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Google shuts down Daydream VR's Play Movies & TV app
Google has pulled Daydream VR's version of the Google Play Movies & TV app. You can still view your rentals or purchases through the YouTube VR app, a Google spokesperson confirmed to Variety, while there aren't any current plans to remove other Google apps from the Daydream platform.
Google Home finally works with its own Play Movies service
Google Assistant can now finally beam Play Movies to a Chromecast when you issue voice commands through the tech giant's Home speaker. It's weird how that hasn't been available until now when Home has been able to recognize spoken commands to stream Netflix shows from the start. Thankfully, the tech giant has fixed the oversight and quietly announced the integration at its annual I/O conference. And from the sound of things, the feature has already started rolling out to users.
Google Play sale serves up 99 cent movie and TV show rentals
If you've been putting off renting a film, buying an app, or downloading an ebook, you'll be glad to hear that it's sale time on the Google Play Store (again). That means all movie rentals now cost a buck, and the same goes for three episodes from TV programs, giving you the perfect excuse to watch the stinkers you missed at the cinema (like bonkers sci-fi headrush Valerian), and the shows you've yet to binge. What's more you can dive in to some peak drama with 50 percent off HBO Now for the first three months for new subscribers.
Peter Dinklage film ‘Rememory’ hits Google Play on August 24th
If you're going to get sad once Game of Thrones ends its current short season at the end of August, there's a little glimmer of hope: The show's star Peter Dinklage has a movie coming out then. Rememory, a science fiction thriller also starring Julia Ormond and the late Anton Yelchin, is set to release on Google Play Movies for free on August 24th. After that, it hits select theaters on September 8th.
NVIDIA's Shield TV upgrades to 4K for Cast and Google Play movies
Despite all the 4K material NVIDIA's Shield TV can handle, there have still been a few gaps: you couldn't play Google Play Movies & TV content in 4K, for instance, and you definitely couldn't Google Cast the 4K videos of your choice. Thankfully, NVIDIA is plugging those two holes today. An update lets all Shield TV boxes play both the content you Cast and Google Play titles in the ultra-sharp resolution, so you don't have to be quite so picky when looking for material beyond 1080p.
Google Play adds 4K movies to its catalog
When we reviewed the Chromecast Ultra, one of our biggest gripes was the dearth of 4K content to justify it -- not even Google's own movie store had material to watch. The company is fixing that glaring omission, though. As of now, Google Play Movies & TV carrying over 125 4K movies in the American and Canadian stores. You can buy or rent them, and choose from big-name movies like Captain Philips, Star Trek Beyond and The Secret Life of Pets. If you own a Chromecast Ultra, you'll even get a free movie (from a handful of approved selections) as a reward for your early adopter status.
T-Mobile adds YouTube and more to its Binge On streaming
Following a round of additions to its Binge On initiative in January, T-Mobile is tacking on more content to the data-free video option. Beginning today, YouTube, Google Play Movies, Red Bull TV, Discovery Go, Fox Business, Baeble Music, ESNE TV, FilmOn.TV and KlowdTV won't count against that data cap when you stream video on the Un-carrier. The company says today's group pushes the total services available via Binge On to more than 50. Of course, the videos you watch are "mobile optimized," so don't expect Ultra HD quality.
LG's smart TVs will stream Google Play movies this month
Who said that TVs with Google Play Movies & TV had to be running Android? Certainly not LG. It just announced that many of its recent smart TVs (including both webOS- and NetCast-based models) will offer Google Play streaming this month. While it's not as if you've been hurting for viewing options on any of these sets, this could be extremely useful if you prefer to buy or rent movies and want to sync your viewing between your smartphone and a big screen. TV shows will only be available on launch in Australia, Canada, the UK and the US, but you'll find movies in a whopping 104 countries.
'The Interview' is already Sony's most popular online movie to date
There was a ton of hoopla about Sony releasing The Interview through internet services before it even hit theaters, but how much did this not-entirely-intentional experiment in online distribution pan out? Quite well, if you ask Sony. It just revealed that the movie racked up $15 million in digital rentals and sales (spread across 2 million customers) between its Wednesday release and Saturday, making the North Korea-themed comedy the studio's "#1 online film of all time" within a matter of days. The company isn't breaking down numbers by service, but Recode's sources claim that the "vast majority" of business came from Google Play and YouTube. Sorry, Xbox Video.
'The Interview' internet release comes to YouTube, Google Play and Xbox
Sure, Sony may be defying hackers' threats by letting independent theaters screen The Interview, but you might not live close enough to watch the flick. What if you want to see it online? You might get that chance. Sources for both CNN and Recode claim that Google has "tentatively agreed" to distribute the movie online in rental form, both through Play Movies and YouTube; Sony would also stream the movie through its own website. There's a possibility that the Google deal will fall apart (this happened with iTunes, apparently), since distributors are reportedly worried that they'll face retaliatory hacks. If an agreement comes together, though, it would represent an important milestone -- it's not often that you see a major studio movie launch both online and in theaters at the same time. We've reached out to Google for details, and we'll let you know if there's anything official. Update: Yep, it's happening. Sony will make the comedy available through a special page, Google Play, YouTube and Xbox Video starting today at 1PM Eastern. It'll cost $6 to rent, or $15 to own. A PlayStation Network release date, meanwhile, is coming "shortly." We're also gathering tweets from early reactions to the movie right here. Update 2: And now The Interview has its first international premiere, as Google Canada just announced the movie is available on its outlets there too.
