Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google TV is bolstering 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 switch to different apps.
- These changes will also come to Android TV later this year.
GoogleTV users get a nice surprise from today. The platform introduces more than 800 new free TV channels. And the service makes it easier to navigate content via a revamped Live tab.
Starting today and over the coming weeks, Google TV will integrate free, ad-supported streaming TV channels from Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News. These channels will all be accessible from Google TV, so you won’t have to switch between apps. The company also announced that it was launching free integrated channels from Google TV.
In addition to local news and channels like NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, users will also have access to programs from around the world. Google says these channels will also be available in more than ten languages, including Spanish, Hindi, and Japanese.
Moving on to the redesign of the Live tab, the company says it has designed a new TV guide for live channels. The new TV guide will make it easier and faster to browse content. The platform will now also allow users to save favorites at the top of the guide for quick and easy access. Finally, premium live TV subscriptions from YouTube TV or Sling TV, or access to live channels, can also be viewed from the Live tab.
The changes are coming to Google TV devices first – like Chromecasts and TVs with Google TV built-in – but Android TV users won’t be left out. Google says the update will come to eligible Android TV devices later this year. Eligible Android TV devices are unknown.