On Wednesday, Logitech - the Swiss firm specializing in keyboards, webcams and other peripherals for computers – unveiled the first of the “Google TV” boxes that will merge online content with conventional TV offerings.

Speaking at the product launch event, Junien Labrousse, executive VP of products at Logitech, said that the company’s Revue set-top boxes will essentially bring programming and movies from several sources - the Internet, PCs, broadcast providers, and mobile devices - to the large- screen TV.

The accessories of the Revue, which includes a controller that functions as a remote control and a keyboard, include a high-definition camera that will give the users the videoconferencing advantage via the TV screen.

In addition, the Revue boxes also features a built-in specialized version of the popular Google search engine, which has been customized to find and record the programmes of the user’s choice – even the hard-to-find programmes from cable channel directories or obscure websites.

Noting that the US$300-priced Logitech Revue set-top boxes will be made available in the US by the end of this month, Logitech’s CEO Gerald Quindlen said that Logitech’s products for Google TV will “help redefine the user experience in the digital living room.”

About the Logitech Revue, Mario Queiroz, Google’s VP of product management, said: “We're proud to be working with Logitech to launch the very first set of Google TV devices, helping you and me easily access great Web and TV content, all on the same HD screen.”