Google TV is the new interface that runs on top of Android TV. While it’s currently only available on the new Chromecast and a few TVs, it will eventually replace the current Android TV interface. The new interface emphasizes discovery and content recommendations. It features a “For you” tab that highlights trending movies and shows, shows that are currently on, and personalized content recommendations based on your viewing activity. The “Trending” row, which takes up about half the space in the “For you” tab, features suggestions selected by Google, with the top spot usually reserved for an ad. The ad is usually pretty innocuous and not that distracting in terms of attention. But that’s no longer the case.
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As spotted by 9to5Google, Google TV is now testing a new interactive ad format that automatically starts playing an ad with a full video trailer without you being able to click on anything. As if that weren't annoying enough, this auto-ad also has sound turned on by default.
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9to5Google says that the ad appears almost full screen after a few seconds, but you can “step off the screen” using the directional buttons on your remote. The ad won’t repeat every time the slideshow row appears. However, if you switch to another tab or screen and return to the home screen, the video ad will play again. There’s currently no way to disable or opt out of these automatic video ads in Google TV settings. At the very least, Google should provide the option to have these ads play muted by default.
For now, it seems that auto-playing video ads are limited to Chromecast with Google TV. But it won't be long before they arrive on devices with the regular Android TV interface.
Useful Tip: How to restart a Google TV device
Chromecast with Google TV recently gained support for Stadia along with other Android TV devices. It also recently received Sling TV home screen integration, making it easier for Chromecast to browse live content from Sling right from their home screen.
Information source: xda-developers.com
