Your Philips, Sony or Panasonic smart TV gets some powerful new features for free
The Google TV Streamer isn't the only one having all the fun
by Rik Henderson · T3Quick Summary
Some of the best features launched with the Google TV Streamer are also coming to smart TVs.
Models powered by Google TV have either been recently updated or an OTA upgrade is on its way.
Google released its all-new streaming box last week, with the Google TV Streamer taking the Chromecast concept to new levels. However, it's not the only device to get some of the biggest new features – smart TVs that are powered by Google TV are getting in on the action too.
That includes sets from Philips, such as the Philips OLED 809, Sony, Hisense, TCL and Panasonic. They have each either been served an over-the-air update in the last few days or are set to receive one very soon.
Supported models in the US get a larger array of a new talents, but those in the UK (and Europe) are treated to some tasty extras, too.
Universally, you can now control your smart home directly from your TV, with a new home panel giving you direct access to Matter-enabled devices, such as doorbell cameras and smart heating.
There's also a new screensaver mode that gives you the option to create masterpieces of your own using generative AI. The Custom AI art option can be found in the Ambient mode settings and lets you form images from a text or voice description. You can then queue them to be your screensaver when the TV is idle.
Content descriptions have now been boosted using Google's Gemini AI technology, with summaries and overviews giving you a better understanding of the show or movie. And, Google Assistant has been improved to better navigate the Google TV experience.
In the US, Google TV owners also get a new sports section and Google TV Freeplay, a one-stop location for freely streamed TV channels.
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Sadly, the latest update still hasn't introduced BBC iPlayer nor All 4 for UK viewers – which is baffling to this day, considering they both work fine on Android TV – but we've not given up hope.
If you don't yet have the new features on your Google TV-powered smart TV you should double check the settings menu to see if there's an update you can manually install. Just head to Settings > System > About > System Update to find out.
