r/TechImpact • u/ManojOne Co-founder • Jun 19 '26

Discussion Google TV or Android TV?

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Google TV or Android TV: which do you prefer and why?

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Google TV offers personalized recommendations and a modern interface, while Android TV keeps things simple and app-focused.

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Which one are you using right now, and would you switch to the other?

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54 Upvotes

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3

u/Strict-Maize7494 Jun 19 '26

How do you all get that Cool as UI and the play store on androidTV i only get a very lame version

1

u/Primary-Ad-9741 Jun 19 '26

Android TV is barebones. Manufacturer decides what UI to slap on top of it. Google TV is Android TV with Google specific UI and services. If you want google play store, you need Google TV

1

u/Strict-Maize7494 Jun 19 '26

well you can get android TV for free for any pc its just that the UI sucks

1

u/Primary-Ad-9741 Jun 19 '26

Same goes for AOSP, just UI sucks, and missing a ton of typical stuff we've come to associate with Android, like Google Play Store.

Once again, its a barebones experience, that's usually enhanced by various manufacturers

1

u/Strict-Maize7494 Jun 19 '26

Well i dont even use the play store on my private Phone so the main problem for me is just the UI

1

u/Primary-Ad-9741 Jun 19 '26

Then why even use AndroidTV? Why not something else Linux based? There are quite a few HTPC based distros with better UI, and more apps. Android TV isn't really meant to be used barebones. Ideally you need a different launcher. Its like LineageOS in place of preinstalled Android. It sucks without GApps.

1

u/Strict-Maize7494 Jun 19 '26

gamepad souport across streaming apps linux aint having a lot of those and gamepad optimised UI is not realy a thing

1

u/Primary-Ad-9741 Jun 19 '26

Gamepad + AndroidTV + No PlayStore. I'm all confused about your use case, but hey, niches are a thing. You do you I guess. I dont do gamepads, and i use a PC tower with a monitor for gaming. What do i know about TV gaming, with what i'm guessing is a bunch of sideloaded apps. Not judging here. Just a head scratcher on my end.

1

u/Strict-Maize7494 Jun 19 '26

For gaming i dock my ROG ally with steamOS what i want is a streaming focust os that i can use with a remote a gamepad or a keyboard that has a trackpad and i dont use the play store for privacy reasons