[HN Gopher] Google TV
___________________________________________________________________
Google TV
Author : owenwil
Score : 131 points
Date : 2020-09-30 19:17 UTC (3 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (tv.google)
(TXT) w3m dump (tv.google)
| mandeepj wrote:
| They need to hire somebody like "Google program advocate manager
| for TV" to get their branding fixed :-) //sarcasm
| sosodev wrote:
| The inconsistency is the worst part about the scroll linked
| effects on this website. Sometimes scrolling causes a huge change
| to the content, almost like scrolling to the next slide in
| powerpoint. Other times scrolling simply moves the text a little
| bit.
| amiga-workbench wrote:
| Do we know if this is it for all future Chromecasts? Because the
| only reason I'm using one is due to the lack of a remote, it lets
| me treat my TV like the big dumb monitor that it is.
|
| If they're going all in on remotes, then I need to move back to
| DLNA.
| seabrookmx wrote:
| I think you can just ignore the interface / remote and still
| Chromecast to this, not unlike current Android TV
| implementations (integrated into Smart TV's and the NVidia
| Shield).
|
| Would love if someone with more experience with Android TV
| could clarify though. I daily a Chromecast Ultra not Android
| TV.
| amiga-workbench wrote:
| Ah good, hopefully backdrops can be enabled too. I do enjoy
| the random selection of artwork.
| aarongolliver wrote:
| That's how my LG TV works. The TV shows up in the cast menu
| just like a chromecast does. Using youtube as an example, it
| opens up the youtube app and starts the video. You can either
| use the remote as usual to interact with the video, or the
| you phone exactly like you would if it were just a
| chromecast. You can also queue up multiple videos from your
| phone.
|
| I have a chromecast as well, and I really expected to use it
| over the built-in apps. But the built-in TV apps really blew
| me away, much better user interface than I was expecting. I'm
| hoping this new chromecast/Google TV thingy is as good, I'd
| really like to disable network connectivity to the TV if
| possible (but right now the apps are just too nice to give
| up).
| timw4mail wrote:
| I'm really confused as to whether this is Google's blessed
| Android TV spin (like Android TV with a different home screen),
| or a rebranding of Android TV.
| matheusmoreira wrote:
| Yet another service which will most likely be abandoned... Wait,
| there is a .google top level domain now?
| mtgx wrote:
| How many years of guaranteed updates across TV brands and models,
| and how many ads will I see seeing per hour on average from
| Google/advertisers?
| m0zg wrote:
| People still watch TV? I haven't turned mine on in years.
| andybak wrote:
| I have a large monitor in my living room that shows content
| from various entertainment services. What's the nearest
| equivalent you've got to that?
|
| I also have several other screens that show the same
| entertainment services (with minor inexplicable differences).
|
| Some are called "TVs", some are called "tablets", "laptops" or
| "phones" but they all seem to do roughly the same job in this
| regard.
|
| (I also keep reading about a thing called a "notebook computer"
| but no human being I know has ever used that phrase. Is it
| different to a "laptop"?)
| sneak wrote:
| I recently bought a half dozen large TVs, and I stream
| randomized playlist folders of non-television-programming video
| content to them from a server I keep in the garage.
|
| Some just 24/7 display live streams from YouTube of famous
| places.
|
| TVs are cool. Television is garbage.
| daveevad wrote:
| > live streams from YouTube of famous places
|
| any chance you have a curated list of these you'd be willing
| to share? thank you
| dougmwne wrote:
| Oh Google. So this is a reskin and rebrand of Android TV,
| launching for the first time on the new "Chromecast with Google
| TV". Not to be confused with a different Google TV from 10 years
| ago. It's unclear if they are sunsetting Android TV or supporting
| 2 branches of Android based TV interfaces. Side note, I have a TV
| with Android TV and it is chock-full-o-bugs. Only in the Google-
| verse.
| samizdis wrote:
| Ars Article:
|
| Google merges Chromecast and Android TV with the "Chromecast
| with Google TV"
|
| https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/09/google-merges-chrome...
| evanextreme wrote:
| right, but that headline doesnt answer the underlying
| question. This chromecast runs Android TV, so what is Google
| TV? Is it an interface on top of Android TV, or the successor
| to Android TV as we know it? It says its coming to future
| TV's, so what about the Sony TV I just bought? There's so
| many questions about what this software even is.
| josteink wrote:
| When not even a site full of _techies_ can tell what you're
| tech-product _is_ after studying its product-page
| intensely... You know you're in for a hell of a marketing
| phase later on.
| jankyxenon wrote:
| I think the techies are trying to backward-track the
| product development roadmap.
|
| For customers, it's essentially a chromecast + remote +
| new interface to choose apps (which is pretty generic)
| dougmwne wrote:
| Putting on my consumer hat, I really don't know why I
| need this over Android TV. Is it an upgrade? Does it have
| new features? Unclear. My Android TV already had Google
| Assistant on the remote and could "Hey Google, Play Tiger
| King."
| roneythomas6 wrote:
| The new Android TV interface premieres on the Chromecast
| with Google TV. It's coming to third-party set-top boxes
| and TVs as well, although you'll have to wait until 2021
| before it reaches non-Google hardware. This doesn't replace
| Android TV, to be clear -- it sits on top. Google is just
| separating the 'skin' for Android TV from its underlying
| platform. https://www.androidauthority.com/google-tv-
| android-tv-116260...
