Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Google TV is beefing up its service with over 800 new TV channels from Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News.
- The Live tab has also been redesigned to browse channels without having to go to different apps.
- These changes will be coming to Android TV as well later this year.
Google TV users are in for a nice surprise starting today. The platform offers more than 800 new free TV channels. And the service makes it easier to browse content with the revamped Live tab.
Starting today and rolling out in the next few weeks, Google TV will integrate ad-supported free TV channels from Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News. All of these channels can be accessed from Google TV, so you don’t have to go from one app to another. The company also announced that it is launching integrated free channels from Google TV.
In addition to news and local channels like NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, users will also have access to programming from around the world. Google states that these channels will also come in more than ten languages, including Spanish, Hindi, and Japanese.
Moving on to revamping the Live tab, the company says it has designed a new TV guide for live channels. The new TV guide is said to make browsing content faster and easier. The platform will now also allow users to save favorites at the top of the directory for quick and easy access. Finally, watching premium live TV subscriptions from YouTube TV or Sling TV, or accessing over-the-air channels, can also be viewed from the Live tab as well.
Changes come to Google TV devices first — like Chromecast devices and TVs with Google TV built-in — but Android TV users won’t be left out. Google says the update will hit eligible Android TV devices later in the year. What Android TV devices qualify is unknown.