Today a new leaked documents and screenshots obtained by The Verge reveal that Google is about to launch a new television effort called Android TV.
“Android TV is an entertainment interface, not a computing platform,” writes Google. “It’s all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction.” It will be “cinematic, fun, fluid, and fast.”
Unlike Google TV, Android TV is more similar to the Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Roku. It’s less ambitious and simpler. The interface consists of a set of scrolling cards that represent movies, tv shows, apps, or games. You can scroll left or right through suggestions or up and down through categories. The controller has enter, home, and back buttons for navigation and the device will support “optional” game controllers.
Here’s The Verge’s Sean Hollister with more:
Google’s new vision for Android TV is less ambitious and easier to understand. The company is calling for developers to build extremely simple TV apps for an extremely simple set-top-box interface. While Android still lives under the hood, the interface will consist of a set of scrolling “cards†that represent movies, shows, apps, and games sitting on a shelf. You use a remote control with a four-way directional pad to scroll left and right through different suggestions, or up and down through different categories of content, each with their own shelves. Much like on other set top boxes, each item will be like a miniature movie poster or book cover, and you’ll pick the one you want. The controller will also have Enter, Home, and Back buttons to help get around, and there will be “optional†game controllers.
The timing of this leak is certainly interesting, as the battle for the living room has really heated up in recent months. You have Amazon unveiling its new Fire TV last week,Apple’s rumored to be working on a new box of its own, and Roku’s pounding its chest, yelling to all of them ‘bring it!’
What makes it a Google product is that Android TV will suggest those pieces of content on the homescreen itself. While you can dive through a collection of apps and games if you want, the goal isn’t to have a user select an app like Hulu and then browse through things to watch. Google wants to proactively recommend things to you — including the ability to resume content you started watching on a phone or tablet — as soon as you turn your TV on.
What makes it a Google product is that Android TV will suggest those pieces of content on the homescreen itself. While you can dive through a collection of apps and games if you want, the goal isn’t to have a user select an app like Hulu and then browse through things to watch. Google wants to proactively recommend things to you — including the ability to resume content you started watching on a phone or tablet — as soon as you turn your TV on.
SO what do you think ? Android TV or an Apple TV ? They are a real copycat.