| dougmwne wrote:
| So Google TV is a skin that sits on top of Android TV
| which has a separate skin called Android TV which isn't
| being used in new products but will continue to be
| supported in current products. And my Android TV I have
| right now is an Android TV with Chromecast, but the
| launch product for Google TV was Chromecast with Google
| TV, which I can plug into my Android TV when Android TV
| running Android TV is EOL but Android TV running Google
| TV is still supported so that I don't need to buy a new
| TV with Google TV. That clears it up, thanks!
| basch wrote:
| I suspect that people with older Android TV's who cant
| upgrade the os or play services, will be able to install
| the Google TV app to circumvent the lack of updates,
| similar to Play Services separating from Android.
|
| My phone app (Movies & TV) updated to Google TV
| automatically.
|
| I'm just kidding myself, theres no way itll work that
| cleanly.
| oh_sigh wrote:
| It appears that Google TV is a centralized chromecast
| database. Normally with chromecast if you want to stream
| HBO, you need the HBO app which supports chromecast. If you
| want to stream netflix, you need the netflix app which
| supports chromecast. With Google TV, you link your account
| into it and then you just go to one app to find all of your
| streams.
| myko wrote:
| I prefer this name, glad they brought it back
| mattcofer wrote:
| Is there any reason I need this if I already have a Roku?
| jccalhoun wrote:
| I'm considering buying it to cover the things that aren't on
| roku like twitch
| x13 wrote:
| not that I can tell; I was wondering the same thing.
| botto wrote:
| So the Google TV dongle is $49.99 in the US but why on earth is
| it PS59.99 in the UK??!!
|
| Edit: Clarify it's the dongle
| umvi wrote:
| Google TV is free as far as I can tell, Chromecast is $49.99
| botto wrote:
| Yes sorry, I meant the Google TV dongle.
| botto wrote:
| To clarify that is at current exchange range:
|
| PS59.99 = $77.45
|
| $49.99 = PS38.72
|
| It's actually twice the price!
| Fogest wrote:
| Yeah that is odd because in Canada it is $69.99 which is only
| a few dollars over the current exchange rates conversion.
| quickthrowman wrote:
| Maybe they can't sell as much data from UK users? This, the
| fire stick, and Roku all have their cost subsidized by
| ads/selling your data.
| stickyricky wrote:
| This might be the wrong place to complain about this issue. But
| "smart" TVs need to be replaced with "dumb TV + set top box"
| bundles. As it is now, the best panels are obsolete after a year.
| x87678r wrote:
| I used to think this but LG TV has the main few apps, they work
| great and my roku never gets turned on.
| jtsiskin wrote:
| You can always plug a box into the TV, even if it's a smart TV.
|
| The software can still update. Does the hardware needed to play
| a video really become obsolete in 1 year? Why, do hardware
| decoders improve that fast? People aren't using these panels
| for games
| lapetitejort wrote:
| My smart tv constantly gets in the way. If I boot up a game
| device it starts with a footer bar with apps and such that
| won't disappear for up to a minute. I have to press back on
| the remote if I want it to go away faster. If I accidentally
| press or long press a button on the remote the whole TV will
| be hijacked for a voice command or something. A year or so
| ago the TV decided that if it wasn't getting any inputs it
| should switch to a video app I never installed and
| automatically play. The days of getting a giant monitor must
| be over as the profits from bundling crapware with TVs must
| have driven down the costs so much that they no longer cannot
| contain them.
| edogg wrote:
| i'm getting the $200 sceptre brand 4k tv from walmart. it
| is just a display. they still exist
| lotsofpulp wrote:
| I stick to high end Sony TVs because I trust them to not
| pull this kind of garbage.
| notJim wrote:
| Gotta disagree with this, I'm very happy with the integrated
| Roku in my TCL TV. And the TV still has HDMI ports, so I don't
| see how it's obsolete if I ever want to stop using the Roku.
| toby wrote:
| I bought my TV from Costco, it has Roku built-in and I think it
| gets the same software updates. The full integration has some
| advantages, like having a single remote that stops the playback
| when I turn the TV off.
| lsaferite wrote:
| But now that Roku has decided they want in on the content
| business and the ad business you are stuck with them (as am
| I). I don't want a device that has to make deals with content
| providers to take a cut TBH. That's why HBO Max is still not
| on Roku.
| notJim wrote:
| Why are you stuck with them? Does your TV not have HDMI
| ports or something?
| mikelward wrote:
| That _should_ already be possible via HDMI-CEC.
|
| Unfortunately some devices don't support it, but I would
| guess most streaming sticks/boxes do.
| AcerbicZero wrote:
| This was a good chance for google to cancel something before they
| actually launched, rather than after ~2-3 years of ignoring it.
| thirtythree wrote:
| I was slightly confused by this as well but I think I got the
| gist. It's a chromecast interface/OS so that Google knows what
| you're watching on Netflix, Amazon Prime and other apps
| jmole wrote:
| From portals to search engines and back to portals again. The
| circle of life.
