Imagine if you could have that smooth and friendly Android interface on your TV! That would be so great, right? Well, don’t just imagine! Because Android-powered smart TV actually does exist and is quite accessible! The Android interface simply transforms the usual television experience. With a powerful Google voice search, navigation becomes quite effortless. Plus, users are offered a vast array of apps and games to use/play, which makes it a powerhouse of entertainment. Of course, streaming your favorite Netflix series on TV’s big-screen would never get old. Let us discuss some features and history of Android TV:
History of Android TV
The predecessor to Android TV was in fact Google TV. After a few great years of success, Google TV had lost its edge in the market. Soon enough, Google started building a user interface based on their (now) world-famous operating software called Android. The Android TV was officially announced by Google in June 2014 and after its launch, Google TV was discontinued. It was meant to be the next great thing by Google for the television market. And it sure has earned its name over the years.
Features of Android TV
All seasoned Android users know that each phone has a good chance of having a slight difference (if not more) in their Android interface. The same thing applies to Android TVs. Usually, TV brands like Samsung have their own interface for their TVs, while others add interfaces of a third party. So most manufacturers add the Android OS after modifying it a little. This is done so that the Android interface supports its original system. That is why some models have better and more features than others (another factor in this is, of course, hardware limitations). Let us discuss some features of Android TV:
Apps for TV
Major app developers have now started optimizing and releasing their app’s variations for Android TV! Most popular streaming app services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, etc. already have optimized their services for Android TV users. If the movie you want to watch is not available on any of these services, you could also check out Google Play TV. Similarly, you can stream videos of your favorite YouTube content creator on the YouTube app for Android TV. Of course, you can also download other apps you want from the Google Play Store!
Note: Not all apps available on an Android phone’s Play Store will be present on an Android TV’s Play Store. This is because not every app developer can or wants to release an app version for the Android TV interface.
Voice search with Google assistant
Google’s smart assistant is a great recent addition to the list of features of Android TV. Now you can search for and explore content by using Google’s reliable voice search. As long as you have the right hardware that will allow your Android TV to hear, you will hardly need to touch the remote because the entire navigation interface is based on voice search.
Gaming on TV
Android TV is great for gaming! The interface supports single-player, multiplayer, offline, and online games. Depending on which game you are playing, you can play using four controllers/gamepads at once. Some games even allow you to use your Android phone/tablet as a controller while playing on another big screen.
Pro Tip: Download the Google Play app and sign in to your Google account to sync your in-game progress. This way, you won’t lose game progress when you play on your phone. You can just start playing right where you left it!
Chromecast
Chromecast is one of the best features available to Android TV users. Basically, it allows you to cast the screen of your Android phone/tablet to your Android TV. You can use this feature to watch movies on Netflix or YouTube videos on your TV, play music or even browse the web. By the way, if you don’t own a smart/Android TV, you can still use Chromecast if you use a Chromecast HDMI dongle. You can buy this online or from an electronic store. This dongle gives you the full experience of Chromecast, the same as in any smart/Android TV.
Other features
- Your Android phone can be used as a remote for your Android TV with the remote app (from the same brand/manufacturer)
- Google’s familiar and easy-to-use Android interface is now available on your TV, which makes the experience much smoother.
- After signing in with your Google account, you will receive personalized content (on YouTube, Play Store, etc.) recommendations based on your downloads and activity.
- As available in Android phones, you will get the complete package of all the useful and handy Google’s built-in apps.