You'll need to have the model names of your TV, AV receiver, and DVR handy, as the Revue needs that info for its remote functionality. For the most part, it's unavoidable, as the Revue needs to communicate with your cable box and control other components, so it's really like setting up a streaming-video box and Harmony remote all at once. The setup process on the Logitech Revue is a good deal more involved than traditional streaming-video boxes. (The iPhone app isn't available yet.) We're guessing the problem is related to network issues we had (more in this later), but it's worth mentioning that we had no problems in the same environment with the Apple TV and iPhone/iPad-based control and other similar products. Though smartphone-based control is a great idea-and we've liked what we've seen during product demos-we couldn't get any Android phones to reliably connect to the Revue.

(The Revue should also work with any other PC input device that utilizes Logitech's proprietary Unifying technology.) We didn't have the Mini Controller on hand to test, but we're fans of the very similar Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard. If the full-size keyboard is too big for your living-room tastes, Logitech offers two alternatives: the Mini Controller ($130, sold separately) and control via an iPhone or Android-based smartphone. Like many modern set-top boxes, the Logitech Revue doesn't have any buttons on the front, with only two buttons on the back for power and Bluetooth pairing. The box feels very light, weighing only 1.32 pounds, and has rounded corners with the case tapering down toward the bottom. The Revue set-top box doesn't approach the impossibly small standards of the Apple TV, but it's still smaller than, say, a cable DVR or Blu-ray player. In the meantime, our initial impressions follow.

We hope the inevitable firmware updates will address many of these issues-Logitech is already pledging upgrades in November and December-and we anticipate revisiting this review frequently in the future. Google's vision for complete unfettered access to the Web in the living room is powerful, and Logitech's Revue impressively well-thought-out for a debut product, but ultimately the software needs more polish and more content deals to compete with increasingly mature competitors like Apple TV, Roku XDS, and even the PS3 Slim. There aren't many apps, and the existing Netflix app is about two generations behind those for competitors such as Roku and Sony's PS3. Google TV's omnipresent search bar is an excellent way to find content across so many different online video sources, but it currently doesn't search titles available through Netflix, arguably the most important. As of press time, major content providers such as Hulu, CBS, and ABC are all blocking Google TV devices from streaming-video content.

Logitech revue firmware upgrade