Logitech jumped off the Google TV train earlier this week, but now it looks like another consumer-electronics maker, LG, may be hopping on.
Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg Businessweek reports that Seoul, South Korea-based LG plans to unveil a television based on Google software at CES in January. LG is the world's second-largest manufacturer of TV sets.
Representatives for both LG and Google have declined to comment. But the report, if true, could signal welcome good news for Google TV. In the past two weeks, the Google product has not only been dismissed by Logitech, but also dogged by reviewers, including CNET's Matthew Moskovciak, who said a recently released major update aimed at simplifying the user interface is frustratingly unready for prime time.
Samsung and Vizio are said to be working on Google TV-based devices, as well.
Google TV, which lets users view Web sites and Internet video on their home TVs, launched last year with Sony, Dish Network, and Logitech. The product, of course, has one less partner as of this week as Logitech said it will let existing inventory of its Revue with Google TV set-top box run out this quarter and won't make another set-top box in its place.
At an Analyst and Investor Day hosted by Logitech on Wednesday, CEO Guerrino De Luca told investors that Logitech lost more than $100 million in operating profits on the Revue after bringing it to market almost a year ago. He went so far as to call production of the Revue a "mistake of implementation of a gigantic nature."
Logitech's move didn't come as a giant surprise. The company earlier this year revealed seriously disappointing sales numbers for the product and accompanying gear.
