Logitech Revue with Google TV, Logitech Controllers, Logitech TV
Cam, Logitech Vid HD Video Calling Service Put You In Control of the
Google TV Experience
FREMONT, Calif., Oct 06, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Consumers today have access to an enormous amount of content, delivered
by a range of sources and increasingly complex devices. To bring this
content together through a single interface on the best screen in the
house - the TV screen - Logitech (SIX: LOGN) (NASDAQ: LOGI) has worked
with Google on a line
of products designed to create the best Google TV experience for the
millions of U.S. households with an HDMI-ready TV. Google TV brings
traditional TV programming together with the entire Internet, with the
ability to search across them both.
Logitech today unveiled Logitech
Revue(TM) with Google TV(TM), a compact, plug-and-play companion box with
its Logitech(R) Keyboard Controller, which together provide seamless
control over the Google TV experience and home-entertainment devices.
The company's portfolio of products for Google TV also includes the
Logitech(R) TV Cam and Vid(TM) HD service for HD video calling from the
comfort of one's sofa. In addition, Logitech is offering the Logitech(R)
Mini Controller for Logitech
Revue as well as other applications designed for the Google TV
platform.
"Just as we have done with the PC and with home entertainment systems,
our role with Google TV is to give people the ability to control and
interact with their content and devices with unprecedented ease," said
Gerald P. Quindlen, Logitech president and chief executive officer.
"With our line of products for Google TV, Logitech will help redefine
the user experience in the digital living room."
"Logitech Revue with Google TV makes it easy for people to use just one
controller to find and enjoy content from a variety of sources -
programs from TV providers; the entire Web, including Flash-based games;
music, photos and videos from their personal library; and a growing
selection of apps," said Ashish
Arora, vice president and general manager of Logitech's digital home
products group. "Logitech not only delivers the Google TV experience for
any HDMI-ready TV, but we build on it with exceptional interface
devices, control of living room components through Logitech Harmony(R)
Link and enhanced experiences such as video calling in the living room."
"Google TV combines the power of search, a full Web browser, and Android
apps with the TV experience you know and love," said Mario Queiroz, vice
president of product management for Google. "We're proud to be working
with Logitech to launch the very first set of Google TV devices, helping
you and me easily access great Web and TV content, all on the same HD
screen."
"Smart TV delivers a truly integrated experience, with broadcast and the
Internet united on one screen," said Wilfred Martis, general manager,
Retail CE, Intel Digital Home Group. "The Logitech Revue brings Google
TV to existing televisions, and also offers video calling to provide a
new dimension to home entertainment. The smart TV experience requires
advanced processing performance, as well as outstanding audio/visual
capabilities, and we're proud that Logitech selected the Intel(R) Atom(TM)
processor CE4100 to power this revolutionary product."
Logitech Revue with Google TV - Access to Endless Entertainment
Choices
With a broadband Internet connection available, connecting the Logitech
Revue to your home entertainment system is easy. Use the included
HDMI cable to connect the Logitech Revue to the port on your HDTV, and
then connect another HDMI cable between the Logitech Revue and your
cable or satellite provider box with HDMI out. Then plug in the system
to power up your Logitech Revue and follow the directions on the TV
screen to complete the brief software setup. In minutes, the content
available on your TV will expand beyond the day's programming to include
virtually limitless Web content, as well as a host of preloaded Google
TV and Logitech applications.
Once set up, you can use the included Logitech Keyboard Controller to
navigate and interact with the new world of content available on the
biggest and best screen in the house - the TV screen. Watching your
favorite videos online on your HDTV is just the start. Pick up the
controller, and type in anything you want to find. Watching the big game
on live TV and want to know the latest stats on your favorite player?
Simply use the dual-view mode to see the stats on the Web while still
watching the game.
The Logitech Keyboard Controller includes everything you need to control
Google TV and features a familiar keyboard layout so anyone can start
searching without a learning curve. It includes a touch pad with scroll
functionality for control in addition to back and home buttons for easy
Web page navigation. And to give you a reliable connection, the Keyboard
Controller uses Logitech Unifying wireless technology.
Because Harmony Link technology is embedded in Logitech Revue - the same
technology that powers Logitech's award-winning family of Harmony
universal remotes - you will enjoy seamless control over how you
experience Google TV. So when you search for something and then click on
it, your selection will come up at the touch of one button - no manual
switching of inputs required.
In addition to the familiar typing and mouse experience, Logitech
provides buttons to control your TV, A/V receiver and DVR. These let you
power on your TV, turn up the volume on your speakers or access your DVR
content without needing to use an additional remote. In addition, you
can use the setup software to customize buttons of your controller and
map commands for your devices.
Logitech Mini Controller - Sleek and Stylish Palm-Sized Controller
With almost three decades of experience designing devices that connect
you to your content, Logitech has learned that consumers like different
kinds of input devices to fit their varying needs. With that in mind,
the company developed the Logitech
Mini Controller for use with Google TV - a palm-sized keyboard,
touch pad and remote control combo.
