Google I/O is finally well underway and while the keynote presentation was packed full of announcements, that is not the end of the Google, I/O or Android news. In fact, since the keynote ended (and continuing for the next two days) there are plenty of announcements coming through thanks to the various press releases and sessions that are currently going on. Speaking of which, Google has already released a press release for those more interested in Android TV and noting the increases in the number of apps and hardware options which will become available for the platform in the near future.
In addition to the general increase in products and apps, the announcement also looked to draw attention to what new features will be on offer this year on Android TV thanks to the implementation of Android N. These included some aspects that we have already been made privy to thanks to the Android N developer previews that have been rolling out routinely over the last few months. However, Google today talked in more detail about these aspects and what we can expect. Most notably, the ability to record live TV and make use of Picture-in-Picture.
Both of these are features we have seen traces of already when the first developer preview of Android N when live, however, back then it was only traces with the support for such features now available for developers to make use of. With today’s announcement, Google is looking to further drive home that the process of being able to record live TV is going to be far more commonplace as Android N comes to more Android TV devices and especially as more apps launch that are capable of supporting the DVR functionality included with Android N. Likewise, the same will be on offer with Picture-in-Picture (which is essentially the multi-window feature on the non-Android TV version of Android N). A feature which will also be more commonplace as the number of apps that can make use of this feature expands in the future. However, the release also briefly touches on the use of High Dynamic Range with Android N on Android TV. Further suggesting that these three areas will likely be the biggest aspects that Android TV will adopt in 2016 and all thanks to Android N.