On Wednesday, December 15 Google said that they have begun updating their Google TV devices so that their Netflix applications are greatly improved and that they have added voice search via a new Android app.
Google said that the updates would begin this week on Google TV devices including the Logitech Revue, the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray player, and the Google-equipped Bravia HDTV line. The update will not only add several new features, but also it will fix a few bugs.
"It's been two months since the first Google TV device went on sale," a Google TV product manager Larry Yang wrote in a blog post. "Since then, we have been hard at work thinking about how we can make the platform even better for our users. In fact, one of the greatest things about Google TV is that it comes with free, automatic 'over-the-air' software updates that give you the newest features and content as we release them. It's as if Google TV goes up in value over time."
Google said that the updates would begin this week on Google TV devices including the Logitech Revue, the Sony Internet TV Blu-ray player, and the Google-equipped Bravia HDTV line. The update will not only add several new features, but also it will fix a few bugs.
"It's been two months since the first Google TV device went on sale," a Google TV product manager Larry Yang wrote in a blog post. "Since then, we have been hard at work thinking about how we can make the platform even better for our users. In fact, one of the greatest things about Google TV is that it comes with free, automatic 'over-the-air' software updates that give you the newest features and content as we release them. It's as if Google TV goes up in value over time."
Netflix subscribers should be very excited about the update because before the update, subscribers had to utilize a separate device to be able to add movies to their “Watch Instantly” queue. Now they will be able to go to any movie or show that Netflix offers and watch it instantly or even put it in their queue for later. Netflix will also now recommend films for users to add to their queue of DVDs that they receive via mail.
Google has also added a new movie search feature to their Google TV devices which allows users to have much more useful and relevant movie search results than before. Before the update, if you had searched for “The Lord of the Rings,” you would have been peppered with an array of results. Now with the update, Google has said that the results will be more content focused and will list the different places that users can watch the movies, including Netflix and Amazon’s movie-on-demand service. “You can also read a quick summary, see photos, and find the cast list,” said the official Google blog. “Click on the name of a cast member, and we’ll take you to a new search landing page where you can find other movies featuring that actor.”
Google is also doing a much better job now with some of the functions of their TV services. Users now have a dual-view feature that is fantastic. This gives them the ability to quickly and easily move and resize the integrated windows on their TV while using the Chrome browser. Now you can effortlessly see anything that you wish to view on the screen.
Another great addition that goes along with the newest update is Google’s creation of their own Web application, Google TV Remote. Google says that the application is now available at the Android Market. For those who have a Logitech Revue, this isn’t new important information, but for those who are utilizing the Sony version of Google TV, they will now have the same functionality as the Harmony Remote app. They will be given the ability to control their TV through voice commands, channel surf, or push content from their phone to the screen. “You can now interact with your TV in ways you never have before,” said the Google blog.
Users are still waiting for better playback of media from an external source, but it looks like they will continue to wait because Google didn’t address this issue when they formulated the newest update.
These updates are awesome. They will definitely make the Google TV devices much more convenient and useful. According to the Google blog, the company is “excited to bring you more Google TV updates in the future.”
Google has also added a new movie search feature to their Google TV devices which allows users to have much more useful and relevant movie search results than before. Before the update, if you had searched for “The Lord of the Rings,” you would have been peppered with an array of results. Now with the update, Google has said that the results will be more content focused and will list the different places that users can watch the movies, including Netflix and Amazon’s movie-on-demand service. “You can also read a quick summary, see photos, and find the cast list,” said the official Google blog. “Click on the name of a cast member, and we’ll take you to a new search landing page where you can find other movies featuring that actor.”
Google is also doing a much better job now with some of the functions of their TV services. Users now have a dual-view feature that is fantastic. This gives them the ability to quickly and easily move and resize the integrated windows on their TV while using the Chrome browser. Now you can effortlessly see anything that you wish to view on the screen.
Another great addition that goes along with the newest update is Google’s creation of their own Web application, Google TV Remote. Google says that the application is now available at the Android Market. For those who have a Logitech Revue, this isn’t new important information, but for those who are utilizing the Sony version of Google TV, they will now have the same functionality as the Harmony Remote app. They will be given the ability to control their TV through voice commands, channel surf, or push content from their phone to the screen. “You can now interact with your TV in ways you never have before,” said the Google blog.
Users are still waiting for better playback of media from an external source, but it looks like they will continue to wait because Google didn’t address this issue when they formulated the newest update.
These updates are awesome. They will definitely make the Google TV devices much more convenient and useful. According to the Google blog, the company is “excited to bring you more Google TV updates in the future.”
