With the rise of subscription video streaming platforms, Smart TVs, and especially TV boxes, have reached a level of popularity never seen before. Among the main competitors in this field, there is obviously Google, owner of Android. However, today there are three different interfaces based on the aforementioned operating system, namely: Google TV, Android TV e TV Box con Android. To try to do some order, we will use this guide to understand the real differences between the three services.
Android TV
So let's start with the most popular and used service. In fact, Android TV, in addition to being present on dozens of TV Boxes and TV Sticks (especially from Xiaomi), has a large catalog of Smart TVs.
It is basically the most basic, classic and certified version of the Android interface developed by Google itself. This therefore has the applications and services that we have always been used to finding even on smartphones and tablets. Among all, for example, also the Google Play Store and, especially, Google Assistant for voice requests. Furthermore, it will even be possible to install applications via APK files.
In a way, Android TV can be compared to “Android One”, which is the simplest and purest representation of Android on smartphones, just as Google would like. Furthermore, almost all devices equipped with this interface can rely on Chromecast functionality, or those capable of duplicating or sending content directly from the mobile or desktop device.
As mentioned above, Android TV is often included in TVs from popular brands. Here are some examples currently available on Amazon.
Google TV
Android TV is to Android One, as Google TV is to the Pixel Experience. Exactly, just playing on the comparison made in the previous paragraph, we could safely say that Google TV is the stylistic choice adopted by Google for its products dedicated to Smart TVs (just like with the Pixels and their software).
Even the Google TV interface is in fact based on Android, and for this reason it will have absolutely nothing less than the service described above. It is therefore only an aesthetic personalization, which poses much more attention on video content than on applications. On Android TV, the main screen is dedicated entirely to installed applications, while on Google TV we find an endless list of movies, TV series and video content, taken directly from the most popular streaming services. In particular, in the city, only Netflix, Prime Video e Disney+.
Here too, therefore, the features of the Chromecast will not be missing, Google Assistant and support for applications downloadable from the Google Play Store (or via APK file).
Google TV is currently only available on the “Chromecast con Google TV”, sold by the same company from Mountain View, but many brands have announced that they want to bring the interface also on their televisions and TV boxes.
TV Box with Android
We always remember that Android is an operating system “Open Source” and therefore accessible to anyone. For this reason, any Smart TV or TV Box manufacturer can: retrieve the code, create a custom interface and develop their own smart TV concept.
However, most of the "independent" TV Boxes suffer from a fairly serious problem: the absence of Google certification. This certification is in fact essential to unlock the maximum resolution playback of the most popular streaming services, such as Netflix or YouTube. This, therefore, will not allow to reach the FullHD format and, obviously, not even the 4K one.
However, being always basic Android, there will be the Play Store, from which to download supported applications, and not even the possibility of installing APK files downloaded from the web.
Which one to choose?
Once all the differences between Google TV, Android TV and TV Box have been listed, all that remains is to choose the interface to buy. Although, in our opinion, Google TV is probably the best on the market (as it focuses on content, the most interesting factor on televisions), it is currently very difficult to find, as it is installed exclusively on Google's new Chromecast. However, the latter reaches 4K video support at a fairly tolerable list price (around 70 €, very often on offer), which makes it perfect for streaming on the latest generation TVs.
The limit of only HD, does not allow us to fully recommend a TV Box with Android, unless you have an old TV that you want to make smarter. At that point, however, it wouldn't be bad either consider Amazon's Fire TV Sticks (which among other things, are also based on Android).
The choice therefore falls, almost inevitably, on Android TV, which could, theoretically, even update itself, adopting the Google TV interface.
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