At the annual Google I/O developer’s conference, the massive search engine and cloud services giant unveiled its latest tech with a grab bag of goodies and swag for the world’s reigning technorati. This year, amongst banner new initiatives in Chrome, Google Now, and the announcement that Google — together with LG and Samsung — is sponsoring a series of smart watches, the company showed off a new gem for the modern age of home streaming entertainment — Android TV.
This isn’t the first time that Google has tried to make a play for home entertainment and the billions of TV sets across the globe. But whereas Google TV used passthroughs and overlays, with an imposing full-QWERTY remote most users reported too complex, the new Android TV offers simplicity: integrating with apps like Netflix and Showtime Anytime, offering a viable streaming option for those interested in getting rid of cable, and featuring an extensible UI similar to Chromecast.
Android TV features a conventional remote and gaming pad similar to the Playstation 4 and Xbox One controllers, making Android TV a competitor to dedicated streaming services like Roku and Amazon Fire, as well as the latest generation of gaming consoles. Android TV receives regular updates like the mobile Android ecosystem and can be adapted to offer DVR-like services, making it a potential successor to the now-suspended broadcast startup Aereo, which recently suffered a loss in a Supreme Court case that called into question the legality of its underlying business model. In addition to offering similar services to the currently popular Chromecast, Android TV integrates social media into the fabric of broadcast television. Far from the inflexibility of Google TV, Android TV builds on recent advances in web standardization and app development to provide a platform finally capable of unlocking the power of internet TV.
While Android TV shows great promise, recent developments have highlighted its vulnerabilities. Although featuring popular apps like Netflix and Showtime Anytime, Google has very conspicuously come to an impasse with other internet content providers like Hulu, Amazon, and HBO GO, which is why they’re currently absent from the platform. If Google doesn’t get third parties to integrate with Android TV like they have with Chromecast, the Android TV is in trouble.
Combined with top-notch AV equipment and home theater design, Android TV promises to provide a multifaceted entertainment platform capable of fulfilling all your business, gaming, web browsing, and social media sharing needs. The revolution is here and it will be streamed.
For a free consultation on your home theater, call us today: (469) 656.4804.
