New updates are coming to all Google TV devices beginning today, including a dedicated sports page, generative AI screensavers, and more.
The new Google TV Streamer is going on sale tomorrow, so to hype up the launch, Google is announcing new features for its Google TV platform. If you don't plan to pick up a Google TV Streamer, though, we have some good news: These new features are coming to "all Google TV devices starting today," according to Google's press release.
Two of the most exciting new features that Google announced last month for its Google TV Streamer were Nest doorbell notifications and the new Smart Home Panel. Nest doorbell notifications lets you see who rang or appeared in front of your doorbell without pausing what you're watching. The Smart Home Panel, meanwhile, lets you see and control your cameras, lights, thermostats, and more from your Google TV, all while using your remote.
When Google first announced these two features, they were quite vague about whether or not they'd be coming to other Google TV devices. Today's announcement confirms that they will, though it remains to be seen whether an OS update will be required. (The Google TV Streamer runs Android 14 for TV, which most Google TV devices do not have.)
Google TV's ambient screensaver feature is getting upgraded to let you create AI-generated designs. You can either describe what you want to make or go through a series of suggested prompts. Alternatively, you can have it cycle through some of your favorite memories in Google Photos in case you want an idle screen that's a bit more personal.
Google TV is getting a new sports page in the For You tab. This page brings together all your sports content into one place, including cards for live and upcoming games, sports commentary, YouTube highlights, and more.
Google TV will now use Google's Gemini AI to create "enhanced overviews" of top movies and TV shows. These overviews will include full summaries, audience reviews, and even season-by-season breakdowns. You'll find these overviews when browsing through your homepage.
Google TV Freeplay is a new app and branding for the free TV channels integrated into Google TV. With the launch of Google TV Freeplay, Google is rolling out an updated channel guide so you can browse by genre and topic. There are also a few new TV channels, like Heartland, The FBI Files, and ION Plus, bringing the total to 150.
Apart from the new sports page and Google TV Freeplay changes, the rest of these features were announced last month alongside the Google TV Streamer. However, it's good to know that these features will be coming to all Google TV devices and not just Google's own hardware.
With new Google TV devices from Hisense, TCL, Vankyo, Epson, and XGIMI, there are plenty of options to pick from. If you live in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, or the Philippines, you can now enjoy Google TV services as the platform is now expanding to those regions. In total, Google says that there are over 270 million monthly active Google TV and other Android TV OS devices, so it's clear the platform as well as Google's commitment to it are here to stay.
