Google’s latest Chromecast was announced last year and announced the eventual transition from Android TV to Google TV. But unlike custom skins, this new interface – with features like the Live tab and better assistant integration – is also made available to third-party TV manufacturers such as Sony and TCL. We now learn that these sets are also available with a basic TV mode that deprives them of their cleverness.
Marked by 9to5Google on an ADT-3 dongle, the new mode will be available as an option during the initial setup process on televisions shipped with Google TV. The basic TV mode only provides live TV and external device support while taking away almost everything Google TV has to offer, including the ability to broadcast content.
Google TV vs. Basic TV
As you would expect, the home screen in this mode is pretty … basic. There is a dedicated button for Dashboard, and there will probably also be buttons to quickly access live TV and HDMI inputs. The screenshot below does not show these buttons, as the ADT-3 does not have the inputs needed to activate these UI elements.
The good news may be that it will not be too difficult to switch to the smart experience if users want to do so. There’s a permanent banner on the home screen and a prominent notification in the settings menu that allows users to quickly turn to the smart side of things. However, users who want to switch from Google TV to Basic TV seem to need to do a full reset.
Google says the new mode is designed to accommodate users who do not have access to the Internet. It can meet the needs of those who prefer the simplicity of a mute TV. Take out those rabbit ears!