| aplusplus wrote:
| Almost a 1:1 copy of the Apple TV app just with a worse copy of
| website https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-app, not new but ever so
| disappointing Google adds so little new to ideas they decide to
| adopt
| jankyxenon wrote:
| I just bought one. I'm a chromecast user on my main tv (that I
| control with my phone or nearby google home).
|
| I bought this for the remote. There's not really anything to
| "improve" here. It's a dumb box that aggregates streaming apps.
|
| The real differentiator is google assistant (and associated
| google home ecosystem - if you've bought into that)
| snazz wrote:
| Apple's website scrolls much more smoothly for me as well
| (although that might be since I'm using Safari).
| Fogest wrote:
| That's funny, I am using Chrome and found the Google one
| scrolled smoother than the Apple one.
| Terretta wrote:
| Yes, the flattery appears most sincere with this one:
|
| Google's take on the TV app from Apple that runs on Apple TV,
| iOS, and Mac, serving as a common UI to content from apps that
| buy into the partner ecosystem.
|
| Awkward how unclear that site is: this new app from Google is
| to be the UI pre-installed on future Android TVs, but for now,
| you can get as a thing running on a $49 Chromecast puck.
| nlstitch wrote:
| Why would I want the same dumb Google Assistant in my tv?!
|
| It would help if they would put some actual effort into the
| services behind Google Home/ Mini let alone Google Assistant
| before expanding hardware options.
| saos wrote:
| I don't get it
| freediver wrote:
| Actually makes sense from the perspective of Google's mission of
| "organizing world's information", as finding stuff to watch these
| days reminds of pre-google web.
|
| Problem of course is that in practice Google nowadays is really
| about "organizing world's ads", so I am sure they will find more
| than one way to screw this up by insulting the intelligence of
| people using it.
|
| On a side note, the site renders painfully on an iMac Pro and
| resemblence to Apple design style (but poorly executed) reveals a
| struggle to self-identify with the existing brand character.
| cblconfederate wrote:
| one day they 'll release Google Google
| AnssiH wrote:
| I just got an email from Google saying
|
| > The Google Play Movies & TV app on Android mobile devices in
| the U.S. is now Google TV.
|
| I'm not in U.S., though, so I guess no rebranding for me...
| drewg123 wrote:
| So is this open, like Android TV / Nvidia Shield, and allows
| side-loading?
|
| Or is this a closed device, like a Chromecast?
| cobookman wrote:
| Google just deprecated Android TV as well:
| https://9to5google.com/2020/09/30/android-tv-replaced-google...
| awinter-py wrote:
| scroll jank as a service
| winrid wrote:
| But will it have the new South Park episode tonight?
| sergiotapia wrote:
| Why does google get it's tld?
| SideburnsOfDoom wrote:
| Can it run plex?
|
| Client or client + server?
| anderber wrote:
| It will run the client, but not the server
| ketralnis wrote:
| I owned the Logitech Google TV which I bought for about $300
| early in its lifespan. After about a year they shipped some
| really bad updates to it that made it so slow that it was
| essentially unuseable and removed several key features, and then
| never shipped another update to it again. Logitech and Google
| both lost interest in it and after not long all of the apps like
| Netflix and even Google's own Youtube stopped working because of
| changes to the underlying services.
|
| Will this be different? I doubt it. I'm not putting more money
| into Google hardware to find out that they'll break it and then
| lose interest.
|
| Meanwhile my second gen Apple TV is working great.
| roneythomas6 wrote:
| My Chromecast from 2013 still works.
| vel0city wrote:
| The only issue I have with OG Chromecasts is that YouTube
| channels with 1080p60 videos tend to make the system stutter
| like crazy. Other than that the original Chromecasts I bought
| still work pretty much flawlessly.
| londons_explore wrote:
| The 1080p60 bug can be fixed by cutting the plastic lid off
| the Chromecast and adding a fan.
| chubot wrote:
| I bought two of them and loved them for a couple years, at
| least for the content it opened up.
|
| However casting was unreliable. I never figured it out but I
| remember posting on HN about it years ago and other people
| had the same complaint.
|
| Then the YouTube app on my android phone would hang or crash.
| My Android phone kinda rotted after 4 years or so. I had a
| dedicated one for chromecast.
|
| Now I just use a wireless keyboard and an Ubuntu box
| connected to the TV. Works quite well, I can get all the apps
| and content I want through the browser.
| heavyset_go wrote:
| Are you able to do Netflix in HD?
| chubot wrote:
| Yes, although the frame rate really sucks. I think that
| is a separate issue though. (You really notice it on
| action scenes)
|
| I don't see why there would be any problem with Netflix
| in HD in the browser on Ubuntu ?
|
| This PC is also from 2012 or so, so I think I should
| upgrade and maybe the frame rate will improve... I
| haven't isolated the issue. It's fine for most shows.
|
| But I suspect Netflix encoding quality also sucks,
| because most people don't care as much as I do, so I
| haven't debugged it.
| heavyset_go wrote:
| > _I don 't see why there would be any problem with
| Netflix in HD in the browser on Ubuntu ?_
|
| Because there isn't a browser released on Linux that has
| the right DRM capabilities to run Netflix's DRM, and thus
| Netflix on Linux is limited to less-than-HD, hence why I
| asked if you were able to get it working.
