Articles about Google TV

The Apple TV+ streaming service is hot garbage. Just how bad is it? I think I've had it free for over a year now, and I almost never watch it. It came gratis when I bought an iPad, but then Apple kept extending that free period. It's a very bad sign that the company is continuing to give it away -- it clearly signals people aren't opting to pay for it.

I have gone to the service a few times to see if anything looked good, but I typically opt for something on Netflix instead. What I did choose to watch, however, didn't hold my attention. As the owner of two Apple TV devices (4th gen and 4K) I am probably one of the users Apple expected to embrace TV+, but nope. And now, Apple TV+ is coming to Google TV devices. The big question is, who the heck owns a Google TV device and cares about Apple TV+?

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Google’s Chromecast is a nifty piece of kit. The $35 dongle lets you stream content from your smartphone or tablet to the big screen. It’s great for casting TV shows, movies, music, sports, games and more.

At the moment you need to purchase a dongle and attach it to your set via HDMI to use this functionality, but in the future that step might not be required as Google is reportedly looking to partner with TV manufacturers to offer Chromecast-like functionality natively.

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YouTube has stopped supporting devices that make use of the second version of its Data API. In practice the move, which was announced more than a year ago, is forcing users to look into alternative ways of watching YouTube videos, and likely also taking many by surprise.

For those who are not familiar with it, YouTube's Data API allows developers to implement YouTube functionality into their apps. The second version is mostly used on older devices, with the list including TVs, smartphones, tablets, Blu-Ray disc players and more. Here's what you should do, if you're affected.

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If you want the features of a smart TV but don't want to have to buy a new set or spend $99 on Fire TV then the MK808B, which offers Google TV for less than $35, might be the answer.

It's basically a tiny Android PC that you hook up to your TV set and your Wi-Fi to allow you to stream media from the web or from another device on the same network or via Bluetooth.

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Take me out to the ball game. Take me out with the crowd. Take me to Best Buy to buy a $35 Chromecast. When Google's dongle was announced, I don't think anyone truly knew how popular it would be.

At first, it seemed like a cool little accessory for watching YouTube or Netflix videos on your TV. Really, that's all that it was. That is, until Google opened up the SDK. Now, the floodgates are open and the sky is the limit. Today, Chromecast scores its biggest win yet, with live casting from MLB.TV.

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In the technology community, we have quite a few nerds and geeks (myself included). These types of people often like the same things -- video games, Mountain Dew and Star Wars to name a few. The problem is, media on discs, like DVD or Blu-Ray, are old hat; streaming media is where it's at.

And so, when it came to the Star Wars franchise, it was very disappointing that it was not available on Netflix streaming. Today however, this changes as Star Wars comes to the streaming service. Before you start rejoicing, please know, these are not the films you are looking for.

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The holiday has arrived and you've likely ripped the wrappings off your gifts. There was no doubt a tech item or two under that tree, providing your family knows you as well as we do. Now the real fun begins -- playing with that new toy and discovering all there is you can do with it.

Did you happen to receive a Google TV? There are a number of nice models on the market right now and you’ll likely be quite happy no matter which you got. The little box runs a version of Android and is compatible with the Google Play store, allowing for apps and media.

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It's Thanksgiving day here in the states and, with the turkey not yet in the oven and football having not kicked off, I thought it appropriate to take a moment to give thanks. No, not for my family or for the chance to live my life the way I do, though all of those are on my list, but for tech products -- this is a technology news site, after all.

I've given careful consideration to this and looked at what I used most over the past year -- the products that got the most hands-on, that provided the best experience. I've whittled that list down to just five, and now its time to share, to give each a hearty thank-you. I'd offer them a bit of pumpkin pie if I could.

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HBO original programming has become some of the most popular content on the small screen these days, including Game of Thrones, which holds the distinction of being the most downloaded show in BitTorrent history. Fortunately for the premium network, there are legal and profitable ways for viewers to obtain its shows.

Today, there is one more outlet being added to the mix -- Google Play. The search giant tweets that HBO is now a part of its app store, bringing along a number of its popular TV Series' to Android and Google TV customers.

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Google TV started slowly, with a less than stellar launch thanks to the overpriced and barely functional Logitech Revue. Since then, the platform has managed to slowly get off the ground, though still not living up to its full potential. Better pricing and improved functionality has raised expectations, however, giving cause for hope among the faithful.

The platform is already solid enough to power a living room's entertainment with no problem, as I have been doing since earlier this year when my HTPC simply became too old and slow to handle the task any longer. But questions lingered when I made this shift -- how would I access my stored media? What about the web?

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When I spent $35 on the new Chromecast, I expected that it would eventually be hacked. Truth be told, the possibility of tinkering with the device was a big factor in my purchase. However, I never expected it to be exploited so quickly. Today, GTVHacker announces that they have successfully hacked and rooted the media device.

According to the exploit authors, "...Google was kind enough to GPL the bootloader source code for the device. So we can identify the exact flaw that allows us to boot the unsigned kernel. By holding down the single button, while powering the device, the Chromecast boots into USB boot mode. USB boot mode looks for a signed image at 0×1000 on the USB drive. When found, the image is passed to the internal crypto hardware to be verified, but after this process the return code is never checked! Therefore, we can execute any code at will".

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I purchased a Google TV back in February and hoped for the best. My bet paid off as the tiny box became the hub of my living room, though not without complications -- it does require the occasional reboot. Still, for $99 I can not complain, and will sing its praises, as I filter all of our TV watching enjoyment through it.

Now the Plex server-app has rolled out new updates that bring even more functionality to the little service. Today the company announces a slew of updates that bring better compatibility with large screens, as well as new layout settings.

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Redbox Instant by Verizon debuted back in March of this year, after extensive private beta testing. The video service, even before that, announced it would be coming to Xbox, but now wishes to push the envelope just a bit further. That envelope today involves a foray into the set-top box market, utilizing Google TV.

Brad Bowers, Sr. Product Manager of TV Applications for Redbox Instant by Verizon, announces, in conjunction with Google, that "the app delivers the full Redbox Instant by Verizon experience right to your living room. This includes access to your subscription disc and streaming package, and ability to purchase and rent the latest new releases from the Redbox Instant store".

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Since purchasing the Vizio Co-Star several months ago, I have become a fan of Google TV. I even considered using online services to "cut the cord". With my Amazon Prime subscription and network TV sites I will miss little. What stops me? The NFL and those networks. The league stubbornly refuses to move into the future, where other professional sports already reside, while many network websites block the Google device.

Today, PlayOn makes the barrier in front me even smaller. This is a huge move for MediaMall software. The company announces it brings full service to Google TV free of charge. It does so because of the slight that Google's living room solution has been shown by networks. "We’ve decided to make PlayOn completely free on Google TV. Why? Well, Hulu and the Networks have been discriminating against Google TV owners by not creating apps that enable folks to watch their content on Google TV", the company tells us.

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No, I am not talking of the nerdtastic movie from Joss Whedon, but of an app. I have written twice now of my move from an HTPC to Google TV in the living room, with my most recent post surrounding ways to get both live TV and home media to the tiny set top box. For serving up home media I opted for Plex, which seemed the best solution.

Plex is both a server and app and both are free. Simply install the server software on an always-on computer and control it from a web browser dashboard. From there you can direct it to all of your media -- movies, TV shows, music and photos. It is dead simple to set up and maintain.

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