In August, Google announced it would launch a new video streaming set-top box, Google TV Streamer. It also revealed it was ending production of all of its older Chromecast devices, including Chromecast with Google TV.
This week, the Google TV Streamer officially goes on sale for $99.99. At the same time, the company is rolling out new updates for its Google TV operating system for all supported devices, including smart televisions and other streaming sticks, dongles, and set-top boxes.
In a blog post, the company said that the update will benefit people who have other smart home devices:
With the new home panel on Google TV, you can control all of your compatible smart home devices — including lights, thermostats and cameras — without leaving the couch. The new doorbell notifications also allow you to see who"s at the front door without pausing what you"re watching. And, if you can’t find the remote, you can control your devices using your voice and the Google Assistant.
Google TV is also adding generative AI features from its own Gemini model. Users will be able to see overviews of major TV shows and movies with summaries created with Gemini, along with audience reviews. TV shows will also get season breakdowns.
Live sports fans will be able to see a new page in Google TV"s For You tab that will not only show upcoming live games but also a way to check out highlights of previous games via YouTube, along with recommendations and commentary.
There"s also a new Ambient screensaver that will not only show your personal images via Google Photos but also generate new screensaver images via AI text prompts that you type in.
Finally, Google has confirmed previous reports that it is updating its free TV channels feature with a new name, Freeplay. In addition to an updated user interface for its channel guide, Freeplay now has 150 channels of 24/7 content.