While “Google TV” has a transparent future as seen with the upcoming “Streamer,” it’s shedding the flexibility to buy tv shows on all platforms and kind components.
Google announced yesterday that “you will no longer be able to purchase TV episodes and seasons from Google TV on Google TV devices, Android TV devices, and the Google TV Mobile app.” This elimination is rolling out “over the next few weeks.”
Movies usually are not talked about, so the flexibility to buy movies with Google TV ought to stay. (We’ve reached out to Google for affirmation.)
The meant substitute is buying “TV shows from YouTube relying on nation availability,” which final revamped the looking expertise in early 2022. This is a notable enlargement of what the YouTube app is for on Android/Google TV.
There might be no adjustments to accessing “previously purchased movies and TV shows (including active rentals and entire TV seasons, regardless of where the purchase was made).” They will stay obtainable in “Google TV gadgets, Android TV gadgets, the Google TV cell app for Android and the iOS app, and YouTube.”
However, there’s a notable shift right this moment which means your Google TV and YouTube buy libraries will no longer stay synced. Again, there are no introduced adjustments to motion pictures.
…shifting ahead, any TV shows bought on YouTube after right this moment will solely be accessible via the YouTube app or on YouTube.
This transfer follows Google spending final 12 months changing the Play Movies & TV app on sensible televisions with the “Shop” tab.
Again, the corporate is clearly dedicated to the “Google TV” model if it’s prepared to switch the “Chromecast” as its flagship streaming machine, however not having the ability to buy shows provides pointless asterisks to the top person watching expertise. This change impacting the Google TV Android app — with the iOS consumer by no means supporting purchases — can also be surprising. (That stated, most individuals in all probability simply use it for the TV Remote, which has a handy Quick Settings Tile and is quicker to entry than the equal performance within the Google Home app.)
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