… for Random Weirdness

Tip #1456: Google is Dumbing Down TVs

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Google will offer Google TV users a chance to make TVs simpler.

OK, so maybe it’s a cheesy headline, but Google recently announced that it will allow users of an upcoming version of Google TV to select a “Basic TV” feature.

As reported by 9to5Google, “the idea behind this version of Google TV is to strip away essentially all of the features that make a smart TV… smart. It goes beyond the “apps-only” mode we saw on Chromecast with Google TV too.”

This new “Basic TV” option appears at setup for television sets running on Google TV, not set-top boxes. It allows users to disable:

• Apps
• Content Recommendations
• Google Assistant
• Live TV
• External Inputs, like HDMI

In other words, Google is giving users the option to return to a simpler time.

Here’s the link to the original article.