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Google TV’s redesign from Google Play Movies & TV came at a cost depending on who you ask. Sure, it has a fantastic interface and really modernizes the aging platform, but the web interface was completely deprecated in the process. Google’s Kaleidoscope project could have seen it return, but that was nixed too. Today, Google updated its official blog with an interesting bit of news.
First, and probably least surprising is that Google TV is getting a Material You update. On top of that, the “Home” section is being renamed to ‘For You’ to match what the company has done with its other apps over the past year. Then, a new ‘Highlights’ tab is being added to the bottom navigation which will show you articles about the shows and movies you follow.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re interested in seeing when the next season of your favorite series will finally release, or if you want to know what happens behind the scenes while it’s being filmed. Highlights will curate articles from around the web that focuses on your content to give you unique perspectives and information about them.
The “Watchlist” tab is now called “Your Stuff”, which could be a new user-friendly take on Google Collections (this is where Google TV’s Watchlist appears and seems to be how Google is aggregating all of your personal and hand-selected saved content).
Not everyone will agree with the news-centric approach of an app meant for watching things, but I think it could be pretty cool. Essentially, you can think of it as a Google Discover segment that’s specific to entertainment, and that’s the direction that I personally think it should go. Place data where it’s most useful and accessible based on the topic – I’ve always said that.
Wading through Discover is fun each day, but I feel rather aimless. If I’m in the Google TV app for shows and movies, I don’t think I’d mind seeing news and updates about those pieces of media. Let me know what you think in the comments below!
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