The Verge
On Saturday, The Verge posted a number of screenshots from a document that it says reveals Google's latest endeavor: Android TV. Yes, this would be Google's second attempt to make its way into the living room, the first being the Google TV platform that debuted in 2010 and died slowly over the next couple years.
Android TV, which The Verge says will consist of streamlined apps on an “extremely simple” set-top box interface, is apparently well into development, with “major video app providers” already building apps for it. "Android TV is an entertainment interface, not a computing platform," Google writes, according to The Verge. "It’s all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction."
The Verge writes that the Android-based 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.”
There are many set-top box options for TV these days, and according to the leaked documents, Google wants to differentiate itself by suggesting entertainment options upfront, rather than having the user pick an app like Hulu or Netflix and then choosing what to watch from there. One Google document that The Verge described dictates that “it should never take more than three clicks or gestures to go from the homescreen to enjoying a new piece of content.”
The documents apparently note that voice control will be an option, and developers will be able to push notifications to users, although Google is asking that they keep notifications to a minimum. Beyond that, though, the interface seems like it will be quite simple. “Google is stripping away unneeded features like telephony, cameras, touchscreen support, and near-field communication to keep developers focused, and handing them ready-made interfaces where they can hopefully just plug in shows, games, photos, music, and films,” writes The Verge. “Perhaps there’s room for inventive new applications that harness the big screen, but the entry point is people lazing on the couch.”
This news comes just a few days after Amazon released its own Fire TV, a set-top box that will be based on Android and HTML and puts Amazon content at the forefront of the user's experience. It also seems to be at odds with Google's Chromecast, a $30 streaming device that plugs into a TV and allows viewers to watch and listen to media purchased in Google Play, as well as media found on YouTube or on third-party compatible services.
by Megan Geuss arstechnica.com
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