4 Reasons Why You Need to Switch to an Android TV

The tech world has been experiencing a revolution over the past 30 years. With very little options then, any changes, inventions and innovations were highly welcomed. This saw a change in how people communicate, and how people enjoy entertainment within their homes.

Over the last five years though, something else has been taking over the homes. The rise of connected televisions revolutionised the way you enjoyed television in your home. This connectivity came in the sense that television is able to connect to the internet, and you are able to access different forms of entertainment aside from those provided by your commercial or pay-TV provider.

This was the advent of Smart Television.

You could stream YouTube videos directly to your TV. You could watch movies on the Internet without having to use your DVD Player. Entertainment has never been more convenient.

However, the term Smart TV could be confusing. On one level, it encompasses a wide range of TV classes that are able to connect to the internet. On another, it is a class on its own with the others being described by the operating systems they are running on.

The most famous of these is Android TV.

And yes, there is a difference between the two types of television systems.

Android TV or Smart TV - which is which?

On the outset, both sets can be described as being Smart TVs. However, it is the degree of functionality, as well as the operating system that will define which TV falls under which category.

A Smart TV is one that is on the basic level, able to connect to the internet. With this, they are able to stream videos from sites such as YouTube and Netflix. The system that operates the television will tend to have much more intuitive features in comparison to the televisions of previous years.

However, their story tends to end there. Smart TV rarely gets software updates from their manufacturers. This means you are stuck with the same software and the same features for the entire life of the television.

If yours happens to develop bugs, the process of sorting out the software issues can be quite lengthy...and expensive.

On the other side of the spectrum lies Android TV. That very same ubiquitous operating system on Smart devices has now made it onto your television. The best part is, it comes with the array of apps available on the Google Play Store. The utility these televisions offer is unparalleled.

With the development of AI and other assistant apps, all it takes is for your TV to have a microphone, and you would never need to touch your remote control again. Wait, that has actually happened.

This, however, is just the beginning of what Android TV has in store for you. There are a variety of reasons why switching to an Android TV will give you the best in entertainment, and also future proof your entertainment needs for the foreseeable future.

Here are a few reasons why.

1. Android is simple to use

In the same way that Google is a company name and a verb in the English language, one of its products has also become as ubiquitous as the parent company. Android has been on Smart devices for more than 10 years.

With a 75% market share globally when it comes to smart devices, it would be fair to say that you have interacted, or owned an Android device at one point over the last 10 years. This means you are incredibly familiar with the Android interface. Navigating and downloading apps is almost second nature to you.

This same familiarity is what has been built into Android TV. Whether you want to listen to music or multitask, the very same layouts you will use on your mobile device is what you will encounter on your television.

2. Availability of content

One thing that has made the Android Operating System spread like wildfire all across the globe is its availability of content.

Made responsible by the Google Play Store, this allows your TV to access the myriad of apps available on Android devices. From built-in streaming apps such as Netflix, Stan and Amazon Prime Video to a variety of games, the Google Play Store has an app for almost anything you can think of.

And with new apps being developed daily as well as automatic app and system updates, you can always keep up with the latest versions.

3. Compatibility and connectivity with other Android Devices

One thing that Google insisted on with Android and its features is that they should be able to connect to each other. This means moving content from one device to the other is fairly simple. In some cases, you won't even need to move the content.

Android TVs support Chromecast. What this simply means is that you can beam your mobile device's screen to the large television, turning it into a large mirror of your mobile device. In this way, instead of holding the phone up close to watch something, you simply watch it on the big screen.

Also, you don't need to worry about manually transferring your preferences from one device to the other. With a Google account on both devices, anything you update or format on one device is easily reflected on the other. If you have contacts that you update on phone, the TV will simply sync to the Google account and adopt the changes.

4. The Beauty of a digital assistant

Sometimes, you could come home from your daily hustles and you are just tired. You attempt to log on to Netflix to find something to watch and you are just too tired to get it done. There are hundreds upon hundreds of options; settling on one is the problem. What to do?

Why not ask Google's digital assistant to help you out? Yes, with Android TV, you get access to Google Assistant. You could simply use your voice to find the very thing you fancy and get to watching.

It is capable of so much more than just deciding which movie you are going to watch. You could plan your calendar for the week just by speaking into the app. You could find out what the weather will be like over the next few days.

All you need to do is ask.