two parts: the first is the unit that bridges the TV broadcast source (i.e. cable box, satellite receiver or HD antenna) and the television. This is necessary since there is no TV tuner in the unit.

Accessing Google TV is done through the second part, which is a full-sized wireless keyboard fitted with buttons and joystick controls for maneuverability through menu screens as well as TV channels. Think of it as a dedicated remote control, if you'd like: one that can "learn" from other remotes as well as control multiple devices that are used along with the TV (for example, a Blu-ray player or an audio amplifier).

Setup

The actual setup is no more complicated than connecting a cable box to a TV. A compatible DISH Network satellite receiver is used instead since it allows Google TV to program recordings and play back the content stored on the receiver's hard drive. A high-resolution video cable (HDMI) is connected to the receiver's video output and goes into the HDMI input of the Revue. Another HDMI cable goes out of the Revue and into an HDTV. This factor, by the way, is what differentiates Google TV from other similar systems in the past, being that the TV display can now handle the online content visually in the same manner as a computer monitor. Audio is taken care of by the HDMI cable as well. While the Revue can handle a video signal of up to 1080p (i.e. Full HD), the DISH receiver is limited to 1080i. But for practical purposes this distinction is meaningless since the eye will not see any difference.

The Revue also gives you the choice of wirelessly connecting to your home network or through a wired Ethernet cable. Should you have the option of using a wired connection, you might find it more stable, especially considering that the close proximity of the Revue to the other electronic components could down grade the wireless signal being received. In our tests, an Ethernet cable was used and no dropouts or other interference was encountered. The procedure is to enter information from your home network, such as the password, with the other technical processes automatically handled. (As a side note, a power loss will cause the Revue to reboot, just like with most cable boxes and satellite receivers. An un-interruptible power supply backup will eliminate this as an issue should there be a momentary loss of power.)

The final cable to attach is the IR blaster cord, which controls the video source device. The bulb end of the IR blaster is placed in front of the DISH receiver so that the Revue can be controlled directly without concern that the infrared line of sight will be impeded. Otherwise the keyboard's IR blaster can be used as the sole IR control.