Summary
- Google is actively seeking user feedback through its new Google TV Advisors Club, which recently launched a survey about upcoming features like Gemini Live and enhanced Ambient Screensavers.
- Future Google TV devices will feature hardware upgrades, including far-field microphones for hands-free Gemini interaction and proximity sensors for dynamic Ambient Screen content, as previewed at CES 2025.
- The Google TV Advisors survey focuses on clarifying the messaging around these new features, indicating Google’s commitment to user-friendly introductions and their intent to implement these technologies.
Google has made significant strides in its aim to take user feedback into consideration when developing or tweaking its products and services, with the latest example coming in the form of a Google TV Advisors club.
To secure meaningful feedback from Google TV users, the Mountain View-based tech giant got the ball rolling on a US-exclusive advisors club in December, and it has now finally deployed its first targeted survey that focuses on two upcoming Google TV features.
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First highlighted back at CES 2025, Google TV is set to enter the ‘Gemini era’ with pivotal features like Gemini Live support and upgraded Ambient Screensavers.
For starters, upcoming Google TV devices from the likes of Hisense and TCL will feature hardware to bring Google vision to life. For example, far-field microphones will enable Gemini Live and/or Google Assistant access without the need for you to speak into a remote, while proximity sensors for ambient sensing will ensure that your Google TV shows you a relevant on-screen hub as you walk up to it — News Briefs, for example.
While these were already teased at CES, the tech giant’s new Google TV Advisors club survey gives us a better understanding of the upcoming features, while also serving as concrete proof of their eventual arrival.
The survey essentially questions users about the clarity and readability of three distinct messaging formats for each feature, which would likely make their way to a future Google blog or an official feature/product announcement.
Since you’re one of our trusted Google TV Advisors, we’d like your help with something. We’re trying to figure out the clearest way to describe some exciting new features. These features were recently announced at CES, the annual consumer electronics show in Las Vegas. If you have 7 minutes, please take this survey, and we’ll enter you in our monthly sweepstakes for a $50 gift card.
Ambient Screensaver News Briefs
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Message A
Your Google TV’s upgraded Ambient Screensaver does more than display your favorite art and photos. It can now also show helpful information like time, weather, and news headlines, making it easier for you and your family to get the info you need for your day.
Message B
Your Google TV’s upgraded Ambient Screensaver does more than display your favorite art and photos. Now, when you get closer, it switches to an overview of helpful information like time, weather, and news headlines, making it easier for you and your family to get the info you need for your day.
Message C
Your Google TV’s upgraded Ambient Screensaver does more than display your favorite art and photos. Now, when you’re near your TV, it shows an overview of helpful information like time, weather, and news headlines, making it easier for you and your family to get the info you need for your day.
Gemini Live on Google TV
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Message A
Watching something and have a quick question? Gemini Live on Google TV lets you have a natural, free-flowing conversation with Gemini without exiting your movie or show, so you can get the answers you need right when you need them.
Message B
With Gemini Live on Google TV, you can do more with your television:
- Talk back and forth with Gemini about the movie or show you’re watching.
- Brainstorm ideas out loud, from finding recipes to planning your next movie-themed party.
- Explore new topics by having a conversation with Gemini on whatever you want to learn about.
- Practice for interviews, presentations and other important moments in a more natural and conversational way.
Message C
With Gemini Live on Google TV, you can do more with your television:
- Have a natural, free-flowing conversation with Gemini, and even interrupt when you want to add more details or change the topic.
- Brainstorm ideas out loud, from finding recipes to planning your next movie-themed party.
- Explore new topics by having a conversation with Gemini on whatever you want to learn about.
- Practice for interviews, presentations or other important moments with feedback from Gemini.
Gemini Live’s implementation on Google TV appears to mirror the core conversational functionality of Gemini Live on smartphones. While not available yet, it is likely that Gemini Live will make its way to older Google TV hardware as well, while talking to the AI assistant without having to speak into a remote will be limited to upcoming TVs with far-field microphones. On the other hand, proximity-enabled ambient sensing will remain exclusive to upcoming TVs.
A timeline for the release of the two new features and compatible TVs remains unclear.
Thanks: Armando!
