- Android TV 16 will bring a few nice changes to Google TV devices
- Eclipsa Audio support, auto viewing mode optimization, better streaming, and HDMI-CEC improvements
- No launch date as yet; different manufacturers will have different timelines
Getting a TV operating system update sometimes feels like going to a restaurant where the chef is a psychopath: your dish will come with the finest ingredients cooked to perfection but there’ll be something unspeakable on top of your steak. The Android 16 update for Google TV seems a bit like that.
The update, coming to Google TV this year, will bring Android 16 to supported TVs and will include some really useful improvements. It’ll also include what could be quite the irritant.
What to expect from the Google TV Android update
One of the most important new features is support for Eclipsa Audio, the much-anticipated rival to Dolby Atmos being promoted by Google and Samsung. It’ll be coming to YouTube to begin with, and the firms hope it’s going to be embraced by the wider industry as another immersive audio option.
Another useful new addition is the MediaQualityManager, which is designed to give streaming apps the ability to tweak your TV’s settings. This is a system-wide equivalent to app-specific features such as Prime Video Calibrated Mode, which currently enables owners of some Sony Bravia TVs to automatically optimize their TV settings for the Prime Video show or movie they’re about to watch – so it’ll tweak the brightness, color temperature and motion smoothing.
Having it available in the operating system should mean more streaming apps offering a calibration option, and calibration being available on more TVs.
Google’s Gemini AI assistant will be rolling out to Google TVs in the fall, enabling you to ask for movie recommendations or get information about things from your TV.
There’s a visual refresh coming too, with the update delivering the latest iteration of Google’s interface, called Material 3 Expressive. It’s not a huge redesign but it’s a clearer, more modern look.
Those are the top four, and Google says there will also be various improvements to media handling including playback speed, consistency and efficiency, and there will be improved HDMI-CEC reliability too. And it’ll be bringing Google TV to Android XR, it’s virtual/augmented reality platform, so app developers will be able to bring their apps to the platform effortlessly (although some, like Netflix, are likely to opt out).
The chocolate bar in the swimming pool of Android TV updates is the arrival of pop-up rating requests. You know those annoying “Rate this app” popups on your phone? Google is enabling app makers to bring them to your TV too.
There’s no release date for Android TV 16 yet, and as ever with this kind of update some manufacturers are likely to roll it out more quickly than others.
As soon as we know likely launch dates we’ll let you know. You can see the full list of features and changes on the Android developers website. (via FlatpanelsHD)