| scrooched_moose wrote:
| Mine still "work" but something changed around 2017 and they
| became so unreliable I don't bother any more.
|
| The Chromecast to Device connection is lost after about 10
| minutes, making all controls not work. Can't pause, skip,
| select a new episode, etc.
|
| The fix is seemingly random - maybe 50% of the time recasting
| from the app (Netflix, Hulu, etc) works. 30% of the time
| mucking around in the Google Home app will work, and 20% of
| the time I just have to unplug it.
|
| Near as I can tell it's agnostic of client device, casting
| app, Chromecast gen (I've got 3 different versions around),
| or router.
|
| We've kindof just given up and gone back to Roku.
| nso wrote:
| Had the same problem. The solution seemed to be a stronger
| WIFI signal. Adding an extension cable to move the
| chromecast further away from the TV prevents the tv from
| blocking signals.
| bmurphy1976 wrote:
| I had a similar problem, turns out my router was dropping
| bonjour/upnp packets. I think that was preventing my
| devices from properly discovering what services were
| available on my network. I never found a solution for the
| problem (OpenWRT+WRT3200ACM), but bought a different router
| and the problem magically went away (OpenWRT+R7800).
|
| Could be any number of reasons why you are having issues
| unfortunately.
| scrooched_moose wrote:
| Interesting. Thanks for the information. Might be a
| project for a cold night this winter, or we just are
| pretty happy with Rokus now.
|
| I'm certain the onset of the problem didn't coincide with
| a new router, and I've gone through a couple since it
| started so I assumed that wasn't the issue.
| yepthatsreality wrote:
| My Dell laptop still works great.
| andoriyu wrote:
| Remember that Android TV and Google TV (the original one) are
| completely different products.
|
| Reason Shield TV is still doing great is because they didn't
| cut any corners and future proofed in a way no one expected it
| from nvidia. It's great. It complely replaced my 6700K + GTX
| 1080 powered HTPC because streaming games from my PC to shield
| was easier than using windows from 10 ft away.
|
| I was a little worried that it stops getting updates, but now I
| just have no reason to upgrade it because it's getting all the
| updates and performing great. I got the new dongle tho because
| it cost as much as new remote for shield...
|
| Only weak points of 2015 shield to me: game pad was trash,
| remote control was large and yet easy to lose and bend.
| pier25 wrote:
| My Nvidia Shield TV from 2015 is still doing great
| samatman wrote:
| That's the crapshoot, isn't it.
|
| Would you have been able to know in 2015 that the Nvidia
| product was going to be supported, but the Logitech one would
| be abandoned?
|
| Real question actually. I doubt it, but that's a weakly held
| opinion.
| solarkraft wrote:
| Your chances are better when you can control the firmware
| yourself.
|
| But ... DRM.
| cobookman wrote:
| Sounds like this deprecates it though :(
|
| https://9to5google.com/2020/09/30/android-tv-replaced-
| google...
| kochthesecond wrote:
| 5 years is really not that long..
| tracker1 wrote:
| likewise... been exceedingly happy with mine... though I'm on
| my third remote, went with a non-nvidia one this time.
| benologist wrote:
| Same. This recharger + 4 battery set has been invaluable
| with my remote.
|
| https://www.amazon.com/Lithium-Battery-Charger-
| Rechargeable-...
| comeonseriously wrote:
| WHAT!!!!???? I did not know this existed! Thank you.
| thurn wrote:
| I prefer the remote control app instead, why find a remote
| when it can just be on your phone, y'know?
| LeoPanthera wrote:
| Because I can't feel the buttons with my thumb and have
| to look down, unlock my phone, switch to the right app,
| and then tap. It's a horrible experience.
| iainmerrick wrote:
| Your phone is fine until you want to pause the movie to
| answer the door, but it takes tens of seconds just to
| reconnect to the TV dongle.
| ahelwer wrote:
| I use a wireless Xbox One S controller as a shield remote.
| It works great; I also use it when streaming games from my
| PC to the TV. I tried the shield controller and was pretty
| unimpressed.
| tw04 wrote:
| The newest nvidia remote is leaps and bounds better than
| the last.
| lern_too_spel wrote:
| As far as I understand, a second generation Apple TV can't even
| play Youtube videos.
| mNovak wrote:
| I'm sure this site looks great scrolling on mobile, but here with
| my mouse wheel, it's unbearably jumpy
| martin_a wrote:
| Same for me, I gave up on it. No fun on a desktop.
| DevKoala wrote:
| It took me a while to realize this was a new device and not an
| app.
| maxerickson wrote:
| It's also an app (can be installed on phones).
| nigrioid wrote:
| Finally out of beta!
