GOOGLE CHROMECAST WITH GOOGLE TV REMOTE ANDROID

Google has said that there’s an API for it and it could potentially work for other live services like Hulu or Sling TV too. Right now, Live TV essentially acts as a channel guide for YouTube TV and nothing else. I also liked that each show displays the Rotten Tomatoes rating if applicable.Īside from the “For You” section, the interface is separated out into tabs for movies, TV shows, apps, your library and Live TV. The suggestions on mine included everything from “Comedies” and “Sci-Fi shows” to “Shows about aliens” and “Shows about murder.” That is actually pretty accurate. These rows have category headers like “Top picks,” “Trending on Google,” “Continue watching,” “Your apps,” and a slew of genre and algorithm-generated recommendations. Instead of a wall of apps, there’s a rotating carousel of trending shows up top, represented by bold graphics, followed by smaller rows of shortcut tiles underneath. The first thing you’ll see is the “For You” home screen, which is personalized based on your watching habits.

The new menu system looks more like that of Amazon’s Fire TV than the Roku or Apple TV.

GOOGLE CHROMECAST WITH GOOGLE TV REMOTE ANDROID

But why do that when the new Chromecast runs on the Android TV operating system? (The same one you’ll find on devices such as the Nvidia Shield TV and the TiVo Stream 4K.) The difference with the new Chromecast is that it ships with a brand new Google TV interface which is far easier to navigate. That’s not a big deal for me, but those looking for minimalist setups might be disappointed here.Īs with the previous Chromecasts, you can cast your phone or computer screen to the TV. According to Google, my TV’s USB port (which is a Vizio M55) just doesn’t have enough power, and the new Chromecast requires at least a 5-watt minimum to function. However, unlike other streaming sticks that can be powered by a TV’s USB port (like older Chromecasts as well as the Roku streaming stick and the Fire TV Stick), I received an error message warning me to plug it into the accompanying 7.5-watt power adapter instead. Like with other streaming devices, all you need to do to get started is to plug the Chromecast into your TV’s HDMI port. By default, the YouTube button just goes to YouTube’s website, but if you hold down on it, you can customize it to point to YouTube TV or YouTube Music if you happen to have those apps installed. The Assistant button has a different color from the rest of the remote, and you activate it with a long press as you give your voice command.

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Google chromecast with google tv remote