-->
Save your FREE seat for Streaming Media Connect in November. Register Now!

Google Announces Android TV, an OS for the Television

Article Featured Image

Google made another play for the living room at this year's I/O developer conference, where it announced the heavily-rumored Android TV platform. Not a set-top device, this is an OS for the television, and consumers will first see it in action on sets from Sony and Phillips coming later this year, as well as set-top boxes from Razer and Asus.

The emphasis here is on ease, entertainment, and search. The user interface displays cards showing search results or recommendations personalized to the viewer's tastes. Android TV sets will come with a remote, but users will also be able to call up content using Chromecast-enabled remotes or Android watches. The platform supports Android games and can download apps from an Android TV app store launching this fall. Voice search will let users ask natural language questions, and get answers and recommendations. TechCrunch posted a hands-on story and said, "It’s similar in many ways to what Amazon has done with the Fire TV, but Google’s interface is better-designed and less confusing."

While the platform sounds impressive, the chatter online has mostly been about Google making yet another play for the living room. Google TV and the Nexus Q failed, and Google has a minor hit with the Chromecast. At this point, Google is giving tech writers TV fatigue. Mashable notes "Even before Google announced Android TV on Wednesday, it seemed everyone was rooting against it." If Google doesn't succeed this time, it may want to wait a while before trying again.

Streaming Covers
Free
for qualified subscribers
Subscribe Now Current Issue Past Issues
Related Articles

SME 2016: Google Shows 5 Trends Revolutionizing the Industry

The past three years have been a time of unrivaled change for video. At Streaming Media East 2016, a Google keynote address explained the keys to driving multiplatform success on Android.

Google Debuts Nexus Player, First Android TV Set-Top Device

Will Chromecast support and inexpensive living room gaming be enough to entice shoppers away from the competition?

Chromecast Usage Is Actually Rising, Claims Google

Google says Chromecast use is up 40 percent since Q3 2013, but its data looks at only the most active owners.

Google Chromecast Usage on the Decline: Parks Associates

After the initial buzz has worn off, Chromecast owners decide they'd rather stream with a game console or set-top box.

Content Delivery Summit: Google Talks YouTube Views, Caching

Google continues to build out POPs worldwide to reach more than a billion viewers and handle more than 100 hours of content uploaded per minute

Google Releases Chromecast SDK; Expect a Flood of Enhanced Apps

While Chromecast functionality has been limited so far, that will quickly change. Uses could go far beyond what set-top boxes allow.