The Chromecast With Google TV Makes Watching Television More Accessible In More Ways Than One – Forbes

The Chromecast with Google TV even comes in colors: white, blue, or pink.

Until a few weeks ago, the Apple TV 4K had not seen an update since the device was introduced in September 2017. The software it runs, tvOS, obviously has been updated in the time since, but the additions have more iterative than transformative. It would not be unreasonable to conclude the operating system, as a whole, is not as loved by Apple as much as the company loves, say, macOS or watchOS or certainly iOS.

Despite this, however, tvOS continues to do well at its job: its arguably the most polished and easiest to use streaming platform there is today. This is particularly true from an accessibility standpoint; as tvOS is build atop an iOS foundation, Apple has adroitly ported a plethora of familiar accessibility features from its mobile software to the living room. For a disabled person who is willing (and able) to pay the Apple TVs premium price, the investment pays off in spades if one of the reasons for choosing the high-end streamer is gaining access to its best-of-breed assistive technologies.

Of course, one of the (valid) criticisms of Apples home strategy is the Apple TV box is exorbitantly expensive. At close to $200, the product is more than double similar devices that offer 4K streaming with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. One such product is Googles awkwardly-named Chromecast with Google TV. The device, which debuted in September of last year, runs all-new software built atop Android TV called Google TV. Priced at $50, it is ostensibly competing with Amazons Fire Stick line and Roku sticks; you could buy four Google TVs for the cost of one Apple TV.

Google bills the new Chromecast as TV personalized for youthe claim to fame here is that the company uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to recommend movies and TV shows based on your watching habits and the streaming services you use. YouTube TV is also deeply integrated into the system, with a dedicated Live tab that presents a cable guide-like interface without having to open the YouTube TV app itself. Indeed, the Live tab is a microcosm of Googles approachthe point is not to dive in and out of apps, as you typically do on tvOS, but rather have suggestions surfaced on the aptly-titled For You section of the UI. This means the television experience changes from something that is relatively staid (a grid of icons) to something far more engaging and dynamic (Google TVs For You screen).

YouTube TV is deeply integrated into Google TV, with its own Live tab for subscribers.

While it is true tvOS is highly accessibleparticularly for reducing cognitive load thanks to its strong family resemblance to iOSthe icon-driven interface still can be problematic. The issue is finding what to watch. For the most part, users have to jump from app to app to app to find content; this can be troublesome if you have a cognitive delay of some sort and cant easily remember that The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is on Prime Video or that Dickinson is an Apple TV+ property. Apples TV app tries to consolidate everything into one placetheres a reason the TV app is positioned on the top shelf by defaultbut its nonetheless still an app. Netflix, for example, infamously refuses to support the TV app; to watch it, you must find the bespoke app.

Google TV takes the inverse approach. There are still apps that you can launch, but theyre secondary. Again, Googles premise is it is better to suggest content to you as opposed to forcing you to seek it out. Granted, the Google TV UI is busier and not as polished as tvOS, but a legitimate argument can be made that it is more accessible. To wit, instead of trying to remember where a show is, Google does it for you. To continue watching something on Netflix is just a few clicks away on the For You screen. Likewise, for YouTube TV subscribers, the channel guide means never having the launch the app just to channel surf. All this is convenient, yes, but theres also a significant element of accessibility when it comes to reducing friction associated with cognitive load. (The same can be said for accessing your Nest camera(s), although a tvOS-like picture-in-picture mode for the Nest Hello doorbell would be even nicer.)

Whether you choose an Apple TV or Google TV largely depends on your priorities. As far as discrete accessibility software is concerned, the former is the clear winner. If that matters to you, along with the comforting UI and integration with the broader Apple ecosystem, then its a great product. On the other hand, however, if you want something different (and arguably more accessible) for your television watching, then Google TV is uber compelling. The Live tab alone is worth its weight in gold for YouTube TV subscribers. In addition, the presence of Apples TV app on Google TV means even an Apple-centric household can keep their footing in the companys world. Not only can you binge Ted Lasso, you also can buy and rent movies from iTunes on the Google TV version of the TV app. Google TVs value proposition is extraordinary for such an inexpensive device, especially with YouTube TV and Nest.

Even the Google TVs remote is accessible. It has hotkeys for YouTube and Netflix, so launching those respective apps literally takes the press of a button. You can also use the Assistant button to tune into a certain channel on YouTube TV, which saves on scrolling and finding, say, MSNBC or Turner Classic Movies or MLB Network.

This isnt to say Google TV is perfect; its not. Performance-wise, its noticeably slower to launch apps than Apple TV and has spurts of spontaneously rebooting when something is playing. The interface is not as nice as tvOS, nor is the suite of accessibility features as robust. And the Continue Watching functionality is wonky, as not every service supports itwhich is bad because it belies the entire notion of aggregating everything into one area. Overall, though, Google has done a great job at redefining what TV should begiving content to you instead of you having to go get it. Besides adding voice control, Apple can (and should!) revamp tvOS to be a more proactive conduit. Itd help the Apple TV better compete, but also add another layer of accessibility to the experience that goes beyond the capital-A Accessibility features.

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The Chromecast With Google TV Makes Watching Television More Accessible In More Ways Than One - Forbes