Google Play will bring movies, TV shows and music to Google TV during the next few weeks, allowing consumers to buy or rent content directly through the Google Play Store on Google TV. The system will automatically identify purchases made on other devices, such as tablets, computers and smartphones.
Tying together how devices interact isn't easy, but it should provide some insight into Google's ability to track consumer use across devices. It aids in future ad targeting as well as gaining perspective on the types of movies, music and other content being consumed on specific devices.
Content titles are accessed using a search feature in the the Google TV & Movie app, which offers show and movie recommendations available on live TV and apps, like Netflix, Amazon, and now Google Play. For developers, the update enables auto smart-updates, and subscription billing.
Google has struggled to gain acceptance with Internet TV. The system seemed clunky and the hardware gadget's wireless features did not respond well. Then in June, the company added the ability to watch movie rentals through YouTube and Web browsers, but consumers were required to make purchases through smartphones or computers.
Consumers could also make movie rental purchases through Amazon Instant Video and Netfix, but for Google the features won't work as well as having a built-in app for purchasing new content through Google Play, store the content in the cloud, and stream it from any Internet-connected device.
The most fascinating piece of this is Google's ability to track and potentially categorize what's being consumed by device type. Knowing that, content producers will be able to more accurately serve up relevant entertainment.