AOL jumps onto Android TV

Google unveiled Android TV at its developer conference earlier this year, saying it would be available to consumers in the fall.James Martin/CNET

AOL said Wednesday that its library of premium content would be available on Google's Android TV, the same day the search giant unveiled the first streaming-media player that would run the new platform.

AOL's apps include original shows like the short-form series "Park Bench with Steve Buscemi," movies such as those from Miramax and clips from brands AOL owns like HuffPost Live and TechCrunch.

Google previously had given consumers barely more than a glimpse of Android TV after unveiling it in June, but Wednesday the company introduced the Nexus Player, a streaming-media player by Asus and the first device running Android TV, alongside a new tablet and smartphone.

Google has a checkered past in television. The company's first stab was in 2010 with Google TV, a separate software package that promised -- but failed to deliver -- easy access to television listings and full access to the Web on a TV. The company tried again last year with Chromecast, a $35 dongle that plugs in to a television and "casts" the content on a computer, tablet or smartphone to your TV set. Chromecast has been a best seller, but how much the cheap domino-size device is actually used is unclear.

Despite Android TV's barely-there track record with consumers, AOL President of Video and Studios Dermot McCormack said being on preferred devices is crucial for companies like AOL as viewing habits evolve. "With the addition of Android TV we are able to expand the reach of our premium video library."

Rob Delacruz, vice president and general manager of consumer experiences at AOL Video, said that Android TV is unique for personalized ways to discover content, through Google's introduction of "recommendation cards." The feature allows companies like AOL to suggest and feature content each time a viewer uses their Android TV device, without having to open the AOL On or HuffPost Live apps.

"Content search and discovery has long been an issue for video content, and recommendation cards are a great step in the right direction," he said.

With the Android TV integration, AOL's library is available across 16 connected TV and "over-the-top" devices, including Apple TV, Roku and Samsung.

Google ready to launch simplified Google TV dubbed 'Android TV'?

Google's original "Google TV," which was criticized for its complexity.Sarah Tew/CNET

Google is getting set to unveil another TV effort -- "Android TV" -- and apparently it'll look a lot like Apple TV, Roku, Amazon's just-released Fire TV, and other set-top boxes.

That's according to a report in blog The Verge, which says it got its hands on internal Google documents that describe the product (but apparently don't give specifics on a release schedule -- the report says only that it's "about to launch").

"Android TV is an entertainment interface, not a computing platform," the Google documents reportedly say. "It's all about finding and enjoying content with the least amount of friction."

This time around Google is reportedly looking to make things -- to quote the internal docs -- "cinematic, fun, fluid, and fast," and to keep things simple.Google released its Google TV software in 2010, but the platform was handicapped by complexity, slow response times, and difficult operation. There have been various reports since then that the company has been planning a new product, and reports about an "Android TV" rebranding surfaced last October.

"The company is calling for developers to build extremely simple TV apps for an extremely simple set-top-box interface," reads the Verge report. "While Android still lives under the hood, the interface will consist of a set of scrolling 'cards' that represent movies, shows, apps, and games sitting on a shelf. You use a remote control with a four-way directional pad to scroll left and right through different suggestions, or up and down through different categories of content, each with their own shelves. Much like on other set-top boxes, each item will be like a miniature movie poster or book cover, and you'll pick the one you want. The controller will also have Enter, Home, and Back buttons to help get around, and there will be 'optional' game controllers."

Screenshots included in the Verge report display shortcuts to Google apps such as YouTube, Hangouts, and the Google Play store, as well as third-party apps such as Netflix, Hulu, and Pandora. There's also a games section. The Verge says the product won't supplant Google's successful Chromecast Internet-to-TV dongle, so user-interface designers might have to accommodate two separate products.

You can check out the screenshots here.