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9SK_M_nVWA
| bigbossman wrote:
| Google should merge this with Stadia so they can sunset them at
| the same time
| maxdo wrote:
| thank you google but no :) I don't trust you even more of my data
| leetrout wrote:
| I was very confused then I remembered I was subscribed to
| _YouTube TV_ not _Google TV_.
|
| Then I was confused again- is this an actual TV? Oh it's a
| dongle- no, wait, that's a Chromecast with Google TV.
|
| Anyway, I guess this is a new content app like Hulu.
| rastapanda wrote:
| I think this may be closer to an Android TV replacement? but
| with seemingly less features.
|
| Is my 65" TV I splashed out on going to stop getting updates
| now...
| freeone3000 wrote:
| Yes, of course - if not now, in two years. Smart TVs rarely
| get updates for longer than that.
| maxerickson wrote:
| You guys take the longevity of a $50 consumer device _super_
| serious.
| freeone3000 wrote:
| Yes. Of course. Because there's no inherently consumable parts.
| There's no reason that this shouldn't work 10 years from now
| (like original Chromecasts do, or first-gen Roku devices, or
| even 1080p TVs). Why bother buying into something with a
| limited lifespan?
| matheusmoreira wrote:
| Why shouldn't we? It's a consumer device that happens to have a
| perfectly good general purpose computer inside it. There's no
| reason why it shouldn't continue to work until the hardware
| itself fails.
| callalex wrote:
| It's not about the price in USD, it's about the price in CO2
| production and human suffering from mining and manufacturing.
| canada_dry wrote:
| > "TV personalized for you."
|
| Um, well... coming from Google this is more of a _turn-off_ , not
| a selling point.
| s1mon wrote:
| Did Google manage to convince Netflix to allow them to monitor
| what you watch on Netflix? This is one of the biggest holes in
| Apple TV (the app, on Apple TV, the box) - it knows most of what
| you watch and can make recommendations for Hulu, HBO, Prime, etc.
| and manage your queue _except for_ Netflix.
| andoriyu wrote:
| Not exactly. When you install an app on android tv you can
| create a "channel". App developers get one channel "for free"
| and more channels requiring implicit consent from user.
|
| Netflix chose to use recommendations as their first channel.
| Google TV acts as aggregator for those channels.
| umvi wrote:
| Ok, maybe I'm the only one, but I'm actually excited about this.
|
| It appears to be an aggregation service. Instead of individually
| searching across N platforms for content (hulu, disney+, youtube,
| crunchyroll, netflix, etc), you can now just use a single app
| (Google TV) which will allows you to search and stream across all
| platforms you are subscribed to.
|
| Furthermore you can cast stuff directly to chromecast from Google
| TV as well as watch locally on your device.
| r-w wrote:
| This has already been possible for years upon years on Roku.
| andybak wrote:
| Hasn't this been possible for years on
| whateverthatgooglethingiscalled?
|
| (I genuinely thought it was still called Google TV so I was
| rather confused by this post - I couldn't work out what was
| new.)
| umvi wrote:
| I don't own a Roku, just a Chromecast
| freeone3000 wrote:
| You might be interested in JustWatch, which does this as a
| phone app.
| basch wrote:
| this is Google catching up to Roku, Amazon, and Amazon (and
| maybe Xbox and Playstation as well.)
| pmlnr wrote:
| "TV personalised for you.
|
| Movies and shows are grouped in ways that reflect your
| interests."
|
| I can't be the only one who _wants_ to be surprised, out of their
| usual bubble of interest, at least sometimes.
|
| How can one tell this to all these "clever" things?
| pier25 wrote:
| Will this support 4K HDR?
| alfg wrote:
| Seems like it will. It's listed along with Dolby Vision on
| their Tech Specs page:
| https://store.google.com/us/product/chromecast_google_tv_spe...
| ed25519FUUU wrote:
| Great idea with 1 fatal flaw: it requires my TV to be connected
| to the internet. NOPE.
|
| Besides the fact that many TV manufactures are owned by Chinese
| government subsidiaries, it's simply not safe to connect a TV to
| the internet. Who's collecting and selling the data? Why are they
| taking screen captures and sending them off to who-knows-where?
| Your TV spies on you[1].
|
| Instead, my TV stays offline and I use an Apple TV. At least I
| know they're not selling my data to advertisers, and the
| experience is quite good.
|
| [1] https://www.zdnet.com/article/fbi-warns-about-snoopy-
| smart-t...
| lsaferite wrote:
| I'm confused. This Chromecast device has it's own internet
| connection. Your TV can still remain disconnected. Are you
| replying to something else?
| gertrunde wrote:
| Goodness me, this is an exemplary example of the type of website
| that I just cannot abide.
|
| Style over content, and the presentation just plain getting in
| the way of the information, to the point that the user ends up
| leaving rather than finding out what the site is attempting to
| convey.
|
| Awful. Just awful.
| tracker1 wrote:
| I'm hoping this just means an OS update for those of us with
| NVidia Shield TV devices (or other Android TV devices). Better
| app/search integration would be nice, but I'm not giving up
| local/network playback options, and really don't want to see the
| apps languish (netflix, hulu, amazon prime, etc) too much.
|
| Something, something, cold dead hands.
| baggy_trough wrote:
| I looked at the site, but I have no idea what it is or what it
| costs. Total marketing failure.
| jldugger wrote:
| I'm guessing the target market here is TV manufacturers, the
| same way chromecast is built into tvs these days. They're more
| high touch and are going to get sales calls about it
| regardless, so the site just needs to convince them to accept
| the meeting invite.
| cjohnson318 wrote:
| I got a little woozy with all of the unexpected zoom-outs.
| Really no idea what was going on until the end.
| gertrunde wrote:
| Well done on getting that far, I gave up the fight against
| the interface well before the end!
