Android TV is Google’s second major play for the lean back set-top box experience. If you look at the latest trends more and more people are moving to internet-delivered entertainment. As such, having a major presence in that space could be vital for Google.
If we were honest, Android TV would have to be relegated to one of Android’s less adopted forms. Most of us at Ausdroid have and use Android TV on a daily basis, as would many of you, however at a wider consumer level if it’s not bundled in with their TV consumers probably don’t have it, and even if it is, many may not use it to its potential.
Regardless of the current success of the platform, Android TV is getting a few new features today at Google IO:
- Picture-in-Picture: lets users play video while browsing other content.
- Recording APIs: brings recording functionality to live TV.
- High Dynamic Range: supporting the next frontier in 4K video.
Apart from the PIP, these features will most likely require new hardware, with the Nvidia Shield being the only exception, to work.
In addition to these device features, Google announced the integration of more video and music content services. Due to the nature of cross-border licensing deals, it’s unlikely we will see many of those released in Australia. A native Google Photos app is still conspicuously absent from the app line up, come on Google, make that happen.
Are you an Android TV User? What were you hoping to see for Android TV today?
I bought the Hisense Vision Android /Google TV only 2 yrs ago and have been very disappointed with the platform and also the support from Google and Hisense to resolve or upgrade this TV. The ‘seemless’ integration with outer android devices and apps never eventuated currently only sbs on demand is available (which has stopped working now) with any catch-up or streaming TV service. Hisense response is ‘that’s a third party issue’. I was hoping that this TV would be updated to the new android TV leanback 5.0 but its own update function within the TV was never been setup… Read more »
They might release new Nexus player later this year when they release their phones, they did that with the new Chromecast and Chromecast audio
I have a Sony 2015 Android TV. Looks like it will only get the PIP feature 🙁
Google Photos app (or even a backdrop that changes like the Chromecast) would be awesome.
Android TV had so, so much promise. But in typical Google style they just kinda went “Hey, check out this new toy!” and walked away.
They really needed to push OEMs to have it as *THE* OS to run an all TV’s and DVD/BluRay players. But they didn’t. I still have my Nexus Player plugged into the TV. But it just collects dust. Dont even know where the remote or gamepad are….
I love it built into the Sony TV, but don’t use the Nexus Player. I disabled all the recommendation stuff so it runs really fast now. Gaming wise I play Grand Theft Auto, but that’s about it.
Well thats what they have been doing. Getting oems putting it in tvs and cable boxes.
One issue of course is some big players (such as samsung and lg) have their own ecosystems they are pushing.
is the only way to get android tv to have a nexus player?
The only way without importing another console like a Shield Console (recommended) or a Razer Forge.
There’s a good number of Sony TV’s that have Android TV built in, too, but Sony has built in a heap of slow features (which I *think* you can disable).
Hi Chris, I own one of these TVs and just wondering how can I disable these slow features?
I’ve got the Nvidia Shield Pro, and can’t recommend it enough
I love my nexus player but will upgrade if there is a sucessor with 4k and ethernet,