Google launched the renewal of its classic dongle at the end of September. The new Google Chromecast did not arrive alone, but added two very important new features compared to previous-generation devices that have been turning normal televisions into smart TVs since 2013.
The first of these novelties is the addition of a remote control that would make the device independent of the mobile phone. And is that to date, if you wanted to see content on your TV through the Chromecast you had to, necessarily, launch it from your mobile phone. The second great novelty is that the device is no longer a mere intermediary between the mobile phone and the television, to offer an interactive interface that includes the main streaming content applications and even suggestions based on our own tastes. Google has named this interface Google TV, but what exactly is it about?
More than just a layer of personalization
To be specific in the definition of the product, Google TV is a new interface for Android TV powered by machine learning and Google's artificial intelligence that relies on the virtual assistant, Google Assistant, but is far from a replacement for Android TV.
To understand it better, Google TV is Android TV, but with a personalization layer applied by the company. This is something similar to what happens with mobile phone manufacturers who customize Android as they please (within the allowed limits, of course). Without a doubt, it is something that we had not seen so far in this type of software, since except for Amazon and its Fire Stick TV , the brands that work with Android TV (Sony, TCL, Thomson, Toshiba, NVIDIA ...) do not usually modify the interface .
On the other hand, it is not the first time that the company uses the term "Google TV". In 2010 it launched a smart TV platform with this name together with Intel, Logitech and Sony. But in 2014, Google adopted by giving a new approach to this platform based on the Android operating system. This was known as Android TV, something that we already know and that has been incorporated into many of the smart televisions on the market since then.
How Google TV works
The operation is similar to that of Android TV, although with a series of details that make quite the difference. Logically, we can navigate through a menu of services that includes the applications available for Android TV such as HBO, Kodi, Prime Video, DAZN, RTVE, Netflix or Disney +, among others. It also adds applications to listen to music or exercise.
But unlike plain Android TV, Google TV adds personalized recommendations to the home screen that will be based on our tastes. In this way, on the list of applications you will see contents of all of them that according to Google and its artificial intelligence, you might like. In addition, it also adds in the initial menu a "Trends" section similar to that of YouTube or video on demand applications such as Netflix.
Like streaming services, the Google TV interface offers a section called "collection" in which you can add preferred content or that you want to see more in front of each and every one of the available apps.
How could it be otherwise, the Google assistant is integrated into Google TV. Its function is to allow you to search for content, open new or control what you are seeing by executing voice commands. For example with a "Ok, Google, play chapter 1 The Mandalorian" the wizard will automatically open the Disney + application and begin playback. The same will happen if we ask you to stop or forward the content.
What devices work with Google TV?
Right now Google TV only works with the new Chromecast , but the company has confirmed that other devices and televisions with Android TV will be updated to Google TV from 2021. At the moment it is expected that the first televisions to get the update will be those of Sony running Android TV.
Differences between Google TV and Android TV
After seeing what exactly Google TV consists of, we are going to see what are the essential differences that it has compared to Android TV, both advantages and disadvantages.
It is not an operating system: first of all, we must be very clear that it cannot be a replacement for Android TV, since it is not an operating system per se and is based precisely on it. Google TV is a new user interface that operates on Android TV, which is an operating system and that works on a wide variety of devices, from televisions to decoders.
User experience-based interface: Another big difference is that the Google TV interface is more than a catalog of applications and services. The company wanted to give it a touch of personalization by adding those content suggestions that are based on user experience and artificial intelligence. In addition, it includes a section (like a kind of favorites list) in which we can add the content that we consider relevant to us, either because we like it or because we want to see it later.
You need a dongle : a disadvantage compared to Android TV is that right now Google TV only appears on the new Chromecast so we have to buy it for 69.95 euros to enjoy the experience. While Google promised during its presentation that it will soon reach more devices compatible with Android TV, right now it is only expected that in 2021 it will arrive natively on Sony televisions. This could happen through a software update, but nothing is confirmed yet so it could even come with new TV models.
Google Assistant: Google has a habit of implementing its assistant in each and every one of its products and Google TV was not going to be less. The interface allows that, through the microphone included in the remote control of the new Chromecast, the assistant can obey our orders to control the content that is playing or that we want to play. At the moment Android TV cannot do this by itself.
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