| smoyer wrote:
| I had the same reaction and was hoping the conversation here
| would answer those questions ... so far I'm out-of-luck!
| vidanay wrote:
| It costs three years of your life and commitment until they
| shelve it with 90 days notice.
| botto wrote:
| I would not spend a dime on this, to be honest I'm impressed
| Stadia isn't shelved yet, but just give it time.
| roneythomas6 wrote:
| My first and third gen chromecast still works. Google TV is
| just 4th gen chromecast. I expect this to work several years.
| Brendinooo wrote:
| Similar reaction here.
|
| https://store.google.com/us/product/chromecast_google_tv_com...
|
| That page is a bit better at explaining things.
| Florin_Andrei wrote:
| So... the new dongle is powered by a chip that has some
| Bluetooth component. Does that mean I can finally connect to
| it from my phone via Bluetooth and play music that way?
|
| The lack of that feature is my biggest gripe with the current
| dongle. The Cast protocol is a pain in the butt in terms of
| apps that support it.
| xnyan wrote:
| >Does that mean I can finally connect to it from my phone
| via Bluetooth and play music that way?
|
| I don't know about this device, but what you are describing
| is the antitheses of how chomecast is intended to work (or
| at least it was, from the beginning of chromecast to the
| last time I checked).
|
| The idea is that you never stream anything from your phone,
| but rather your phone is a remote control and service
| authentication device for the chromecast.
| crysin wrote:
| I get the impression its a new OS for smart tvs.
| [deleted]
| woeirua wrote:
| Yet another Google product that will be abandoned within 2 years.
| Don't buy the hype.
| DesiLurker wrote:
| God bless the google tech lead whose promotion this iteration of
| google tv would end up supporting.
|
| Jokes apart, I am not buying that _this time is different_. as
| much as it pains me to say, google needs a little power to the
| product managers to push through a consistent vision of consumer
| product side.
| thrwn_frthr_awy wrote:
| To me this is a top down problem. VPs and execs should be
| putting a stop to this. There needs to be a clear product
| vision from the top for there to be a clear product vision in
| the middle and bottom. This is what Steve Jobs was so good at.
| He could just say, this is dumb we aren't doing this. Google
| needs an exec team that understands products at the consumer
| level, not the engineering level and sees products as long
| living endeavors. The Apple Watch did not do great when it was
| released, but Apple kept making updates, kept improving it.
| They committed to the project and the vision and had the
| confidence to stick with it even if it lost money in its early
| days.
| cpeterso wrote:
| Yes! Better to iterate, even dramatically, on a clear product
| vision and brand than to keep pitching "same but different"
| products like Google TV, Android TV, and YouTube TV (or
| Google's various text and video chat apps). Users get
| confused and fragmented and they won't want to commit to your
| new products.
| rafaelturk wrote:
| I've tried to click in the `live` menu item expecting to watch
| some live stuff, that actually started really well with a soccer
| game only to realize that this is not actually live at all.
| SideburnsOfDoom wrote:
| What would be the comparison with NVidia Shield, aside from the
| top NVidia shield being about 3 times the price and has wired
| network?
| seabrookmx wrote:
| Nvidia has DLSS upscaling, remote play to a PC with a GeForce
| graphics card, and generally faster hardware.
|
| I think for 99% of people though this new Google dongle will do
| everything they need but cheaper.
| dgudkov wrote:
| Now you will see more ads on a bigger screen.
| blakesterz wrote:
| Who is this website designed for? I'm on Chrome and it took me
| about a dozen presses of the space bar to get an idea of what
| Google TV is/does and then a bunch more to get some specifics and
| a price. I assume it looks different on mobile, maybe better /
| more useful?
|
| Remember the old book/saying "Don't Make Me Think"? (Krug, 2000.
| Wow, it's 20 years old now?!)
|
| This site made me think in ways that seem really unnecessary.
|
| Serious question, why is this site designed like this, I honestly
| don't understand the goal here. It's like a slideshow? People in
| general are so interested in this they do actually page through
| it? I feel like it took some real effort to finally learn things
| that should've been on page 1.
| yesplorer wrote:
| I'm on Firefox mobile for Android and I had to scroll over and
| over with elements moving all over the place so I abandoned it
| to come and read comments so I can find out what it is really
| about.
| foobarian wrote:
| Maybe it's like a hard video game. It takes some real effort to
| get to the goal, but after you do, you feel particularly good
| about it!
| thedanbob wrote:
| I find this kind of scrolljacking presentation page incredibly
| annoying. I get it, it's beautiful and impressive, but it feels
| like a present that's wrapped with 15 different layers of
| paper.
| willio58 wrote:
| I think this presentation style works for expensive products,
| like an iPhone or something. For yet another money-making
| service from Google? Nope.
| theandrewbailey wrote:
| I find it depressing knowing Google's track record for these
| kinds of things, and this probably won't be around in 5
| years, at least under this name.
| interestica wrote:
| It's designed for regular scrolling. Spacebar jumps break the
| flow. The goal here isn't to give you information fit for a
| short one-pager -- it's to create a story and bring you along.
| It works surprisingly well in Opera (chrome-based).
| qppo wrote:
| Scrolling it with a touchbar made me nauseous.
