Android TV is a revamped version of Android for TVs and similar media consumption devices. Unveiled back in 2014, Android TV saw some significant upgrades over the years, but the UI remained somewhat the same. Talking about Google TV, It came with the new Chromecast last year, had a different and more appealing User Interface than Android TV. Android TV UI update takes it closer to Google TV, which might be good considering how convenient the new Google TV UI is. Note that by using the term Google TV, we mean the new Chromecast with Google TV, not the older Google TV.
Must See: Chromecast with Google TV gets December security patch update
If you’ve been using Android TV, you definitely should’ve noticed the difference from the above picture. While the older UI had larger tiles and scrolled vertically, the new one looks very similar to the new Google TV.
The apps list of the older UI came with more streamlined card-like tabs. This was considered a good thing at its launch since most users were subscribed to just one service. Well, time’s changed, most users nowadays are having multiple subscriptions. And each service comes with rich content of its own.
They’re not the same!.
That said, we cannot say that the new UI is a carbon copy of Google TV. These two have their differences as well. The new Android TV menu comes with three tabs:
- Home: for accessing apps and channels.
- Apps: for navigating through the list of installed applications.
- Discover: This one is similar to For you tab of Google TV. It offers personalized recommendations for TV shows and movies. It also showcases trending content from Google.
The Google TV UI organizes the contents in a much more effective way using the Live, Movies, Shows, Apps, Library tabs. Also, purchasing content on Google TV is much more convenient compared to Android TV. But none of that added benefits is not as sweet as having a Smart TV with a bunch of wires and dongles.
Also Read: Chromecast with Google TV gets December security patch update
Google’s decision to release the Chromecast with Google TV is a relief for non-Smart TV users. But even though it runs on the same operating system, the differences between the stock Android TV and Google TV is (or were) quite noticeable. Google is planning to offer Google TV on newer smart TVs.
