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Logitech's backlit keyboard for smart TV

Logitech's Living-Room Keyboard K830

Ty Pendlebury Editor
Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.
Expertise Ty has worked for radio, print, and online publications, and has been writing about home entertainment since 2004. He majored in Cinema Studies when studying at RMIT. He is an avid record collector and streaming music enthusiast. Credentials
  • Ty was nominated for Best New Journalist at the Australian IT Journalism awards, but he has only ever won one thing. As a youth, he was awarded a free session for the photography studio at a local supermarket.
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Ty Pendlebury

logitech-k830.jpg

Smart TV is great, it enables you to watch media content from your computer or the 'net without the need for a PC in your living room. The one bad thing? Typing with a remote control is the worst.

Thankfully, products like the new Logitech Living-Room Keyboard K830 make typing and navigating smart TV platforms, and HTPCs if you do decide to go that route, a little easier.

The keyboard is wireless and features a rechargeable battery onboard. The Logitech comes with a mousing surface and left and right mouse buttons.

The main difference between this and the cheaper K400 is that the K830 is backlit and also features a light sensor which dims according to the light level in the room. It also appears the K830 is quite different design-wise from the recent Harmony keyboard, and lacks the adaptors and IR sensor of that product.

My only potential gripe, and its one common with most Logitech "leisure" keyboards, is that there aren't dedicated media controls. Not only is pressing a combination of "Function button and F11" inelegant, but it could be potentially incompatible with some setups.

The Logitech Illuminated Living-Room Keyboard K830 will be available in the US and Europe in April 2014 for $99.99. It will be available for £90 in the UK.