A smart TV should make watching your favorite shows and movies easier, not bombard you with ads every time you turn it on. Unfortunately, that’s been one of my biggest frustrations with Google TV. Every time I open the home screen, there’s something being promoted, often something I have absolutely no interest in watching.
Over time, I’ve tried pretty much everything to get around this, from installing ad-free launchers to experimenting with different workarounds. Some helped, but none gave me quite the experience I was looking for. That’s when I decided to try something different.
My TV stopped trying to sell me something all the time
And I couldn’t be happier about it
After spending so much time trying to get rid of ads on Google TV, I decided to try Apple TV. Within the first few days, I started appreciating how simple everything felt. When I turned on my TV, I wasn’t greeted by a huge banner promoting a show I had no interest in watching.
Instead, all my apps were right in front of me, exactly where I wanted them. I could open Netflix or any other streaming app without scrolling past a bunch of recommendations first. It might not sound like a big deal, but when you’re used to seeing ads every time you turn on your TV, it’s a pretty big change.
That’s not to say Apple TV doesn’t promote content. When I move between certain apps on the home screen, I still see suggestions for shows and movies, especially from Apple’s own streaming service. But these are much easier to ignore, and I don’t feel like they’re being pushed on me all the time.
Of course, I still see ads on YouTube or on streaming services with ad-supported plans, but that’s a different story. Those ads come from the apps themselves, and switching to Apple TV won’t make them disappear. What I like is that I can finally turn on my TV and decide what I want to watch without the home screen trying to decide for me.
There’s something nice about keeping things simple
Little things make a huge difference
Getting rid of ads was what made me try Apple TV in the first place, but the more I used it, the more I started appreciating the smaller things. One of my favorites is how easy it is to keep the home screen organized. I can arrange my apps however I like, keep the ones I use most often at the top, and move everything else out of the way.
It actually reminded me of the first time I installed Projectivy Launcher on my Google TV. I remember being quite happy with how clean everything looked, and Apple TV gives me a similar experience without having to install anything extra.
What I’ve also come to appreciate is how smoothly everything works. Whether I’m scrolling through my apps, opening Netflix, or jumping between streaming services, I rarely wait for something to load.
On Google TV, there were times when I’d turn on the television and have to wait for all the recommendations and banners to appear before I could comfortably navigate the home screen. I haven’t had to deal with that on Apple TV, and it’s one of those differences you start noticing more as you use it every day.
I also didn’t expect to use the app switcher as much as I do. Say I’m watching something on Netflix and want to quickly check a video on YouTube. Instead of going back to the home screen and opening another app, I can bring up the app switcher and jump between recently used apps.
And speaking of switching between apps, I quite like how the Apple TV app brings shows and movies from different streaming services into one place. The Continue Watching section is particularly handy because I don’t always remember which service I was watching something on. I can find the show and pick up where I left off, as long as the app supports the feature. Netflix is one exception, so I still need to open it separately to keep watching.
Overall, I wouldn’t say Apple TV is changing how I watch television. I still open the same apps and watch the same shows I did on Google TV. But I like that I don’t have to spend as much time getting to them. And after using both platforms, I’ve started to appreciate how much of a difference these conveniences can make.
It’s not perfect, but I don’t want to go back
As much as I’ve enjoyed using Apple TV, I wouldn’t say it’s perfect. For one, you need to buy an Apple TV streaming box to use tvOS, which isn’t exactly cheap, especially when you already have a smart TV that can run Netflix, YouTube, and pretty much every other streaming service you need.
I also miss a few things about Google TV. It’s much more flexible for customization, and I like that I can install third-party launchers or sideload apps that aren’t available through the Play Store. Apple doesn’t give you that kind of freedom with tvOS, so you’re largely limited to what’s available through its App Store. But after spending so much time trying to make Google TV look and behave the way I wanted, I’ve realized that I don’t really need all those customization options if the interface already works well for me.
I still use the same streaming services, watch the same shows, and do pretty much everything I did before. The difference is that I no longer have to put up with a cluttered home screen every time I turn on my TV.
