the keys that make me look for the Android experience at home

Few devices have embraced the era of “smart devices” as much as mobile phonesbut there is one who, almost without realizing it, has adopted this strategy so much that In Spain it is difficult to buy one that is not: televisions. Until recently we could find models that did not have a system with apps, but currently it is somewhat complicated.

It is even easier to buy a dumb phone, as those that do not have the ability to run apps are called, than a dumb TV. And it is not that there is no demand, since many users prefer to put their own devices to provide them with intelligence, such as Google TV Streamer.

The main television brands in Spain are Samsung and LG, at least in the high range, but there are many others that are fighting to gain a foothold, not only in that category, but also in the entry range. There you sign as Xiaomi either TCL They lead the way. In part its sales pitch is not the hardware, but the software.

Google TV for everyone

These two Chinese brands also make mobile devices, and have taken a similar approach: use Android on your televisions. It is something that neither LG did when it was still in the smartphone market nor does Samsung do currently, despite the fact that it is the largest manufacturer of Android smartphones in the world.

The reason why Xiaomi, TCL and other brands opt for Google TV is simple, but at the same time multiple: it is an option that attracts users, but does not involve the development or maintenance of your own operating systemwith what this entails in terms of resources and operating expenses.

Although there are more options, such as WebOS or Tizen, Google TV (formerly Android TV) has positioned itself as the best option not only for manufacturers, but for many users who value what it gives them. And we are not only talking about integration with the smartphones they use, but also about functions and possibilities that they do not have in other models with other systems.

Advantages of Google TV

Many brands available. As with mobile phones, choosing Android as the operating system allows you to choose between more brands. Firms such as Xiaomi and TLC, but also industry giants such as Sony or Phillips opt for the Google system. The range of sizes, models, prices and brands is the largest when compared to other operating systems.

Good voice control system. Typing on a television is complicated and tiring. Being able to dictate things is much more comfortable. Google TV is not the only system that allows it, but it does have very advanced voice recognition, in part because Google has been working on it for years.

Google Assistant. And this function also enables integration with the Google Assistant, making the TV become a speaker if we want, because we can send content, ask questions, change channels…

Integration with Google Home. The integration with Android of Google TV is obvious, but also with Google Home. The home automation application allows you to create routines using the television, use the phone as a remote control, etc. We’ll even look at how compatible headphones pair automatically to the TV.

Button remapping. Remote control buttons rarely provide the shortcuts we all need. Thanks to applications like Button Mapper It is possible to change the behavior of buttons that we never use. Open applications, take screenshots, turn off the TV, change settings… everything is possible with this free application.

All types of applications. Thanks to the fact that it uses Android, there are many developers who create applications for televisions, from casual or more advanced games to file management tools, video playback with all types of codecs, etc.

Extreme customization. One particular type of apps are desktop replacements. These apps allow us to change the way the TV is shown to us, eliminating ads, sections that we do not use… If we want, we can make only the installed apps appear, to open them directly with the remote control.

External storage management. And the memory possibilities skyrocket if we use external hard drives and want to play content. Android allows you to run all types of videos, either with pre-installed apps or with those you download from the Google Play Store. In addition, they usually have reading capacity not only for USB flash drives, but also for large capacity disks, in case we have our digital movie library stored there.

bluetooth controls. Although television processors are not designed for games, some simple titles can be easily run on them, and having synchronized Bluetooth controls is an advantage. The number of options available is enormous. Especially if we use them with cloud streaming services.

Chromecast built-in. Of course, we could not ignore the fact that the televisions integrate a Chromecast system, which allows you to send content from a mobile phone on the same WiFi network. This makes it much more convenient to send a song from Spotify, a video from YouTube, etc.

To these reasons we must add others such as the convenience that many users have in using a system that they already know because it is the same one they have on their tablet or mobile phone, knowing the applications because, again, they are the same ones that they already used. , etc. Of course, this does not mean that there are no disadvantages when compared to other systems, but the benefits outweigh the latter.