(If this is the wrong place for this, would some kind moderator please move it to the correct place?)
I have a Logitech Revue “smart TV” box, and have eyed the Vizio Co-Star. However, both of these require cable/satellite service, and cannot be used for Internet without such connection. Is there any rational explanation for this?
Please note that I have tried Roku, and was sufficiently disgusted by very poor responsiveness to customers when what few “channels” I actually liked suddenly stopped working after an “upgrade” that I will not go back to them.
I don’t know anything about the Vizio but I believe the rational explanation for the Logitech is money. Logitech and Google have a partnership to include Google TV with the Revue. Google TV only works with an existing cable subscription. Because they’re partners, Logitech can’t let people opt out of the Google TV experience.
You might consider an xbox 360. You’d need a Gold membership to xbox Live (around $40) but it does include tv channels. Here’s a list:
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/LIVE/Entertainment
With subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu+ and/or Amazon Prime, you might find most of what you need. It doesn’t duplicate the experience of having cable tv - but if you’re like me and don’t mind waiting until shows arrive on one of the streaming services, it’s a reasonable alternative.