What is Android TV? This is a question that many users have for sure. This name is probably something that sounds familiar to many of you, since it is a name that has been in the market for a few years, although its presence is going to decrease in favor of Google TV, about which we are also going to tell you more at continuation.
We tell you what is Android TV and what does this operating system have to offer, as well as what will happen now that Google TV will be its replacement or it seems that it will be in the near future. In this way you can get answers to your questions about this operating system that has been on the market for a few years.
What is Android TV
Android TV is a version of the Android operating system from Google that has been created specifically for televisions. In the market we can buy televisions from brands such as LG or Sony that make use of this operating system as standard, for example. This version of the system for televisions seeks to give us access to content in a simple way, with a better browsing experience than a conventional Smart TV.
On the Android TV home screen we have access to content that we can enjoy on the TV, either through streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney + or others. In addition to having in it a collection of our content or personal channels. There are also content recommendations that may be of interest to us in this system, so that we can discover new series or movies.
Being a Google operating system, we have access to the Google Play Store in it. Thanks to the store we are allowed to download applications and games on the television. Many apps or games have been specifically designed for this operating system and many others are simply compatible, so that in addition to mobile phones we can use them on a television that uses this system. This way we will have a better experience of using the television.
Also, televisions with this operating system mostly arrive with Google Assistant. So you can perform actions on your TV with Android TV using voice commands, such as searching for content or changing channels. This is something that is usually integrated into the TV remote control, where there is a dedicated button for the assistant, so that when you press it, we can perform that voice command directly.
How to have Android TV
This operating system is installed as standard in televisions of many brands. Firms such as OnePlus, Sony, Philips, Sharp or HiSense, among others, launch televisions that use Android TV as their operating system. The selection of models on the market is quite wide, although it is something that also varies between countries, so that in some countries you can choose from more televisions that use this operating system as standard, for example.
In addition, we also have devices like Chromecasts and the like, such as Xiaomi TV Box, which allow you to equip your television with this operating system. They are devices that when connected to a normal television, a normal Smart TV without an operating system, will allow access to the functions that we already know in this Google operating system for televisions. This is another option for those who don't want to buy a new TV, but would like to have access to those features of Google's operating system on theirs.
It is important that the television will have an HDMI connection to be able to use these devices, both the TV Box and devices such as the Chromecast and derivatives. It is the port where they will be connected and thus allow you to enjoy Android TV on the television. The prices of this type of device are varied, but they usually start from about 50 or 60 euros in the case of the cheapest and simplest.
In online stores we can see many devices of this type, but you have to be careful, since not everyone uses Android TV as promised. Therefore, users thinking of buying one are recommended to choose one from a well-known brand, which is known to use this operating system as promised. Firms like Xiaomi or Google are more reliable, so it may be worth taking their products into account when buying one.
Applications
One of the great advantages of this operating system is that many apps can be downloaded to the TV. When many seek to know what Android TV is, you cannot help but talk about the large selection of applications that are available. Since we can download apps on the TV thanks to that access to the Google Play Store that is there. So the TV can become an entertainment center in your home, where you can access games and applications.
Most users tend to bet on downloading applications to watch streaming content on your TV. Android TV has apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Vide, Roku, Disney +, YouTube, and many more. In this way, by using the app you will be able to access your account in these apps and thus view your content directly on the TV. A big screen like your TV is something that will undoubtedly contribute to a good experience when you are viewing these contents.
On the other hand, we can download many types of apps on Android TV. If you want, you can download news apps, with which you can always be up to date on what's going on, or even weather apps. In addition, the operating system supports a large number of games, so that you can play them on a large screen. There are games in the Play Store that are launched thinking above all about their use on the television, so you can have a good experience when playing them. In addition, in the case of Android, most of the games that we have available in the Google Play Store are free games.
Google Assistant
Android TV comes with Google Assistant built-in as standard. This assistant can be used from the remote, as we mentioned before, where it usually has a dedicated button. Having the assistant available will allow us to perform voice commands to control the television, in addition to being able to use those voice commands in applications on it, such as Netflix, which supports those voice controls.
Some of those voice commands will depend on whether you have a subscription to some services, such as Netflix, if you want to ask the assistant to play certain content on this streaming platform, for example. But in general, the apps that you have installed on your television with Android TV will have support for those voice controls, so that you can use them without any problem.
Controls or voice commands with Google Assistant that you can use are varied. You can use it to change the channel, go to a specific television channel or app that plays a certain content, ask it to raise or lower the volume or pause or stop the playback of those content, for example. Simple controls but that will allow you a much better use of your television at all times.
Android TV vs. Google TV
The Chromecast with Google TV was made official in October of last year. This launch is seen as the beginning of a new era for the firm, as it introduces a new interface and a series of new functions with respect to Android TV. Therefore, everything indicates that this new system will gradually replace this one.
Google TV has been designed to give more customization options than Android TV. This is something that can be seen in various fields such as recommendations, which are based on the artificial intelligence of the company to be more precise, such as its interface and functions. The user profiles that can now be created in a better way are another good example of this, for example.
In addition, we also find a new design. Google TV leaves us with a design designed to navigate more simply and quickly, in addition to having more options and activities available compared to Android TV. So it seeks to offer users a better user experience in this case, which is more personalized in terms of available options and easier to use thanks to that renewed interface.
Google has plans to expand the presence of Google TV throughout the next year. In fact, devices that update see how Android TV already leaves its place to this new interface. The base remains the same in both cases, but Google has left us with changes in its design and in its technology, which are seen as better for users than the previous version. This new interface will be gaining presence in the market and will end up completely replacing Android TV at some point.