Key Points:
- Selective Availability: Picture-in-picture (PiP) mode on Google TV will only be available on certain models with robust hardware.
- Restricted Apps: Only specific categories of apps—communication, smart home, health, and ticker—will support PiP mode.
- Manual Verification: Developers must declare their app category and undergo Google’s manual verification process to enable PiP.
Google TV is finally introducing the much-anticipated picture-in-picture (PiP) mode, a feature that has long been a staple in the Android ecosystem. This convenient tool allows users to play video in a mini floating window while performing other tasks. However, despite the excitement, there are significant limitations to its rollout on Google TV.
Firstly, PiP mode will not be universally available across all Google TV devices. The feature is reserved for selected models that boast powerful hardware, typically manufactured by companies like Sony and Nvidia. Many smart TVs, constrained by weaker hardware, will not support this feature, thus narrowing the scope of its availability.
Secondly, the utility of PiP mode is further limited by the types of apps that can utilize it. Google has restricted PiP functionality to apps in four categories: communication, smart home, health, and ticker. Mainstream entertainment apps such as Netflix and YouTube are notably excluded from this list.
Lastly, developers face stringent conditions to enable PiP in their apps. They must declare their app’s category and undergo a manual verification process by Google to ensure compliance. This multi-step process underscores the selective nature of PiP mode’s implementation on Google TV.
