Further updates for Google TV
November 15, 2012
By Colin Mann
Google has unveiled further updates to Google TV, building on the 2011 update which added Google Play and simplified the entertainment discovery experience. Writing in the Google TV blog, Product Managers Greg Funk and Eric Liu say that next update makes finding whatever you want on Google TV “even faster and easier”. The update starts to roll out this week to LG devices and to other devices thereafter.
The first – Voice Search – allows users simply to speak to watch anything. “Instantly access the power of Google TV, simply by using your voice. Just speak to watch TV shows and movies, start playing a YouTube video, open applications, go to websites, do a Google search, and much more. Say ‘CNN’ to go right to the channel, or say ‘Homeland’ to see all the live and streaming options to watch the show. You can even say ‘how to tie a bow tie to watch an instructional YouTube video. Try ‘search movies with Jeff Bridges’ and see results in our new, more visual search results page,” says Google.
The TV & Movies app added in 2011 to help browse 100,000+ movies and TV episodes available to watch is now called PrimeTime, and designed to make it even easier to find favourite content. “Easily access PrimeTime anywhere in Google TV and browse for something new while you watch. You can quickly flip through the best stuff on live TV, access your favourite channels, see TV shows you recently watched, and find other suggestions based on what you enjoy watching,” says Google.
According to Funk and Liu,the world watches 4 billion hours of YouTube per month, but it’s not yet as easy to watch YouTube on your TV as it is on your computers, phones, and tablets. “YouTube and Google TV are changing that. With the updated YouTube app for Android and Google TV, your devices automatically pair so you can play any YouTube video from your Android phone or tablet on your TV with just one button. What’s playing on your mobile device looks even better on your Google TV,” they say.
“Look for all these updates first on LG devices with Google TV over the coming weeks, and to other second generation hardware with Google TV in the coming months. First generation devices will see the updates to PrimeTime and YouTube,” says Google.