In what looks more like a planned story than a leak following Amazon’s Fire TV launch, Google’s plan for an Android TV platform has been revealed by The Verge. Android TV will be based on TV apps optimized for the TV screen. It will also include games.

Google’s Android TV project
Rumors about Android TV started late last year, but this is the first concrete evidence we have of Google’s next TV platform after the much-maligned Google TV project.


The leaked documents describe it is: "Android TV is an entertainment interface, not a computing platform. It’s all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction. It will be cinematic, fun, fluid, and fast."

Google wants developers to create very simple app for the TV screen that can be navigated by scrolling left, right, down and up. Google hopes to present content from various TV streaming services on the home screen instead of having to open each, separate app. They want to recommend new and relevant content to you. "Access to content should be simple and magical". It should never take more than three click or gestures to start watching something.


Android TV will incorporate voice and notifications, and will also support games via an optional game controller. Confirmed apps include Google Play Movies, YouTube, Hangouts, Vevo, Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and Songza. More will be available from the Google Play Store, but as you can see in the second photo games such as Temple Run and Plants vs. Zombies appear to be launch partners, too.

Google’s plans for Android TV are ambitious, but also a bit confusing. Google’s Chromecast is already an established product, so it seems that Google is heading in two directions. Google’s partners have already decided to develop their own Smart TV platform, so the real question is: Is Android TV too little, too late? We will find out soon.

Philips recently unveiled Android based Smart TVs, but the two projects appear to be unrelated.

- Source: The Verge