Using Google TV in South Africa

by ZainAjam

I picked up a Google Chromecast with Google TV to test how the Google TV service would work in South Africa. Here is what I found out ...

Video Tours:

Notes about using Google TV outside of the USA:

  • Using a non USA google account with Google TV will limit you to only the apps you can get in the country google store you are using
  • Adding a US google account to the Google TV will give you access to USA apps like Hulu
  • Recommendations and Genre grouping (the real star of Google TV) will only work in the USA or if you fake your location as USA using a VPN. Even if a VPN does auto connect at boot, it seems that the Google TV home screen needs a relaunch after booting up to kick in the updated location of the VPN. I do this by quickly opening any app and immediately pressing the home button

Notes about Google TV and how it works:

  • Without a VPN to fake the location of the device to USA, there is no Google TV recommendations of grouped genres display on the home screen, instead rows of content based on the app the content is in shows up on the home screen. Very similar to how Android TV currently works, except that the big round app icon is not on the left of the row
  • When Google TV recommendations / genre grouping is not being used, and app rows are used instead, the order of the app rows cannot be customized / re-ordered manually
  • Google TV does not have an app drawer and all installed apps are listed on the homescreen, and once more than 12 apps are installed, a "see all" tile pops up at the end of the "Your Apps" row
  • "Play Movies & TV" is dropped as an app and is instead directly integrated as an app row (if you using outside of USA) or as a recommendation / genre groupings (if you using inside USA or using a VPN to fake the location as USA)
  • "Play Store" is dropped as an app and is instead directly integrated in to the Apps tab of the launcher
  • Some content do not fill up the homescreen tile properly (like Plex and Youtube)
  • The library tab is a section that shows items added to the Google watchlist and any purchased content.
  • The settings app has a complete overall compared to Android TV
  • When ambient mode plays, it is now an interactive slideshow that can be actioned to move between photos rather than as an overlay screen that dies when any button on the remote is pressed, like it used to be in Android TV
  • Pressing the back button on the remote when on the home screen, will start the ambient mode
derpferd

As a fellow South African, I appreciate this.

In terms what you describe here, I gather a Shield TV or a even a Mi Box S will work just as well given the limitations of non-supported countries.

Xsoteria777X

I have a roku myself and it's VERY limited if you don't have a USA roku account and a vpn/dns. I also have a MiBox S

tafdiddy

Thanks for sharing your findings. Also picked up the device and was disappointed to find that the 'For You' tab isn't available here. Seems silly given that it's really just a UI issue. Looks like a lot of people outside of the few 'supported' countries are unhappy about it but it doesn't look like Google cares --> https://support.google.com/chromecast/thread/77114472?hl=en

Anyway, using the Justwatch app on my device for recommendations seems to be the best alternative atm

Zuluboi

Baie Dankie. Wanted to know about this.

IamThabang92

Hi thanks for sharing your findings but my question is has it improved for people who are not using VPN or it's still as it was 12 months ago?

SatisfactionOk1470

question - I have a Chromecast with google TV in Australia. If I take it to family in Zimbabwe will they be able to use it and get netflix and other (any) channels or will it be specifically programmed only for Australia ?

If I buy a South african one - will it be different ? - could it work in Zimbabwe ?