Katarzyna Petru
Google is beginning to refresh Google TV according to the new vision of Material 3 Expressive — more colorful, fluid, and "personal." On paper, it sounds good. In practice? For many users, it's just an excuse to cram even more ads onto the home screen.
The update to Google TV version 4.39.3356.780959673.5 brings a few cosmetic changes:
– banners on movie and series pages are slightly larger,
– titles have been shifted more to the center,
– buttons are flattened and less rounded,
– image previews have smoothed edges.
They may seem like details, but the whole looks more cohesive. The system does indeed feel fresher — though not everyone will appreciate it. But the real problem lies elsewhere.
Ads on Steroids
On Reddit, especially in r/AndroidTV, users openly criticize the new wave of ads. On the "For You" page, instead of recommendations, huge banners for Coca-Cola or other brands that have nothing to do with the content being watched are starting to appear. And while ads on streaming platforms are nothing new, Google is overdoing it with their quantity and aggressive format.
For 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. Loud. Impossible to ignore.
It can be bypassed — but not everyone can
Fortunately, Google TV is still Android TV underneath, so if you know what you’re doing, you can turn off most ads. How? By using an alternative launcher, like Projectivy, which hides almost all intrusive elements. This is an advantage over webOS, Tizen, or Roku, where the user has practically no control.
Is the new design bad? Not necessarily. But the impression is marred by the fact that behind the "aesthetics" lies another attempt to profit from your attention. And many people simply do not like that.
Source: hdtvtest
