One of the better features of the new Chromecast with Google TV is missing support for some of Netflix’s best content.
Earlier this week, 9to5Google reported that Netflix originals weren’t able to be added to Google TV’s watchlist, a super-hub for content users are interested in across their various services. On Wednesday, the site reported that the Google TV Android app appeared to have lost support for Netflix’s catalogue entirely. That’s kind of a bummer for anyone hoping to use Google TV to help manage content from one of streaming’s biggest players.
A Google spokesperson confirmed to Gizmodo by email that the Netflix app and its catalogue will still be available on Chromecast with Google TV. But Google TV users now won’t be able to add the service’s originals to their watchlist, give the content a thumbs up or down, or mark them as watched. Google further confirmed that search and discovery features will not work for Netflix on Google TV’s Android app.
“With Google TV, our goal is to bring the best of our search and discovery features across your subscriptions to your favourite devices,” the spokesperson said. “We work with each content partner to enable these entertainment experiences, and the level of integration will vary by partner.”
Netflix did not immediately return a request for comment.
Is this the end of the world or a deal-breaker for Google TV? No, it is not. You’re probably opening the Netflix app to peruse titles and kill time anyway. But discovery and recommendation are two of Google TV’s most attractive features, and it’s one reason why I’m upgrading friends and family to this device over rival streaming sticks or dongles. Discovery among multiple apps can often feel overwhelming, and sometimes the apps themselves lack solid recommendation features for surfacing content relevant to you, the viewer.
Basically, it’s just one more hoop to jump through to find stuff to watch. But we’re used to that by now, anyway.