Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL; DR
- Google TV is beefing up its service with more than 800 new TV channels from Tubi, Plex and Haystack News.
- The Live tab has been redesigned to allow you to browse channels without having to jump to different apps.
- These changes will also be coming to Android TV later this year.
Google TV users are getting a nice surprise starting today. The platform is introducing more than 800 new free TV channels. And the service is making it easier to browse content with an improved live tab.
Starting today and rolling out over the next few weeks, Google TV will integrate free ad-supported TV channels with Tubi, Plex and Haystack News. These channels will all be accessible from Google TV, so you won’t have to jump from app to app. The company also announced the launch of free built-in channels from Google TV.
In addition to local news and channels such as NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX, users can access programming from around the world. Google says these channels will come in more than ten languages, including Spanish, Hindi and Japanese.
Moving to the Live Tab update, the company has designed a new TV guide for live channels. The new TV Guide is said to make browsing content faster and easier. The platform now allows users to place favorites at the top of the guide for quick and easy access. Finally, you can also view live TV subscriptions or over-the-air channels from YouTube TV or Sling TV Premium from the Live tab.
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 this year. It is not known which Android TV devices are eligible.