Smart TV interfaces provide the necessary portals for streaming media, smart home controls, cloud-based gaming, and a multitude of other apps and services, but they are often rife with unwanted content recommendations, free ad-supported TV offerings, and now often , face-to-face advertising.
Google TV, for Google’s Chromecast with Google TV Streaming stick, also used as a smart interface The best 4K TVs From the likes of Sony, TCL, Hisense, and Philips, is one of the more prominent third-party streaming options from TV makers.But it’s also been blamed for screen clutter, and more recently for Rely heavily on advertisingThe company occasionally tweaks its interface to make it more user-friendly, however, this week Google TV users will get the latest improvements.
Citing research showing that the average household now subscribes to more than five different entertainment apps, Google TV launched four new content pages to help viewers find what they want to watch without jumping from one app to another application.
- this Movie Pages let viewers browse selections by genre, title or theme, and can also display new and popular releases. It provides personalized recommendations, which I’ve found Google TV to be more accurate than other smart TV platforms.
- show Showcasing new releases from services you subscribe to, as well as popular and trending ones you might want to check out. After you watch an episode, Google TV suggests other shows that Google thinks you’ll like.
- new spanish The page provides a central place to view programming in Spanish, from movies to TV series. You can also access the Spanish app here and find a collection of Spanish dubbed and subtitled movies and shows.
- family Unsurprisingly, a collection of movies rated PG or lower is collected on one page, so families have easy access to wholesome entertainment that kids and parents can watch together.
The new page, available to Google TV users in the US, is located below the row of apps on the “For You” tab. Navigation on Google TV has also been improved, with the profile switcher moved to the upper left corner of the screen so multiple users in the same household can easily access personalized settings, and the search button moved to the upper right corner. These specific changes are being rolled out globally.
Analysis: Smart TV clutter is a problem, Google’s new page could be a solution
As a TV reviewer, I’ve come to accept that smart TV interfaces are often cluttered, and finding the specific content I want to watch takes effort. The increase in ads sticking to the home screen only makes it worse, the same goes for free ad-supported TV portals, which basically all TV brands have now, that push notifications to entice me to check out something I’m not interested in at all Show watching.
Free ad-supported TV portals and recommendation engines can take up a fair share of smart screen interfaces, and while viewers can see some content without paying for a streaming service, not everyone falls into this category.
By providing specific page links within its smart TV interface, Google TV makes it easier and faster for viewers to find the TV shows and movies they’re looking for, and even better, lets them limit the list somewhat Subscribe for a specific service they already have. It’s a definite step in the right direction when it comes to reducing smart TV screen clutter.
I love Google TV — it has great personalized recommendations, and I appreciate its ability to link with Google Photos to display slideshows from the service. But Google TV also lacks the clean, elegant interface that the Apple TV 4K has, not to mention the Roku interface found in TCL’s 6-series TVs.
Adding specific pages for viewers to discover movies, TV shows, and more, especially from services they already subscribe to, is a clear improvement that will make Google TV a more competitive and attractive option in the world of smart TVs.