Google Play Movies & TV for Android improves second screen tools
If you've splurged for a Chromecast or pre-ordered the newfangled Nexus Player, streaming from Google Play to your television just got better. Mountain View's Movies & TV app for Android update brings actor and soundtrack cards to your mobile device, putting that requisite casting gadget's display to good use while you watch. Not all content will showcase the new feature though, so you'll have to look for the Info Cards badge when making a selection. Material Design is being applied in other bits of software, and with this latest version, Movies & TV gets a fresh flat coat of paint to match. The Watch Now tab serves up more recommendations and trailers can be watched right inside the app. If you're not seeing the update just yet, sit tight: it's rolling out to all users over the course of the next week.
Google Play lets you pre-order movies before they leave theaters
A number of internet video stores (including iTunes) have let you pre-order movies for a while, but not Google Play -- you've had to mark the release on your calendar to get a hot flick ASAP. Don't worry about being so dutiful in the future, though. Google has switched on movie pre-orders for Google Play users in the US; you now just have to find the title you want to see and click a button to reserve it. Other countries will get the feature "soon," Google says. It's a pretty straightforward addition, but it could be very helpful if you're determined to score a copy of Gone Girl while you're still in the theater parking lot.
Now Google Play Movies & TV for iOS works offline too
Before you leave the house for that trip to the middle of nowhere (or if you simply have shoddy internet connection), make sure to update your Google Play Movies and TV for iOS. The latest version gives you the power to save any flick or TV show episode you want to watch offline at a later time -- the same feature Google added to the app for Chromebooks a few months ago. Hopefully, everything you download (over WiFi only, as always) gets you through a rough trip or a particularly bad day for streaming. The update should hit your iPhones and iPads soon, but those who don't have the app yet can download it from iTunes.
Google Play Movies and Music All Access hit more countries around the world
Sounds like Google's been busy cutting international licensing deals, because the company's just expanded its Play Movies and Music services to a huge bunch of countries. Between the two, the latter touts the longer list, as the Play Movies & TV Android app has been updated to work in 37 new locations across the globe. These include the Netherlands, Venezuela and Rwanda, as you can see in the roster (that Android Police spotted on Google Play's support page) posted after the break. While residents in all these countries can watch movies they've bought or rented from Google, TV shows are still only limited to people living in the US, the UK, Australia and Japan.
iOS gets a Google Play Movies & TV streaming app, but it only works over WiFi
Apple's iTunes is the de facto virtual storefront for iOS users looking to access digital video content, but now Google's elbowing its way into that tidy ecosystem. The search giant just dropped an iOS version of its Google Play Movies & TV app onto the App Store, giving users an alternate media library to browse. Just like Amazon's video on demand app, there's no support for buying or renting on the device itself, in order to avoid Apple taking a cut off the top. Users will need to pick out their content on another platform like desktop PC or Android, and then flick through their selections for streaming (over WiFi only currently). Version 1.0.1 brings Chromecast support right away, but there's no AirPlay option for Apple TV right now. We'll wait and see if that and other features like downloading for offline viewing arrive in future updates, for now you can grab the app here. Update: This post has been updated to reflect that the iOS app cannot currently be used to rent or purchase content from Google Play.
Google Play Movies expands to Jamaica, New Zealand and ten other regions
If your local Blockbuster just shut down or you can't get Netflix in your nation, there's always Google Play Movies. It's now available in nearly double the countries it was yesterday and 27 total, having added a dozen more nations to its rota. Notable new regions include New Zealand, Hong Kong, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. If you're seeking a flick fix there or the other nations (at the source) and have Google TV, Chromecast or an Android device, now's the time to grab the app.
Google Play Movies & TV update adds On Device menu, streamlines episode selection
If you picked up Chromecast earlier this summer, there's a good chance you've been exploring Google's digital content library. Now the company is trying to make it a little easier for you, updating its Google Play Movies & TV app to present television content in a more straightforward, linear manner. Gone is the app's episode-focused browsing experience, for instance, replaced by a more organized list of television programs that filter into sequential lists of episodes. Each show's card is smaller too, allowing more to fit on a single screen. Diving into a program's folder shows not only the purchased episodes, but now also prompts the user to buy the next episode in the series. Content that has been pinned for download can be accessed more quickly as well, and can be filtered through a new On Device menu for offline viewing. The changelog also notes that the update brings "several bug fixes," which seems to have disabled screenshots on some devices (according to Android Police.) Holding power + volume down still managed to snap an image on our HTC One, however. A mild disappointment, to be sure, but it's hard to argue with a cleaner, more efficient interface. Snag the update for yourself at the Google Play link below.
Mobile Miscellany: week of June 24th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, the Galaxy S 4 was spotted in purple garb, a new Windows Phone was outed for AT&T and US Cellular officially welcomed a budget handset from ZTE into its ranks. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of June 24th, 2013.
Google Play movies now available in India and Mexico
Google Play's book collection opened up in India and Mexico just a few weeks ago, and now Mountain View's movie hoard is available in both countries on the web and through the content's Android app. It's no coincidence that the video service has gone live this week either -- we reckon that Page and Co. would love to see folks pair their new Nexus 7 slates with their favorite flicks. To get your mitts on the application, hit the second source link below. Update: In another addition for Indian users, Gmail is ready to support six Indic languages in featurephone browsers: Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, and Telugu.
Google Play, developers slash prices on apps and media for Thanksgiving weekend
If you've taken advantage of the myriad Black Friday deals on mobile devices and PCs, you're probably looking for content to feed the technology beast. Google and app creators are pulling out all the stops to make sure that beast stays full: Google Play has discounts throughout the Thanksgiving weekend for just about every format on offer. Android apps are the highlight, with SwiftKey 3, Shadowgun and Documents To Go on the list of those with grander price cuts, although there's some definite bargains to be had in media. Among the picks are price drops on books like The Hobbit, movies like The Big Lebowski and Serenity, and music from the likes of Diana Krall and Kendrick Lamar. We can't possibly mention every offer here, so check our links for some of the larger deals. Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report.
