Katarzyna Petru
Google is starting to refresh Google TV in line with the new vision of Material 3 Expressive — more colourful, fluid, and "personal." On paper, it sounds decent. In practice? For many users, it's just an excuse to squeeze even more adverts onto the home screen.
The update to Google TV version 4.39.3356.780959673.5 brings a few cosmetic changes:
– banners on film and series pages are slightly larger,
– titles have been shifted more towards the centre,
– buttons are flatter and less rounded,
– image previews have smoother edges.
Seemingly minor details, but the overall appearance is more cohesive. The system indeed feels fresher — though it may not appeal to everyone. But the real problem lies elsewhere.
Ads on Steroids
On Reddit, especially on r/AndroidTV, users openly criticise the new wave of ads. On the "For You" page, instead of recommendations, large banners featuring Coca-Cola or other brands unrelated to the content being viewed are starting to appear. While ads on streaming platforms are nothing new, Google is going overboard with their quantity and aggressive format.
By comparison: Roku also runs ads, but they usually limit themselves to promoting specific content — not products. On Google TV? An ad looks like an ad. Big. Gaudy. Impossible to miss.
It can be circumvented — but not everyone can
Fortunately, Google TV is still Android TV underneath, so if you know what you're doing, you can disable most ads. How? By using an alternative launcher, such as Projectivy, which hides almost all intrusive elements. This is an advantage over webOS, Tizen, or Roku, where the user has virtually no control.
Is the new design bad? Not necessarily. But the impression is spoiled by the fact that behind the "aesthetics" lies another attempt to monetise your attention. And that simply doesn't sit well with many people.
Source: hdtvtest
