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This Week In Google TV: PrimeTime update, $0.99 movie rentals and more

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Welcome to your “This Week In Google TV” feature! This is where we bring you your weekly dose of Google TV news. The platform is finally starting to grow more rapidly and we know many of you are struggling to get your Google TV content. Stop searching all over the internet – now you can get it all here, every Saturday.

PrimeTime for Google TV updated with subscription selector

PrimeTime for Google TV is where we usually go to get all our content. The app aggregates movies and TV shows from streaming services and live TV. It works great for most of us, but UI and functionality improvements are always welcome.

This week’s update to PrimeTime brings a very helpful feature. Subscription selector allows users to search for content and see movies & shows labeled as “free” if they are subscribed to the services that offer such content. The feature now works with Netflix, HBO Go and Amazon Instant Video (Amazon Prime).

Click through to read all the details and see if your device is compatible with this new feature. It has been working great for us and we hope you enjoy these improvements too!

For more go to: PrimeTime for Google TV updated with Netflix, HBO Go and Amazon Prime subscription selector

Get $0.99 movie rentals for 30 days from M-GO

We have so many video streaming services that sometimes we don’t try new ones for the sake of keeping the list shorter. M-GO is a great service that usually gets under-appreciated, but we now have a reason for you to try it. The streaming service is offering $0.99 SD movie rentals and $1.99 HD movie rentals for new subscribers!

The offer will stand for 30 days after you sign up, and it only applies to new subscribers (accounts created between 2/18/2013 and 4/30/2013). There is a bit of a trick, though. You have to use a couple promo codes when you rent the movies – “MGOSD” for SD rentals and “MGOHD” for HD rentals.

Click through for more details and a list of compatible devices. This is really a great deal compared to other similar services. The movies are very new and the selection is almost as good as the Google Play Store’s!

For more go to: Sign up for M-GO and get $0.99 movie rentals for 30 days

Nuidroid could bring Kinect-like functionality to Google TV

There wasn’t much Google TV content to get at NVIDIA’s GPU Technology Conference (GTC), but we did run into a very interesting product that could be coming to our favorite smart TV platform. 3DiVi’s booth was showcasing Nuidroid, which essentially uses skeletal tracking to bring Kinect-like features to devices.

The company was demoing the product with an OUYA, but the representative did mention they are currently trying to negotiate partnerships with a variety of manufacturers. They are hoping this technology will extend to other devices, including appliances, consoles, mobile devices and… TVs.

Is there a chance Nuidroid could be coming to future Google TVs? We are starting to welcome Voice Search, so we can definitely see motion controls being the next step (LG is already doing something similar with its Wii-like remote).

For more go to: Nuidroid could bring Kinect-like functionality to Google TV

Able Remote updated with GTV V3 new channels API, Voice Search might not be coming

Able Remote has recently updated its Google TV with the new channels API. This means users can now take full advantage of the channels feature on GTV V3 with no problem. Sadly, good news rarely come alone. The company also published a statement regarding Voice Search compatibility.

To say the least, things are not looking good for you if you plan to use Google TV’s new Voice Search feature with Able Remote:

“Google has not provided an API for the voice search feature, so technically we will not be able to support the new feature.” -Able Remote

We are not sure if Google will release the API soon or if Able remote simply wants you to use their own voice commands, which they have been offering for a while. We are hoping things will change, or else many of us will be forced to use the official Google TV Remote app or buy a new device if we want to use Voice Search.

Wrap up

It was definitely not a slow week for Google TV users. We have some great updates to check out (and others to keep waiting for). We are also waiting for Google I/O, where we should be seeing some Google TV announcements. If there was ever a time to stay tuned to our Google TV coverage, it is now!

You can stay updated by reading our “This Week In Google TV” feature and checking out GTVSource.com, our sister site. See you next week!

Edgar Cervantes

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6 Comments

  1. So what is the current “best” set top box for someone to get to get into Google tv? Looking to replace an old roku box.

    1. You should be fine with the Vizio or the latest Sony box. Have also heard good things about the hisense and net gear boxes too. Do some research as they all some minor differences. I’m still sitting on the original boxee which I still love but do want a gtv box to replace it. Does anyone know how the play store works on the new version of gtv? Can you play all games like you can on a phone? Are all apps there or only gtv optimized apps which I thought was a small amount.

      1. Yeah, only apps that are optimized for GTV show up.
        (and, specifically, the app needs to be able to work without a touchscreen)

  2. Hey phandroid , have you guys heard anything about the Asus qube? Haven’t heard anything about it for a while, thought it would be out by now. Is Google going to release it for primetime at i/o?

    1. I don’t think it’s a Google thing at all in terms of “Nexus” device. It was running a heavily skinned Google TV UI. It was supposed to launch in March, and with 1 day left to go, I don’t think they’ll make it. I’m sure we’ll see it in the next few weeks though…

  3. ^^^^^^^^^SPAM ALERT^^^^^^^^^^^

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