Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google TV is bolstering its service with over 800 new TV channels from Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News.
- The Live tab has also been redesigned to browse through channels without having to jump to different apps.
- These changes will come to Android TV as well later this year.
Google TV users are getting a nice surprise starting today. The platform is introducing over 800 new free TV channels. And the service is making it easier to browse through content via a revamped Live tab.
Starting today and rolling out for the next few weeks, Google TV will be integrating free ad-supported streaming TV channels from Tubi, Plex, and Haystack News. These channels will all be accessible from Google TV, so you don’t have to hop from app to app. The company also announced that it is launching free built-in channels from Google TV.
In addition to local news and channels like NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX, users will also have access to programming from around the world. Google states these channels will also come in more than ten languages, including Spanish, Hindi, and Japanese.
Moving on to the Live tab revamp, the company says that it has designed a new TV guide for live channels. The new TV guide will reportedly make it faster and easier to browse through content. The platform will now also let users save favorites to the top of the guide for quick and easy access. Finally, premium live TV subscriptions from YouTube TV or Sling TV, or access to over-the-air channels, can be viewed from the Live tab as well.
The changes are coming to Google TV devices first — like Chromecasts and TVs with Google TV built-in — but Android TV users won’t be left out. Google says the update will come to eligible Android TV devices later in the year. Which Android TV devices will be eligible is unknown.
