Essetially, is treating the television as simply a larger display, with some tweaks; there will be one software development kit for all sizes, executives said. “Smart TVs are generally limited, not competitive with their mobile cousins,” said Dave Burke, the engineering manager for Android who introduced Android TV on stage at the I/O developer conference in San Francisco. “ wanted to change that.” Users will be able to stream content from their smartphones tablets to their TVs using the system, which will also integrate with ’s Chromecast device. “This isn’t a new platform; that’s kind of the point,” Burke said. “’re simply giving TV the same level of attention as phones tablets have traditionally enjoyed. want you to leverage your existing skills investment in Android extend them to TV.” Android TV wil replace TV, a platform that launched in 2010 with partners like gitech. Its gitech Revue ran a host of apps, but never delivered on its initial promise of delivering the best of the b for your TV. Now, it’s trying again. Android TV requires just a directional D-pad as well as voice input, which could appear in a traditional remote, a virtual keypad on a smartphone or even a gamepad, Burke said. In an “early look” at the platform, Burke showed off the TV input framework, which allows Android TVs to hle both HDMI streaming video.
Search content, all guided by
en you press the “home” button, you’ll receive an overlay of shows movies. But unlike mobile devices, there’s a set of recommended movies at the top, with the most frequently-used applications tucked in below. Android TV also revamped search, which is powered by voice. Burke used his phone to search for content, but the remote could be used. en he searched for Breaking Bad, he got a list of actors YouTube clips, as well as the show itself. Burke then tried searching for “ nominated movies from 2002,” which gave him a list of -nominated movies. He also asked who played Katniss in The Hunger Games, which gave him the right answer: wrence. Burke constantly talked about a “lean-back expeience,” which has been a staple of its YouTube experiences for years. The idea is that you’ll simply be able to recline, relax, let do the hard work of selecting what want to watch. A left nav bar not only offers you the chance to watch “My Top Movies” TV shows, but also categories like “riveting TV drama”. The Android team took the ay store app for the tablet added the leanback layer, Burke said. Most mobile users typically visit the ay Store to download games; in fact, three out of four mobile users visit the store to download a game, Burke said. th the games platform you can share achievements, even play multiplayer games like NBA m. Android TV even supports Cast support, so you can use it just like a Chromecast, Burke said. Naturally, will offer an apps store, which will launch in the fall, complete with some of the expected big names: Netflix, for example, tailored for TV, Burke added.
And here’s the hardware
is working with Marvell Intel on the silicon front. But the real news is that all smart TVs made by Sony in 2014 as well as all smart TVs made by Sharp Tision in 2015 will run on Android TV, Burke said. And look for dedicated Android TV boxes from Asus, Razr, others to launch this fall. Android TV represents ’s growing interest in connecting a larger number of devices in people’s homes. earlier this year acquired Nest, the Internet-connected thermostat smoke detector company. th Android TV, sts to gain new data about user’s media consumption, as well as new opportunities for targeted ads. of News Service in San Francisco contributed to this report. Updated at 1:38 p.m. with additional context from News Service.
