It looks like Google TV is about to get a makeover and a couple of new features, according to Adamya Sharma over at Android Authority. They dug into a beta build for Google TV and found hints in the code that suggest a new look, swapping the interface from grey to blue, and a section to help you find your next favorite binge-watch.
The most noticeable change is the interface. Its highlights shifted from grey to blue on the “Watch now” button and the “Connect TV” button, and Sharma reports that more changes could come in the form of a list of recent searches.
However, the most promising potential update — since none of this is confirmed yet — is a tab labeled “Hot and New.” There isn’t currently a tab like this in Google TV, but it points toward a tab that could highlight new and trending shows and movies. However, Sharma said she wasn’t able to activate the feature. That suggests Google is still working on it, so the final implementation could change before public release.
This is just the latest of a series of updates to the Google TV platform. Earlier this year, Google announced plans to incorporate Gemini into Google TV to improve navigation, suggestions, and more. It continues to improve and position itself as one of the best platforms out there, and the Google TV Streamer is on-par with Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, and many other competitors.
As with any discoveries found in beta projects, Google might choose not to implement these features. However, the “Hot and New” tab is an obvious addition that would benefit users, so unless it causes some kind of catastrophic headache server-side, we don’t see any reason it won’t show up in the next few updates.
