If you are looking for that perfect gift that will please the entire family, you should look no further than the Logitech Revue with Google TV. The new Android-based device works with HDTV sets, and was released last month. We have been testing a device from Logitech for the past couple weeks. The only complaint I have is that I wish that it had come out sooner as I have been waiting for years for something that fully integrated the Internet with the television, and this answers my prayers in every which way.

If you like to stream sports to your big-screen by using your laptop and internet connection, this will eliminate the cords and make it seamless to watch sports the way they are intended to. Searching for something to watch is as easy as typing your favorite shows into a search box which will guide you to whatever type of programming you’re looking for.

My 16-month-old might be the biggest fan of the Logitech Revue in the whole family, watching his favorite toddler videos on YouTube. When my wife and I put the little one to sleep, the Netflix application and the integrated DVR options from Dish Network are the things we tend use the most. TBS, TNT, CNN, HBO, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim are the first networks to integrate right with Google TV, and CNBC has a useful application to get your financial news. Google TV is also a very capable way of searching the internet, and is perfect if you need to look something up, check your email, follow the game that you are watching, or just about anything else you do when you are surfing the web. So, in essence, you are purchasing a little computer that is easy to hook up to the TV.

Controlling the TV has never been easier, either, with a full-sized, wireless keyboard. You won’t have to worry about losing the remote any longer and if you’re a smart phone user with a Android phone or iPhone you will have the option to download an app that will control your televsion right from your phone.

While the existing Logitech Revue with Google TV is a worthy purchase at $300, the prospects of the device are the most exciting. At the beginning of the year, Google will open up applications to programmers who make apps like you find on the iPhone and Android phones, which will enhance the already great device.

Installation can be a little tricky, taking anywhere from a half hour to an hour depending on what type of cable or satellite system you have, but the on-screen instructions help guide you through the process.

Available accessories include the Logitech TV Cam, a webcam which allows you to make HD video calls, and a mini-controller. If you have a Logitech Harmony remote control, you can also use that with the Revue.

Internet on your TV is nothing new, nor is being able to watch TV shows over the internet. But an out-of-the-box, simple to use solution for consumers of all technical levels is. What Google and Google TV proposes is that the TV and Web should mesh together, seamlessly. You shouldn’t need to switch your inputs to view one or the other on your television set, and if you want to be able to have both the Internet and your favorite television program on the screen at the same time, well, you should be able to do that. You should also be able to search everything – your DVR content, the Internet, your cable TV offerings. This is what Google promises, and what Logitech delivers with the Revue.

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