The Roku Channel is now available as a Google TV appĬhromecast with Google TV makes the leap to Android 12 What is Android TV? Google’s smart TV platform fully explained That is to say, rather than attempting to make on-demand content better fit into the viewing habits of yesterday, perhaps Google should instead focus on making traditional live TV work better with the viewing habits of today, and the devices of tomorrow. While we applaud Android TV’s creative efforts, it appears to be moving backward. The models we currently employ to view both traditional live programming, and on-demand content from Netflix, Amazon, and others, will continue to evolve in the near future, adopting new and more convenient ways to explore the oceans of content out there.īut reverting back to the old days of channel surfing seems like less of an innovation, and more of an homage to the old ways, back when the closest thing we had to on-demand content was taping the big game on your VCR. And for those already neck deep in the streaming age, how important is it that streaming apps be set-up like a traditional channel grid, anyway? Even diehard cable subscribers aren’t surfing as often as before thanks to the time-shifting afforded by DVRs, allowing users to watch on their own schedule - and fast-forward through commercials.Īs the entertainment landscape continues to shift at a breakneck pace, there will be plenty of room for innovation, no doubt. Essentially, the service appears to be aimed primarily at cord cutters, who have all but given up the bonds of traditional TV. Netflix users who want 24 hours of Friends are welcome to set that fire by simply selecting it within the app, with only marginal inconvenience.įurther, Android TV Channels doesn’t work with DVRs for cable or satellite services, which makes its functionality extremely limited at present. Netflix, for instance, is designed entirely around the on-demand model - and with 62 million subscribers and counting, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of objection to its current means of content delivery. While some apps might be conveniently poised for channel surfing, others are not. Still, while this new tack for Android TV is admitedly intriguing, one has to wonder if it’s a solution looking for a problem. And, of course, the company can’t pull the same strings as a tech giant like Google, forcing users to open each app individually for an experience only marginally different than seeking them out from a more traditional streaming setup. However, Mohu’s version is clunky and tough to love. Digital antenna maker Mohu cooked up a strikingly similar project called (interestingly enough) Mohu Channels, which premiered earlier this year running an Android-based operating system. This is not the first time we’ve seen a company attempt to meld streaming apps with live TV, however. Apart from airing, say, live weather coverage from the Weather Network, or breaking news from the Huffington Post, Variety reports users might be able to tailor the “channels” to play older on-demand programming in a loop, avoiding those dreaded moments of paralysis when you just can’t decide what to watch.Īndroid TV product manager Allen Huang even brought up the possibility of building an entire channel around a single program set on a 24 hour loop, allowing super fans of popular shows like Friends to simply check in while channel surfing and see what antics Ross and Rachel are up to, as opposed to firing up a streaming app and selecting a specific episode. Google has plans beyond those current partnerships, as well. Variety reports that the streaming partners will also be able to control which ads will pop up during the live feeds. Under the new model, users will still be able to select content on demand from each app, but if you want to simply sit back and see what’s on, you’ll be able to cycle through the channels and apps to find whatever suits your fancy at the time. The Weather Channel, G4 now live on YouTube TV Google TV gives NFL Sunday Ticket top billing, adds FAST channelsĪndroid 13 is now available for Android TV
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