mortslim;580301 Wrote: > > I predict (we'll know next Wednesday) exactly what Logitech's Google TV > device can do. I assume it will include among its features ALL of the > current squeezebox features plus the new video stuff too. If it > doesn't, that may be the beginning of the end for squeezebox. > Based on everything I've seen it seems very focused on everything else but music, some sample videos and reviews of beta version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra6Zv08LkZ4 http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/logitech-revue-google-tv-hands-on-impressions/
And some presentations by Google representatives earlier this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lIV2TQ-ZmI http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQcaZT1useQ Compare it with AppleTV (which is also mostly focused on non music stuff): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WCqDZxZ8MA All these devices are very focused on video and they are focused on showing the picture on a TV. Sure, AppleTV will soon be able to play the music you have on your iPod Touch/iPhone/iPad through AirPlay but how much high quality music can you store on 32 or 64GB ? So to be realistic, for locally stored high quality music an AppleTV would also require a computer somewhere in the house. If the Revue contained a Squeezebox Server and squeezeslave that might be a good complement to the other Squeezeboxes, especially in combination with a iPhone/iPad app or Android app to handle the music selection without turning on the TV. However, I don't think Logitech have the experience to develop something that would beat the iPhone/iPad/Android apps we already have. I don't think we should have much hope for this as Logitech and most other companies seems mostly focused on online services (MySB.com) instead of locally stored music. The Pandora application was shown in the Revue video, so we know that's included, unfortunately it doesn't work where I live. Of course, it's not a problem for me as the Revue is rumored to only be available in North America. I think the main reason for Logitech to include Squeezebox Server into Revue would be to drive players in other rooms. However, Logitech isn't really focused on the multi room scenario any more. Take a look at the Logitech site and try to find anything that even mentions that you might want to have multiple players or that you can synchronize playback between multiple players. It's described on the wiki here but I can't find anything about it on the Logitech site, the only indication is this sentence "and play your digital music collection anywhere in your house." I think it's time to face the fact that Logitech isn't focusing on the features some of us love in the Squeezebox products. Things like audio quality, support for high quality locally stored music and multiple players isn't as important as it used to be. It's also important to remember that it's easy to get stuck in the past if you are used to something, maybe there are better ways to listen to music than through our old Classic/Transporter VFD display players ? Maybe the TV and video support could be a good thing also for all existing Squeezebox lovers ? My main issue/worries is that the video stuff doesn't seem to be focused at music. If they instead would have done something that makes it easy to discover new music, purchase/preview music, view music videos or find and view biographies and documentaries about artists, I would see a lot more potential in the Revue from a music perspective. I think one of my problems (and probably others too) is that my music listening is a lot different compared to how younger people listen to music today. I care more about the audio quality and the music itself than the music video or visualizers on a large screen. I do hope they include Squeezebox Server and squeezeplay on Revue because it would make the Touch a lot more attractive to some people. The question is just if people purchasing a $299 Revue also is going to purchase a $299 Touch, this probably seems a bit expensive to most people unless they really want the Touch in another room than the Revue. However, most people I know tend to have the amplifier and speakers in the living room where the Revue would be. A Radio with its built-in speaker in another room would probably make more sense to most people. The TV is good for showing music videos but I really don't want a solution where I have to turn on a TV to select what to play. The problem with Internet TV is (as usual) the content producers and broadcasters who tries to make it as hard as possible for someone else to distribute their content, they are so afraid of piracy and want to stick to the current distribution model instead of moving to something new that would revolutionize the whole TV concept. Trying to integrate with cable/satelite boxes using IR blaster and similar technology is not going to work. Geeks and more technical savvy people will be able to use it but for everyone else it will just be too complex. I could compare with my MythTV setup which have completely revolutionized the way I watch on TV, it's a huge difference, I would imagine that Tivo did the same thing for people in North America. However, the problem with MythTV is that no one but myself knows how to control it. When my parent visits and want to turn on the news with my Harmony remote controlling MythTV they are just not able to do it. I personally think Apple did the right choice to skip the cable/satelite box integration and instead move slowly and try to focus on making the content producers understand the potential. -- erland Erland Isaksson ('My homepage' (http://erland.isaksson.info)) (Developer of 'many plugins/applets' (http://wiki.slimdevices.com/index.php/User:Erland). If my answer helped you and you like to encourage future presence on this forum and/or third party plugin/applet development, 'donations are always appreciated' (http://erland.isaksson.info/donate)) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ erland's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=3124 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=82366 _______________________________________________ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/discuss
