Google’s latest announcement at CES unveiled an exciting upgrade for Google TV, set to revolutionize the way users interact with their devices. The new Google TV models, expected to release later this year, will incorporate advanced Gemini-powered voice assistant technology. This upgrade aims to facilitate more natural and continuous conversations with your TV’s voice assistant.
Seamless Conversations and Rich Media Integration
One of the standout features of the Gemini integration is its ability to link consecutive queries, allowing the voice assistant to maintain the context of ongoing dialogues. For instance, users will still need to initiate interaction by saying, “Hey, Google,” but the assistant can now chain the conversation based on previous questions. Additionally, the new Google TV will enhance user queries with multimedia responses, including YouTube videos relevant to questions such as the best vacation spots in Asia during summer.
Personalized Viewing Experience
The upcoming Google TV devices also promise a more personalized user experience. Users can customize the ambient mode with unique, AI-generated screensavers and use conversational commands to search through media or Google Photos. For example, commands like “Show me photos from my trip to Italy” will be seamlessly handled by the updated system. Moreover, it supports intuitive control over compatible smart home devices with simplified commands such as “dim the lights” or “who’s at the front door?”
Compatibility and Availability
While Hisense and TCL are confirmed as launch partners for the new Google TV features, there is uncertainty regarding the availability of these capabilities on older models like the Google TV Streamer. Features requiring new hardware, such as the on-screen hub, are unlikely to be backward-compatible, although some functionalities like the AI-generated screensaver have been available on existing models since September.
