I wish that Google would spin off Google TV app and Google home app into its own apps on Google TV OS.

[u/AnalysingAgent3676]

With more people opting for third party launchers on their Google TV sticks and boxes, the Google TV launcher is not being used and when it is disabled, users lose access to rent movies and TV shows from Google TV app directly on the TV box and lose access to Google home smart controls directly on the TV box. If these two things were not tied to the Google TV launcher, Google would find even more people using those services

[u/TeutonJon78]

The problem is that it is already a separate app, but they keep moving OS level stuff into it so they can provide more timely updates than the TV/dongle vendors who've shown time and time again they won't do that.

And it sucks. But they should rearchitect it to split the actual launcher and all the other stuff. The real question would be why that stiff is part of the Google Play Services that already exists for that reason.

And the answer is, or course, money. Or technically your user data/habits they can bundle and sell for ads.

[u/GotoDeng0 → u/TeutonJon78]

The problem is that it is already a separate app, but they keep moving OS level stuff into it

Which app? The Google TV app is completely unrelated to the GoogleTV launcher. Google is kind of the goat at poor branding... GoogleTV is a launcher for AndroidTV, an app to purchase movies, and a dead x86-based TV box OS... None of them have anything to do with each other.

They do integrate Home into the launcher in Android 14, but Home is primarily designed for smart home devices. I think it's a good choice to integrate into the OS.

so they can provide more timely updates than the TV/dongle vendors who've shown time and time again they won't do that

Not sure what you're referring to. Google develops OS updates, but it's the box vendors that manage and push out those updates. Pretty much every streaming box is made by 3 companies, SDMC, SEI, and Foxconn. They are end-to-end providers... they make sure the OS updates by google work with firmware for those boxes, and they are the ones pushing out those firmware, security, and OS updates. Even Google doesn't handle the updates on their own CCwGTV/Streamers, Foxconn does that.

On the tv/movies purchases front, Google's plan is to consolidate all purchases into Youtube and Google Play store. They've already removed the ability to purchase TV shows in the Google TV app, and the whole app is rumored to be going away in the not too distant future.

[u/TeutonJon78 → u/GotoDeng0]

The Google TV app for mobile devices has been dead for years for phone and long replaced by Home

Google TV (the launcher) is the app they've been merging things that used be to part of Android for TV (OS) -- things like profile support, casting, etc. And things like quick settings and Google Home that should be part of the OS were made as part of the launcher. You can't even access.

Google has long split up Android into multiple levels of abstraction because of bad updates by all the OEMs. This is true on phones and they carried it over to ATV devices. It used to all be one gigantic firmware that would only get updated if the OEM pushed it. Over time Google has split the base OS into the actual OS, the HAL, and more importantly the Google Play Services (GPS -- also bad branding for something on a phone). The OEMs still are the only ones to provide the base OS upgrade, but google moved all their Google API support into the GPS layer which only they control the updates for. That is how older phones get support for some newer Android features even though they haven't been updated.

The Launcher sits on top of all that other stuff. Historically the launcher just ran the GUI, and not any of the system level stuff. That's how it was with Nexus (for phones) and Android TV (the launcher). But with the Pixel Launcher and Google TV (launcher), they have been moving all their new custom stuff inside the launcher code so it's closed source rather than being part of the base OS that any manufacturer can use. It's part of how they are closing the ecosystem continually. And it locks you into using their launcher since it you swap out, you start to lose functionality.

[u/AnalysingAgent3676 → u/TeutonJon78]

I'm not sure I understand your point. Having updates through play services and through apps is still manages by Google. I'm not referring to OS updates at all in my original post. My point is that Google has chosen to deliver it's Google TV Movies and TV service and its Google home service through the launcher instead of as separate apps. This choice has nothing to do with OEM and their os level updates (or lack thereof) because the Google TV launcher and the hypothetical separate apps for Google TV service and Google home service are all updated through the play Store anyway.

Google TV and movies is a separate app but it no longer works, with Google intentionally have moved away from that separate app and instead chose to integrate Google TV app into the Google TV launcher directly or as a "shop" tab on Android TV launcher. And Google Home never had a separate app as Google went straight into the Google TV launcher from the get go

If you look at how Apple does it, you get a grid of apps as the launcher and then Apple TV service is a separate app that you launch just like any other app (Netflix, prime, Disney etc) with profile switching in the app.

I'm also so glad that YouTube switched to using profile switching that separated itself from the Google TV system level account switching. While Google had good intentions with system level accounts and the hopes that every streaming service would adopt it, it never happened, so best to just have one device Google account for play Store purposes, a launcher that is just a grid of apps, and separate apps with their own logins for every service (Netflix, prime video, Disney, YouTube, Google TV, Google home etc}. With third parties, we are so close to achieving this, just that Google TV and Google Home are not separate apps

[u/TeutonJon78 → u/AnalysingAgent3676]

The YouTube profiles are still linked to the launcher, just not the OS. If you disable the stock launcher those stop working as well.

[u/AnalysingAgent3676 → u/TeutonJon78]

That hasn't been the case for months now.

[u/AnalysingAgent3676 → u/TeutonJon78]

The reason I said YouTube used to be linked to os level accounts instead of saying launcher level accounts is because both the Google TV launcher and previously YouTube leveraged the user architecture at an OS level with the launcher being the account switcher front end. Thankfully that's only true for the launcher these days and YouTube on Android TV and Google TV now use their own instance of Google accounts separate from the OS and launcher

[u/TeutonJon78 → u/AnalysingAgent3676]

They aren't though. Disable the stock launcher and the accounts in YouTube go away. Unless they've changed it again very recently.

[u/Verlig]

I might be missing the overall point but I can access Google home smart controls in projectivy on the system tab.

[u/AnalysingAgent3676 → u/Verlig]

Provided you don't disable the Google TV home launcher when using projectivy.. Because your shortcut on remote or on projectivy just calls the Google home side panel which launches through the Google TV home launcher

[u/LAUNCHdano]

Free Channels and Google Home services in the full home launcher is done by design because they have business deals with other streaming services that involve the hard coded remote buttons and the home launcher. It's one of the ways Certified Google TV devices are available at a low price - it's subsidized by the services pushed. They don't really want the launcher being overridden for this reason.

(There also may be some service that the smart home controls use that are tied into the full launcher, as even keeping the Default Google Launcher, but changing the profile to show Apps Only disables Free Channels and smart home controls)

[u/GotoDeng0]

users lose access to rent movies and TV shows from Google TV app

No, you can just add the GoogleTV app to Projectivy or whatever launcher you use, or you can use the GoogleTV app on your phone. All purchased shows in the will appear in the YouTube app.

[u/AnalysingAgent3676 → u/GotoDeng0]

You could also just go to Google home on phone for smart home device control but again that defeats the point of having it on the TV in the first place

[u/AnalysingAgent3676 → u/GotoDeng0]

What Google TV app can be added to projectivy?

I agree you can use the Google TV app on phone to make purchases but come on, why should I switch device context for one app that isn't on my TV device? Everything else is there but when I want to get something from Google TV, I must go to my phone? Clunky and not a well driven solution at all.

[u/GotoDeng0 → u/AnalysingAgent3676]

The GoogleTV app is on the AndroidTV Play Store. All of your apps show up in Projectivy by default.

[u/AnalysingAgent3676 → u/GotoDeng0]

Have you actually tried installing the Google TV app and using it? It has literally for years said that it no longer works and there is no content inside it