Recently, Google announced how Android TV is ready to receive a new version. Android 14 was just around the corner; was a revision of the operating system packed with new features and Also affects devices using Google TV.

And among these, the presence of Gemini stands out, Google’s artificial intelligence, Coming to this update for Google TV tier. But we also need to mention the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode, an improvement that was already present (albeit very limited) in Android 13 and that Google is now preparing to bring to Android 14. There won’t be a PiP mode as we know it.

PiP mode yes, but very limited

Android 14 for smart TVs was recently spotted during Google I/O. The company uses this event to introduce new devices and software; in this case both Android TV and Google TV They got their share of importance.

What PiP mode does is allow playback of videos and other transmissions inside a floating overlapping windowwith. It is a function that we are used to on mobile phones, but the way it works on televisions with Google TV will change. And Google has announced that it will be available selectively on a special number of devices.

Despite There are devices on the market that support PiP mode (Nvidia Shield TV Pro and Sony have some high-end Android TVs), a significant portion of TVs and set-top boxes on the market do not support this function. And the problem is in the hardware.

Many devices will almost certainly not have PiP functionality. low quality hardware and limited RAM. In fact, this may be why Google announced that the PiP mode for TVs will only work on “qualified” TVs and streaming devices. This means that even if your TV has Google TV and is up to date, it may not support PiP functionality when it receives the Android 14 for TV update.

A high-end TV that’s three years old and still using Android 10

And this is another topic. On other occasions, I’ve already commented on the prerogative Google has in releasing versions of Android for devices like televisions and Chromecast. It has nothing to do with phones and this is where updates often arrive late (if they come) and in a bad way. As an example, my three-year-old high-end Sony TV is still on Android 10 (and I’m afraid it will stay there).

will stay here

But also this Google introduced restrictions about when developers will be able to enable PiP on Google TV. And what these limitations do is greatly restrict the usefulness of this functionality. You can use PiP mode on phones with almost any app; On Google TV, it only works with four app categories: communications, smart home, health, and notification notification. In other words, an application such as Netflix or YouTube will not be able to use PiP mode, but applications for video calling or a baby monitoring system will be able to use it.

And there is a significant problem here, because if the PiP mode works the same as on the phone, It would be very useful to implement it on television. Continuing to watch our favorite series on Netflix on the small screen while looking for content on another platform is something we cannot do.

Additionally, for applications to use PiP mode, developers must first create a category for that application. Google is responsible for checking and verifying the request. This is what Mishaal Rahman points out for Android Authority.

Android 14 for TV should be released later this yearbut then you have to wait for different manufacturers to integrate it into their own devices (television or set-top box); This is a process that can take a significant amount of time.

via | Android Police

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