The “Google TV” User Interface [UI] is a new layer layer of software that connects to the underlying "Android TV" software which is responsible for delivering the Chromecast servicesthrough your TV's HDMI port.
Click here to see an article "Here’s what the new Chromecast’s Google TV software looks like" by The Verge that provides some illustrations.
The standard tabs along the the top of the screen are "Search", "For You", "Movies", "Shows", "Apps" and "Library" all of which can be controlled by buttons on the handset or by issuing voice commands.
The UI [User Interface] of your TV screen is well laid out and easy to use.
By default it displays elements [referred to as the content aggregation feature] for any connected services that you may, or may not, subscribe to.
There are however some options that can be changed to the layout depending on your choice of Apps and Connected Services.
Click here to see a full list of all available connected services that is maintained by 9to5google authors.
If you sign into one or more connected services and carry out a search for a film or show the results will be displayed and Google TV will give you a choice in the Ways to watch button these Recommendations [see paragraph below] —you might for example be able to stream a film on Netflix or buy it directly from Google to watch whenever you want.
N.B.
The connected services listings can be turned off, to reduce screen clutter, but the same service aggregation can be obtained from a 3rd party App called JustWatch that is covered in the Apps page.
You’ll find a list of your installed apps on both the "For you" and "Apps" screens but you don’t have to settle for the default order Google TV puts them in.
This may seem like one of the more obvious inclusions but not every streaming device has it and not every streaming device does it well. The UI offers a wide menu featuring your downloaded apps and you can shuffle them around to your heart’s content.
To move a particular App to the front of the list for easier access you just need to long press on an app using the Select button on the remote (in the centre of the circle), click Move then use the arrow keys on the remote to reposition it, then finalise the chosen position with another click of the Select button.
Learn how to make changes to your settings :-
Click here to see a TechHive article "Master your Android TV with these 25 tips" from July 2022.
Click here to see a HowToGeek article "How to Customize the Android TV Home Screen" from July 2021.
The standard tabs along the the top of the screen are "Search", "For You", "Movies", "Shows", "Apps" and "Library" all of which can be controlled by buttons on the handset or by using voice commands.
Click here to see a HowToGeek article "How to Hide Movies & TV from Google TV Continue Watching" that explains how to get rid of old entries from the "Continue watching" section.
Click here to see a HowToGeek article "How to Change the Screen Saver on Android TV" that shows you how to select one of the supplied screensavers, or grab one from the Play Store, or even create one using your own material.
Having made your selection you can then go on to set options for how and when it will be used.
Google TV throws up plenty of suggestions for stuff that it thinks you’ll like based on what you’ve watched in the past.
To improve them, open up the listing page for a movie or show, then scroll right to the thumbs-up and thumbs-down buttons to tell Google what you thought of it.
Note the Watched it? button as well. If you’ve watched something and then tell Google TV you will no longer see it in the recommendations for what to watch next.
It follows therefore that if you tell Google TV you’ve watched something {even though you have not really} that particular item will no longer be put forward as a recommendation.
The Chromecast with Google TV comes with voice controls for accessing Google Assistant and finding new stuff to watch.
Long press on the Assistant button on the remote (the one with coloured spots), and speak out your search requests.
Simply search for any show or movie from anywhere on your device and you’ll be shown results from a range of services – whether the content you’re looking for is on YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video etc.
This doesn’t just work for finding new stuff but you can use it to find specific episodes of your favourite shows or a movie that stars a certain actor.
If you think of a different query, the Google TV interface will probably understand it.
For example ask for movies with Tom Hanks in them, funny American sitcoms, or movies from the 1960s.
If you need more help running a search, the filters at the top of the screen can help you narrow down the results further, and you’ll be able to see titles by genre or by date, for example.
Click here to read "How to Use Google Photos as the Screen Saver on Google TV" that explains how to set a range of options for displaying photos as the background on your Chromecast with Google TV.