Definitely one of the most significant upgrades in the last four years, Google has completely overhauled the user interface for Fiber TV. That television service is offered as an option for anyone switching to Google Fiber for Internet service. As detailed on the official Google Fiber blog, the upgraded user interface has reorganized DVR recordings with box art and movie posters in addition to offering more filtering options for browsing recorded content.
Similar to TiVo and other cable competitors, Fiber TV will now offer recommendations of shows to watch or record based on your current viewing habits. For instance, if you watch new episodes of South Park each week, the service may recommend other popular animated shows like Family Guy or Rick & Morty. Google has also started to include Rotten Tomatoes ratings on listings, ideal if you are searching for critically acclaimed content.
The Smart Search function has also been upgraded in the software update. Using the search function, subscribers can peruse the live TV, DVR and On Demand sections for video content by title or keyword. Users can also search for their favorite actor to see a list of available television shows and movies. The function works with sports teams as well, ideal for recording upcoming games during the season.
The new user interface will be rolling out to existing Fiber TV customers over the next few weeks. If you are receiving a new Fiber TV installation, the software should already be updated on your new hardware. Prior to the launch of this software update, Google added the ability to use Google Cast to send video content from your mobile device to your Fiber TV set-top box. Integrated with apps like Netflix and HBO GO, users can stream video and audio content easily without having to switch to a Chromecast on another HDMI port.
For all the attention the Streaming Wars get — and most of that is misguided — free TV is still huge in a world of Netflix and Disney+. And so it’s of little surprise to see Google TV today announcing the addition of Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News to its Live tab, giving what it says are more than 800 channels of free TV, all in one place.
They join Pluto TV, which already was integrated, as well as news channels from NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox.
It’s the simple things that can make all the difference. YouTube TV — the largest live TV streaming service in the U.S. — has added a clock to its live guide.
Why, you ask? So you can see what time it is, of course.
Chromecast with Google TV is no spring chicken, having just had its second birthday. But it’s hardly being put out to pasture — and a new software update makes that clear. The first device with the new “Google TV” (as opposed to the old Google TV of yore, but we digress) operating system and user interface has just made the leap from Android 10 to Android 12.
And before anyone hops in and says, “but Chromecast runs Google TV and not Android TV!!!” — we’re just going to go ahead and stop you right there. Call it what you want — and Google’s definitely called it both, including in this new changelog — but the end result is that it’s now on “Android TV OS 12,” according to the changelog for version STTE.220621.019.A2. You’ll also now be on the July 2022 security patch.
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