Yes, believe it or not, there’s a few of us left who still rent or buy our movies. Call it a longing for nostalgia, or our calling for cuddly, romantic yearnings, renting and buying movies is still a thing. And now its a thing on Android TV where, previously, it was not a thing (what would be the point of this article if it that weren’t the case, folks?).
If your TV or streaming box uses the Google’s Android TV platform, you can now access rentals and purchases of movies and shows. Or should we say, its now much clearer to locate.
Android TV added a Shop tab to the top navigational options next to Home, Apps, etc.
There’s an official Google support page for those who have trouble finding it. Also, the feature isn’t available in every region or language or country.
“The shop tab lets you explore movies to buy or rent and make purchases directly on your Android TV,” Google wrote in a blog post. “So whether you are searching for a new and popular movie not yet available on other streaming services or you are looking to make a one-time movie purchase without a subscription, the Shop tab makes it easy.”
And things get better.
Once in the Shop category, you’ll may see other videos. Yep, they’re yours. These are videos you purchased through your Google account, YouTube. Now their located in an easy to find area for your watching pleasure.
Why would Google do this when most people seem to prefer leveraging the power of major streaming services that tend to include all the TV shows and all the Movies? Beyond the nostalgia, Google believes it is sometimes easier and simpler to merely rent or buy the digital content you want to see instead of contributing to more subscriptions. They have a point. Most of us don’t even know how many active streaming subscriptions we are signed into. Remember when streaming services were going to end up way less expensive than cable?
Google manages the purchases and rentals within their platform.
The new Shop tab is rolling out over the course of the next few weeks across Android TVs. So pending no issues, you’ll likely see it relatively soon.
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