Just a month ago, Google announced that it would be adding Plex, TubiTV, and Haystack to the ‘Live’ tab on Google TV (and Android TV) for a total of over 800 free channels. These would join PlutoTV, which was added a while back, and kicked off the integration into the company’s TV operating system.
Just announced today in an Android TV Help community post, Google states that you should see the Live tab in all of its glory right away if not at some point over the next two weeks. As you’d probably expect, this is only coming to users in the United States at this point, but we hope to see it more countries in the future.
In total, you can browse over 800 channels, including news channels from NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX. You’ll also find channels from around the world, with programming in more than 10 languages including Spanish, Hindi, and Japanese.
A small consolation is that these channels will include shows and channels in 10+ languages, catering to the diverse audience of Android TV users in the U.S. For those unfamiliar the Live tab on Google TV devices like the Chromecast or other set-top boxes, channels can be favorited (though not shows individually) for quick access, and the Home tab will feature live content as a part of your content recommendations.
For me, traditional programming is far inferior to on-demand, but free is free, and it’s something to watch without having to shell out cash as we’re accustomed to doing for pretty much everything these days.
Of course, there’s no such thing as a free meal, and Google certainly hopes to onboard more users to the Android TV and Google TV ecosystem where they will be inundated with advertisements (even for physical products) and start buying movies and TV shows, as well as subscribing to things like YouTube TV, Netflix and so on.
As they say, if something is free, you are the product. Luckily, there’s a wealth of content to pick through, and it should keep you sufficiently entertained. So, if you can resist slinging your wallet around, you will now have a way to enjoy Android TV at only the cost of whatever device you’re watching it on!
Photo by Oscar Nord on Unsplash
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