Google Assistant, now on Google TVs from Sony, LG, Samsung & more

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Google Assistant is making its way to Android/Google TV

Smart homes are getting smarter every year, with more devices supporting commands from our favorite Google Assistant. Your Assistant is now ready to help on Android/Google TV devices running Marshmallow and Nougat. Press the mic button on your remote to get started.

No more typing or struggling to get to what you’re looking for — just ask the Google Assistant for help and you’re off to the races. So, a simple voice request can dim the lights to create an ideal movie viewing environment, finding content that’s perfect for a particular context, quickly find and play your favorite shows, get answers and control your smart home devices from your TV. And it will be listening even when you have music or video currently playing.

Assistant on Android/Google TV is similar to Google Nest/Home speaker paired with a Chromecast, allowing you to play content from supported services (like YouTube, Netflix, Google Photos, etc) with a simple voice command.

From playing media to planning for your day, here are some ways the Google Assistant on Android/Google TV can help:

Jump right into your favorite show, find the latest blockbuster, check the score of the big game, dim the lights and more— all with just your voice. Here are some ways your Assistant can help you on the big screen:

“Play Game of Thrones” — your Assistant can play a wide variety of content, from movies and TV shows to YouTube clips and music. With HBO NOW, +Netflix and +YouTube, you can instantly watch something by asking for it by name or, if you aren’t sure what to watch, try “show me movies about climbing Mount Everest.” You can also ask your Assistant to “play some music” or listen to a specific song on YouTube Music, Google Play Music, +Spotify or +Pandora.

Discover content — “Search YouTube for Jimmy Kimmel.” And you can also ask a follow-up if you’re interested in more videos by saying: “Play the second one.”

“Play business news” — catch up on what’s going on in the news, from business to tech to entertainment. And once you’re caught up, prepare for your own day by asking “what’s on my agenda for today?”

“Talk to Fitstar” — apps for the Google Assistant are also now available on Android TV, so you can talk to +Fitstar by Fitbit for a quick home workout, Tender for a cocktail recommendation, +Wall Street Journal for a market update and more.

“Order more popcorn” — stock up on binge-watching snacks right from the comfort of your couch. With +Google Express, you can shop and reorder from +Walgreens, +Walmart and many other stores.

“Turn off” — it’s as simple as that. With your Assistant on Android/Google TV you can turn up the volume, pause, control your smart home devices and more, just with your voice.

Stay updated on Google News with the latest updates from Google Home/Assistant ecosystem.

Smart speakers, specifically Google Assistant-packing Google Home, have been able to command numerous TV brands — including LG, Sony and Vizio — for the last couple of years. Now Samsung has finally opened its own smart TV system up to the two biggest names in home voice control.

Samsung is the latest to hop on the train. Make way, Bixby: Samsung is opening up its 2019 TV lineup to other voice assistants. Users will be able to control its upcoming QLED sets with Google Assistant. Compatibility requires a separate piece of Google Assistant hardware — like a Home, Home Hub or third-party smart display or speaker. You’ll essentially be able to use those types of devices as limited remote controllers. No surprise it doesn’t include native Assistant support, but it’s still a nice win for Google. But that won’t be a problem for anyone deeply ingrained into the Google Home/Assistant ecosystem. Samsung TVs will understand and execute commands they receive from Assistant, but the only built-in voice helper will continue to be Bixby.

Samsung TVs from 2019 will be able to respond to voice commands issued via Google Assistant smart speakers. Examples include:

• Turn your TV On or Off, like “Hey Google, turn on the TV”
• Channel selection,
• Control volume,
• Switch inputs,
• Launch select apps, like “Hey Google, launch Netflix”

Sony announces 4K OLED, LCD HDR Android TVs with Google Assistant

Sony announced expanded 4K HRD TV series, the X900F series and A8F Bravia OLED series.

Android TV with Google Assistant built-in: Find what you want quickly, simply by talking. Dim the lights and control your connected devices while you watch a movie for a better viewing experience.

To fully integrate into the smart home, All of +Sony’s recent 4K HDR TVs were updated to support the Google Assistant a couple of months ago and Sony’s 2018 Android TVs have Google Assistant built-in, which makes it incredibly easy to discover and access content, as well as control other smart home devices through a Sony TV. The Google Assistant on Sony TV works just by pushing the microphone button on the remote and using your voice to ask a question or say a command. This allows users to seamlessly playback content, search for content, play music, movies, play TV shows, stream photos, control their TV, control their smart home devices and find general information (e.g. weather, directions, fast facts, etc.) all through their Sony TV. Furthermore, Sony’s Android TV works with popular smart speakers such as Sony’s own LF-S50G and Google Home.

Hands-free control of a Sony TV with Google Home. Google Home allows you to find the entertainment you want without lifting a finger.

LG teases TV range with built-in Google Assistant

Google Assistant has found a new Home in LG’s OLED and Super UHD TVs. Google Assistant gives viewers voice control over many useful functions. For example,

• Turn on/off, or instruct to turn off after the current program ends.
• Change channels and viewing modes with voice commands, through the same HDMI input.
• Access to information related to the show you’re watching such as identifying its soundtrack or a list of movies featuring one of its actors.
• Interact with your smart home devices by speaking into the TVs remote.
• ThinQ AI TVs will be able to serve as a central smart home hub, too for controlling various LG appliances, and more.
• In certain countries access to Assistant through the TV to control your lights and third-party services.

Viewers don’t have to say “Hey Google” to wake up the Assistant on LG’s TVs. Pushing a button on the remote does the trick. However, if you’ve a Nest device, you can use it just as you would the Assistant in the TV to control your set.

LG has brought Google Assistant integration to its latest lineup of TVs and has given users the ability to interact with Assistant through their microphone-equipped remotes in countries like US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, South Korea, Spain, and the United Kingdom. In addition to this full Assistant integration, LG is also planning to expand the ability to connect Google Home to its AI TVs. Currently available in several English-speaking nations, that functionality will spread to users in France, Germany, Japan, and South Korea soon.

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If this sounds familiar, that’s because Chromecast and Android TV devices already support similar functionality. Separate from hands-free voice command via external speakers, many TV makers also offer built-in voice assistants. They’re available by pressing a button and talking into the remote, which can produce on-screen search results and weather reports. LG’s 2019 TVs offer both Google Assistant and Alexa, for example, while Sony TVs have just Google Assistant. However, remote-based voice commands and on-screen results for Samsung TVs will still be powered exclusively by Bixby. This is an important acknowledgement from Samsung that millions of people have already invested in the Google Assistant ecosystem. So, it’d be stubborn to just ignore them.

Hisense is also bringing Android TV and Google Assistant to its high-end 4K TVs

The TVs in this line feature a bezel-less design, Android TV, Google Assistant, and Bluetooth.

Your Google Assistant is now available on Android TV. Android/Google TV users in the U.S. can upgrade their TV experience with the Google Assistant. So dim the lights, order some popcorn and dive into your favorite shows. Languages supported: English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Korean.

Ready to sit back and relax with the help of your Assistant? Would you consider relying on Google Assistant only to control your TV? Let us know in the comments below.