The aggregated live channels on the guide are one of the growing features I’ve loved on Google TV.
Google keeps expanding the catalog, adding more sources and platforms.
That’s fantastic, but as more channels are added, it becomes harder to manage.
Even so, it becomes convoluted to sit on the couch and tune in to a mess of channels. The lack of the right tools for managing the available channels is also discouraging.
The good thing is there’s a workaround to customize your setup and make it efficient, letting you access these free channels with a few taps on the remote.
I have plenty of free TV channel choices out of the box
But having hundreds of channels clutters the channel guide
Live TV is a big feature on Google TV Streamer.
Although it’s limited to select countries (and it’s not available in my region, but I’ve worked around it through a VPN), it offers a wide, rich catalog that I enjoy.
Like Amazon Fire TV’s free live channels, it aggregates channels into one TV guide.
That means an endless list of TV channels you can browse in a single guide. Depending on your region, you can have hundreds of channels to explore.
At first, I enjoyed scrolling through the long list and peeking at different shows streaming right now.
Accessing them is quick. You select a channel or the live program. However, you may need to create an account for channels coming from apps like Pluto TV or Tubi.
Leaving this view on default has been frustrating. It’s still not as straightforward as I’d like.
I narrowed the channels using the favorite shortcut
It’s nifty, but it’s not enough
While fixing my cluttered Google TV Streamer isn’t urgent, it has started to sour my experience over time. It even cut down the time I spent opening the Live TV tab.
Fortunately, the fix was right in front of me.
The Live TV guide has a built-in favorites section. However, the shortcut to add channels to this section isn’t straightforward for new Google TV users.
After you get the hang of it, creating a favorites list is quick.
Go to the Live tab on your Google TV, and it should take you to the All channels section. Highlight the channel, not the program, to add favorite channels.
When you highlight a channel, a star glyph appears; if it’s hollow, it’s not yet on your favorites list.
To add the channel, press the Select button on your Google TV remote or your paired smartphone.
You can add as many channels as you want, which is handy if you have a dozen or more you always tune into.
How to access favorite live channels
Add or remove channels in the same hub
Access your favorite channels in the same Live tab. Instead of going to All channels, select Favorite channels beside it.
From there, you can access your narrowed channels, which is simpler than going to the All list and hunting down your favorite TV shows.
Like the main section, you get the same TV guide experience. You get the current time marker, every channel, and what’s playing on each one.
To manage your favorite channels, go to the All or Favorite tabs and highlight the channel you want to unfavorite.
Right now, it’s a basic tool, but it’s enough to avoid wasting my time filtering for shows that I watch most.
Customizing the star button
I access my favorite app with just a tap
Beyond the aggregated free TV channels, I’ve spent much of my time streaming with third-party apps that provide live channels.
These channels are only accessible on the app, so you can’t access them in the native Live TV tab.
That means I cannot manage them or add them to my favorites list.
That’s where the customizable star button on the Google TV Streamer’s remote comes in handy.
You can map it to open favorite apps, letting you launch them with a single press, similar to the dedicated YouTube and Netflix buttons.
To do that, open the Google TV menu, then select Settings > Remote and accessories > Set up remote buttons. Select the app or shortcut you want to assign to the button, such as Google Home.
I remapped it to open my favorite app, like Plex or YouTube TV. A single press takes me straight to the app, no matter where I am on Google TV.
Even better, I can continue where I left off, like when I’m resuming my Google TV Streamer from sleep.
It’s not as breezy as a direct favorite list on the Live TV tab, but it’s better than being stuck without a customizable button.
Bringing free channels to my Google TV home screen still isn’t there
Although I still wish Google would let us pin live channels on the main home screen instead of burying them, the available workarounds using the built-in favorite tool and star button remain indispensable.
They cut down the steps to start watching your favorite TV shows, making the channel guide far less of an eyesore.
They aren’t the ideal solution, but they get the job done without requiring deep technical knowledge or diving into Developer Options.
7.5/10
- Operating System
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Android TV OS
- Downloadable Apps
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Google Play Store
- Resolution
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4K at 60FPS
- Ports
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USB-C (power/data), HDMI 2.1 (Type A), Ethernet (10/100/1000Mbps)
The Google TV Streamer 4K offers free live TV channels and access to Android apps. Check the best offers right now.
