Google TV is one of the most versatile and feature-rich smart TV interfaces. TechRadar gave the Chromecast with Google TV dongle a near-perfect score of 4.5 out of 5 stars when it arrived earlier this year.
You won't need such a dongle with one of the latest Sony Bravia TVs, though, because they have Google TV baked in.
The entire 2022 BRAVIA XR range as well as most other 2022 models use the system, including the superb spotlight-stealing QD-OLED Sony Bravia A95K and more budget-friendly LCD-based Sony Bravia X80K.
Here are some of the benefits you can expect from Google TV, as well as some unique features of Sony’s Bravia TVs.
Sorted for apps
Google TV offers apps for all of the major streaming services, and UK catch-up apps including BBC iPlayer and ITV Hub.
Back in May 2022, Google announced over 10,000 apps were available on Google TV, and that number increases every week. Whatever you want, from games to news apps and those all-important streaming services, the platform has you covered.
Google TV has the Google Play Store, the store found in Android smartphones. Downloading new apps is just as simple as it is on your phone - a few taps on your remote and you are done.
So many ways to control your TV
Sony Bravia TVs aren't controlled solely by these classic button presses, though. You can use your voice too.
Google TV has its own version of Google Assistant. You can ask it for sports scores, scary movie suggestions or recommendations based on what you've watched in the past. It even also supports smart device controls - basically anything that can be controlled by Google Assistant will work with Google TV.
The classic TV smart assistant interaction involves you pressing a button on the remote and making your request using the controller's own microphone. With many of Sony's 2022 Bravia TVs, you can skip that step because they have microphones built into the set itself.
Just start your sentence with "OK Google" or "Hey Google" and the TV will listen out for your command. There's no need to raise your voice as the mics use far-field technology. Don't like that concept? You can turn the TV's microphone off and rely on your trusty remote instead.
More ways to stream
One of the best ways to stream content to a TV, though, is Chromecast, where you select content on your phone using one of the many, many apps that support the standard.
Simply tap the Chromecast button, select your TV and it will instantly take over the job of displaying whatever content you want to view.
Some versions of Chromecast only support streaming at a certain quality level, but Sony’s Bravia TVs support 4K HDR over Chromecast.
They also support Apple's closest alternative to the standard, which is called AirPlay 2. It's a simple and quick way to stream music, photos, videos and even games from your iPhone to your Sony Bravia TV.
If you own a smart home camera or outdoor camera that supports Google Assistant, you can even see through its eyes right there on your TV screen.
Go next level with Bravia Cam
Sony also lets you max out your TV's smarts with Bravia Cam, a little camera attachment that sits on the top of your set and plugs into a USB socket on the TV itself. Run Google Duo, one of the many apps available in Google TV, and you can video chat for free with friends and family over your home Wi-Fi.
Bravia Cam is much more than just a webcam. It can also calculate where you are in the room, and how far you are from the TV. This feature, which Sony calls this Ambient Optimisation Pro, is only available on the XR models, and is used to direct sound at you and can alter the brightness of the image to suit. When you get closer to the display, slightly lower brightness is likely to provide a more comfortable viewing experience.
Head out of the room altogether and Bravia Cam can dim the TV to save energy, or send it to sleep, and will remind kids to sit further back if they get too close. A Bravia Cam even lets you use gestures to alter the volume or change channel.
The Sony Bravia Z9K, X95K, A95K, A90K, A80K, X90K, X85K and X80K families support Sony Bravia Cam, and all of those sets also feature Google TV for a next-generation smart TV experience.