| gruez wrote:
| No, it's jarring for anyone using a mouse with scrollwheel as
| well. The motion ends up being very choppy. In fact, I'm
| convinced that this style of web page is designed by
| designers using apple touchpads (eg. MBP) who think everyone
| else uses them as well.
| interestica wrote:
| I agree that it's jarring and choppy with a scrollwheel.
| (I'm in no way condoning the design.) You can file it under
| dark patterns, but I think it may be an accepted limitation
| - you have to consciously scroll in order to read the
| individual pseudo-slides. Overscroll? Go back til it's
| right. You can't just skim this 'presentation'. It's like a
| user has to 'pull' the information. And the variety of
| information types (as opposed to a typical webpage that may
| feature just one type of animation) keeps someone scrolling
| to 'see what's next'. The user is forever pushed to keep
| going 'just a little bit more'.
| pmcollins wrote:
| apparently it's designed for people who already know what
| google tv is
| [deleted]
| op03 wrote:
| They send a memo out to the 17 groups working on various TV
| related projects about consolidation. Then those 17 group heads
| worry about who is going to be irrelevant by the end of
| process. Furious game of throne style events take place. And
| you get what you see. It will all be shutdown and written off
| by Christmas so don't worry about what it is too much.
|
| If it doesn't get shutdown by Christmas its probably because
| they working out how to integrate it into Google Docs.
| crazygringo wrote:
| I don't mind scrolljacking when it's compelling.
|
| My only problem is I've scrolled through the whole thing and
| I'm _still_ not clear if Google TV is a website, a piece of
| hardware, a bundle of content, or what...?
|
| It's clearly not _just_ hardware because it says "Chromecast
| with Google TV". But then it definitely _involves_ an app
| because it says "Use the app" and "Coming soon to smart TVs."
|
| But I _still_ am not exactly clear how it integrates with the
| streaming apps? In fact I have no idea whatsoever. Do I watch
| HBO and Netflix _through_ Google TV? Or is Google TV just a
| glorified playlists app that lets me get recommendations across
| services, that then links out to watch them in separate apps?
| Is it a free app or a paid subscription service? Does it give
| me access to exclusive content? Or network TV?
|
| I'm left with no idea why I would use this or not because I
| still don't know what it is.
| throwaways885 wrote:
| Google TV, as far as I understand it, is a bunch of features
| across Google services to make TV better.
|
| Like watchlist in Search, the new Google TV app, and the
| launcher on this Chromecast.
|
| (Disclosure: I work for Google, but I don't work on this)
| r-w wrote:
| Would this support 3rd-party live TV streaming services, such as
| Sling, Fubo, Hulu?
| simonkafan wrote:
| Does someone want to set up a stadiacountdown.com for Google TV?
| Traster wrote:
| The fact I had to basically google "What happened to stadia"
| means I suspect we can probably reuse whatever server was
| hosting stadiacountdown.com
| paxys wrote:
| FYI if you are planning to anyways pay for Netflix for the next 6
| months then you can pick up one of these for effectively ~$10
| through a bundle (https://store.google.com/us/config/chromecast_g
| oogle_tv_netf...).
| ronyfadel wrote:
| It looks like a shameless ripoff of Apple TV. I wouldn't have
| been surprised if it were made by Huawei (or similar); but for
| Google to stoop to that level? Tsk tsk tsk
| andybak wrote:
| Haven't they had a thing like this for years? Is this different
| to the thing before or just a renaming?
| ronyfadel wrote:
| It looks the same as Apple's tvOS.
|
| Someone ran the photocopier on their competition.
| tanilama wrote:
| Boring and unnecessary product. A Google TikTok clone will excite
| me than Google TV.
|
| TV is dying and few will miss or even notice it.
| Bedon292 wrote:
| Like many others, I got very confused by this branding.
|
| Its a Chromecast (4k60 HDR HDMI Dongle) that is running Android
| TV (Which they appear to be calling Google TV). And a remote
| control with voice controls. [1]
|
| Not sure I see any reason why someone should get this over an
| Nvidia Shield. Which at least has a track record of long term
| support. Certainly a lower price point though, so maybe a market
| there?
|
| [1]
| https://store.google.com/us/product/chromecast_google_tv_spe...
| Fogest wrote:
| If you already have the shield may as well stick with that. But
| if you don't have the shield the prices are quite different and
| the Google TV may be more appealing.
| ausjke wrote:
| I can chromecast youtube to my TV already.
|
| I have firetv dongle(two of them) that can run youtube too.
|
| Roku is also pretty popular in this space.
|
| Some also uses apple tv(not an Apple fan here)
|
| what google tv buy me? what's its unique selling point? that was
| not very clear to me.
| roneythomas6 wrote:
| The interesting thing i found is that it supports keyboard,
| mouse, ethernet and power via type c dongle.
| adrianmonk wrote:
| Milestones in Google branding:
|
| 2010-05-20: _Google introduces Google TV_ at Google I /O
| (https://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/announcing-google-tv...
| , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASZbArr7vdI)
|
| 2014-06-24: _Google introduces Android TV_ at Google I /O
| (https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2020/09/introducin...
| , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3dCUPeyhag), a rebranding of
| Google TV
|
| 2017-02-28: _Google introduces YouTube TV_
| (https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/finally-live-tv-made-fo...)
