Google Hopes To Get TV Right This Time With Android TV

You get your fill of new Google stuff yet?  Of course not, that’s why I’m going to tell you about the last of their bigger announcements, Android TV.  This isn’t Google’s first go at the living room.  You may remember a little something called Google TV that launched a while back.  While the platform was decent, it left a lot to be desired and that’s definitely where Android TV takes over.

To put it simply, Android TV is simply another Smart TV OS.  However, it has a huge advantage over other TV OS’s for the simple fact that it’s powered by Android and backed by Google’s wonderful services.  Like the other platforms announced today, Android TV will rely a lot of Google’s fantastic voice recognition system.  The interface carries that same Material Design that we saw earlier but the interface is optimized for TV’s.  You also have access to Google’s ecosystem which means you can access Google search (and get relevant information) buy/rent movies and TV shows, download apps, and even play games (even multiplayer!).

One of the biggest problems that arose with Google TV is the lack of app support.  Since Google has spent a lot of effort in trying to create a uniform OS across multiple platforms that issue, hopefully, will be lessened greatly.  You likely won’t be able to download any and every app that you’d be able to get on your phone but it sure looks like things are already much better.

From the sounds of it, the first Android powered TV’s will be coming in 2024 via Sony, Sharp, and TPVision but we will likely also see several Android TV set top boxes come to market.

One of the big questions I still have though is what will happen to Google TV?  Will they somehow bring Android TV to Google TV boxes and devices or are those devices just a relic now.  My guess is the latter but I guess time will tell.