Earlier this year, Google Assistant gained public support for a variety of multimedia devices, including televisions and remote controls. Today, Google continues to openly allow developers to connect the Google Assistant to speakers, sound bars, streaming boxes, and more.
As announced on the Google Developer Blog, Google is allowing the Assistant to control a new set of smart home entertainment devices, or “SHED”.
- Audio and video receiver
- Gearbox
- Transmission stick
- Sound bar
- Sound bar
- Speaker
Many of these should sound familiar to fans of Google Assistant devices, with devices like JBL Link Bar and almost all Android TV streaming boxes that have the Assistant built-in and even appear in the Google Home app. What’s different from today’s announcement is that by releasing documentation, more device manufacturers will be able to integrate their products with the broader Google Assistant ecosystem.
Coinciding with new types of devices, the Google Assistant is also gaining the ability to watch and select TV channels, making the Assistant even more useful in the living room. For streaming boxes, including Roku, the Assistant is already great at starting movies, TV shows, and music from various services.
This trait belongs to devices that support TV channels on a multimedia device.
Available channels must be shared as a list, by user or device, during SYNC through the availableChannels attribute. This list must include all the main or popular channels to which the user or device is subscribed.
As always, we won’t be seeing these new devices and features right away, as device manufacturers will need to develop new products or integrate Google Assistant into their existing line.
Undoubtedly, this is just a small preview of what we might expect to see on Wednesday during the “Hey Google” Smart Home Summit, which promises “new and future features for developers and users of smart homes.”
More about the Google Assistant:
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