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For those who love keeping up with British television, Channel 4 has been a source of both joy and frustration. Their programming is top-notch, but getting it on Android/Google TV devices has been a real pain. Until now.
After years of clunky workarounds and casting fumbles, Channel 4 has finally released a native Android /Google TV app. No more sideloading, no more dodgy APKs, no more casting woes: this time around it all just works as intended to serve up Channel 4’s great content to those looking for it.
Channel 4 was available on Android phones and tablets (as 4OD – or 4 On Demand), but it never quite made it to the big screen in an official capacity. Instead, users have had to rely on casting from mobile devices and it has been a bit less than reliable. Reports of continuous disconnections, lag, and general instability made the whole experience more stressful than enjoyable. Sideloading was an option, but it’s not something most users want to mess with.
Even worse, there has been a working Fire TV app that always made it feel tantalizingly close for Android/Google TV folks. After all, Fire TV is built on Android, so porting the app over has been well within reach for a while. Again, just a real pain point for those wanting to watch Channel 4’s content.
But now, the wait is over. The Channel 4 app has quietly appeared in the Google Play Store, ready to be downloaded and enjoyed on your Chromecast, Google TV streamer, Nvidia Shield TV, or any other Android TV device you might have.
The app itself is a clean port of the Fire TV version, with a familiar UI and all the features you’d expect, including live streaming. 9to5 Google notes that framerates switch to the European 50Hz standard (that match UK broadcast standards), so if you notice the difference, this is an expected and on-purpose move by Channel 4 and you shouldn’t be too bothered by it.
It’s always interesting to see new streaming options on our devices, and though I’d not heard much about Channel 4 until today, it’s clear that they house a ton of great content. It looks like I might be diving in to see what’s on offer over there, and if you are also new to Channel 4 or have been waiting on this app for a while, it’s time to go hit up your Google/Android TV device and check it out.
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