|
| 2020-09-30: _Google introduces Google TV_ , which might be a
| rebranding of Android TV back to Google TV, but I'm not sure.
| Navarr wrote:
| Google TV is a launcher for Android TV, so far as I can tell.
| Android TV is not being rebranded, as it is the OS - but Google
| TV is the "Google Experience" on Android TV.
|
| To make this more complicated/interesting - Google renamed the
| Play Movies and TV app to "Google TV." I'm guessing so you can
| have Google TV on Google TV?
|
| Will the Play Movies app on my existing Android TV open the
| Google TV launcher like shown off here, or is it still just a
| browser for the content I already have?
|
| Is the change to Android TV just that this app becomes the
| launcher?
| crazygringo wrote:
| I swear I've read this comment like five times, because you
| seem to actually know what's going on... but it's left me
| only more confused.
|
| What is a launcher?
|
| If Android TV is an OS, then what is a launcher for an OS?
|
| And I guess you're as confused as I am as to also what this
| has to do with the previous Play Movies and TV app.
| [deleted]
| oefnak wrote:
| A launcher for Android is somewhat similar to a desktop
| environment on Linux.
| ser0 wrote:
| The same could be said about Apple TV (the device,
| software) and Apple TV+ (the streaming service).
| solarkraft wrote:
| No wonder you're confused, the website is a bit unclear
| until the end.
|
| It's just like a Chromecast (HDMI dongle), but running
| Android TV.
|
| The closest comparable thing may be Nvidia's Shield.
| mike_d wrote:
| Time travel with me back to 1993 for a moment...
|
| DOS is your Operating System. You can use Windows 3.11,
| GeoWorks, or DeskMate as your Application Launcher.
| outworlder wrote:
| You don't even have to travel that far. Even on Windows10
| you can install different shells(Cairo, bb4win, classic
| shell, etc).
| eatingCake wrote:
| What about Microsoft Bob, can I use that?
| mike_d wrote:
| Sure, on the way there we can stop in '95 to pick up a
| copy of Bob... but you are on your own for getting it
| working.
| gogopuppygogo wrote:
| If you are Bill Gates you find your wife in the process
| of creating Bob.
| stonewareslord wrote:
| I don't know if Google TV is just a launcher, but I can
| answer the question "what is a launcher?"
|
| On Android systems, a launcher is the home screen plus a
| little more. iPhone doesn't have this concept as there's
| only one "launcher": the home screen. On android, however,
| you can install apps to radically change your home screen
| layout. Some are terminals, some are just A-Z lists of your
| apps, etc. A launcher on Android TV would be more
| significant because it would probably include movies,
| shows, and music instead of just apps.
| Navarr wrote:
| For Android, a launcher is a special type of application
| that is in charge of launching other applications.
|
| If you search for "popular launchers" you should be able to
| find some examples
| tootie wrote:
| Can I run Google TV on any capable android device? Like an
| old phone plugged into a USB dock with an HDMI out?
| partiallypro wrote:
| Google is somehow worse than Microsoft at naming
| jdmichal wrote:
| There must be something deeper changing, because at the
| bottom of the page they say, emphasis mine, "Coming soon to
| FUTURE smart TVs."
| AnssiH wrote:
| > To make this more complicated/interesting - Google renamed
| the Play Movies and TV app to "Google TV." I'm guessing so
| you can have Google TV on Google TV?
|
| The e-mail I got from Google specifically mentioned that
| Google Play Movies and TV _on Android mobile devices_ was
| being renamed (and in US only), so maybe it is still Google
| Play Movies on Android TV? It would still be weird, though,
| so who knows...
| markstos wrote:
| Thank you. Can I put on the phone with my parents so you can
| you explain this to them? Also, make sure to mention
| "Chromecast" as well.
| tapsboy wrote:
| I think, it is an industry wide problem
|
| https://dcurt.is/apple-tv-all-the-way-down
| fivre wrote:
| i want a YouTube RED original series, where they just have the
| YouTube RED, YouTube TV, and Google TV product managers engage
| in a bareknuckle octagon brawl as a metaphor for internal
| Google PM battles to become the emperor and autocrat of all the
| googleproductmanagers
| fphhotchips wrote:
| Halfway through the season they all change costume and put on
| deeper voices, but you can tell it's the same character
| underneath.
|
| 3/4 through the season, the producers kill off the most
| popular character. No reason is given.
| GeekyBear wrote:
| >Google Play Movies & TV is now Google TV but it's not the same
| Google TV that runs on Android TV on the new Chromecast, it's
| an app
|
| https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/30/21492549/google-tv-app-pl...
| xg15 wrote:
| Well, they still haven't announced Play TV and Chrome TV, so...
| Apocryphon wrote:
| Duo Streaming, Television for Hangouts
| markstos wrote:
| Chromecast milestones should be in this list as well, just to
| add to the chaos.
| adrianmonk wrote:
| [Replying to myself]
|
| Oops, got the first link wrong on Android TV. Should have been
| this: https://android-
| developers.googleblog.com/2014/06/android-tv...
| cafed00d wrote:
| Google needs a marketing department. Badly! I mean, all that
| insanely cool technology and even the geeks on HN are confused
| how to use it.
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