Despite its compact size, just 6-inches by 3.5-inches, the Mini
Controller offers full control over the Google TV experience. It has a
touch pad that removes the need for a mouse, as well as illuminated keys
that change color depending on the mode you're in: green for navigation,
orange for typing and pointing. Like the Logitech Keyboard Controller,
the Mini Controller provides buttons to control your TV, A/V receiver
and DVR.
The Mini Controller has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can go
up to two weeks between charges.
Logitech TV Cam and Logitech Vid HD - Video Calling from Your Sofa
The Logitech
TV Cam lets you make and receive high-definition video calls on your
HDTV - no computer required. It connects easily with your Logitech Revue
box using USB to deliver the crisp, clear images - thanks in part to
Carl Zeiss(R) optics - and superior quality audio consumers have come to
expect from Logitech webcams. And the TV Cam also provides a wide-angle
lens that will capture your whole living room so your friends and family
can relax, talk comfortably and enjoy a natural conversation. And when
you want to have a more personal experience, you can use the 5x digital
zoom to get close and personal.
To further optimize the experience for the living room, the TV Cam
includes two digital, directional microphones that help reduce noise and
echoes in a living room environment and uses Logitech RightLight 2(TM)
technology to adjust images in dim lighting situations so you look your
best.
Together, the Logitech TV Cam and Vid HD software enable high-definition
video calls of up to 720p. To make a video call, simply connect the
Logitech TV Cam to your Logitech Revue box, select the easy-to-use
Logitech Vid HD app, which comes preloaded on the Revue box, and then
sit back, relax and place a call to family or friends who are also using
Vid. If the video call is with someone who is not using a TV Cam with
Logitech Revue, they can download Vid for free onto their PC or Mac from www.logitech.com/vid.
If you receive a video call using Logitech Vid HD on Google TV, the TV
Cam will blink to alert you of an incoming call. If your TV screen is
on, you will hear an audible ring and receive a notification and caller
ID so you can know who's calling - and you have the option to answer or
ignore the call. If you ignore a call or are away from your TV, you will
be aware of any missed calls thanks to a call notification icon in the
Vid HD interface or from an LED light on the TV Cam that lights up when
you've missed a call - even when your TV is off.
Logitech Google TV Apps - Limitless Possibilities
As an open platform, the additional power of Google TV lies in its
potential to deliver new possibilities for the living room through the
development of innovative applications. Want to find favorite holiday
photos to show visiting friends? Preloaded on the Logitech Revue in the
Applications section you will find the Logitech Media Player. The
Logitech Media Player lets you access your personal content, including
photos, downloaded music files and home videos that are stored on a USB
drive or a DLNA-certified media server on your home network.
For added control possibilities, Logitech will offer two downloadable
smartphone apps: the Logitech Harmony for iPhone and the Logitech
Harmony for Android. These apps allow you to use your iPhone(R), iPod(R)
Touch, iPad(TM), or Android device to control your Google TV experience.
With just one touch of the "Watch Google TV" button, both apps can turn
on your television, cable/satellite box and A/V receiver. The in-app
keyboard and touch pad make it easy to search for things to watch --
online or on TV -- as well as navigate websites. You can use gesture
control, voice searches and much more. You can use the Harmony apps in
place of -- or along with -- the keyboard-based controller that comes with
Logitech Revue with Google TV.
Pricing and Availability
Available for pre-order today on Logitech.com, Amazon.com and
BestBuy.com, Logitech's line of products for Google TV are expected to
be available online and in Best Buy stores across the U.S. by the end of
October. The Logitech Revue with Google TV suggested retail price is
$299.99 (U.S.). The Logitech Mini Controller suggested retail price is
$129.99 (U.S.). And the Logitech TV Cam suggested retail price is
$149.99 (U.S.).
In addition to being bundled with the Logitech Revue, the Logitech
Keyboard Controller will be available for purchase online as an
individual item to work with other Google TV systems and will have a
suggested retail price of $99.99 (U.S.).
The Logitech Harmony for Android app will be available for download from
the Android Market for free. The Logitech Harmony for iPhone app is
expected to be available for download from the Apple iTunes store for
free.
In a separate press release today, Logitech and DISH Network announced
that Logitech Revue with Google TV and accessories will also be offered
to existing and prospective DISH Network customers through both Logitech
and DISH Network.
About Logitech
Logitech is a world leader in products that connect people to the
digital experiences they care about. Spanning multiple computing,
communication and entertainment platforms, Logitech's combined hardware
and software enable or enhance digital navigation, music and video
entertainment, gaming, social networking, audio and video communication
over the Internet, video security and home-entertainment control.
Founded in 1981, Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed
on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market
(LOGI).
Logitech, the Logitech logo, and other Logitech marks are registered in
Switzerland and other countries. All other trademarks are the property
of their respective owners. For more information about Logitech and its
products, visit the company's website at www.logitech.com.
(LOGI - IR)
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SOURCE: Logitech
Logitech
Pamela McCracken, 510-713-4003
pamela_mccracken@logitech.com
or
Ruder Finn
Rose Maciejewski, 310-717-3005
maciejewskir@ruderfinn.com
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