If the recent news about what’s going on between YouTube and Disney is any indication, it’s that the streaming world is a complicated place. And it’s not just the business side of things that gets convoluted. We’ve all been there before, trying to watch a new TV show or movie, and it’s just a pain figuring out where it’s available.
With so many different streaming services, this has become even more of a pain lately, as brands fight for their own exclusives. Luckily, it looks like Google is trying to alleviate some of the stress by introducing a new feature on the Play Store (via 9to5Google).
Not a big change, but a welcome one
Going forward, when you search for a TV show or movie, the Play Store will indicate what apps will provide you access to the content. For the most part, the change is pretty straightforward and simple. You just search for TV shows and movies like you regularly would in the Play Store, and if there are sources available, it will provide the apps that can give you access.
Perhaps the only downside here is that it won’t let you know whether this is something that’s included with a subscription, or if you have to purchase or rent the media. For example, if you search for ‘Last of Us’, HBO Max, YouTubeTV, and Amazon Prime are the three streaming options that are presented.
In the search results, it doesn’t indicate whether this is included in Prime Video as part of its free streaming service or if a separate purchase is needed. The same goes for YouTube TV as well. Personally, I know this is an HBO production, so it’s a part of HBO Max. But others might be as aware, and this could be a point of frustration.
While this feature certainly isn’t as robust as a dedicated app or service that curates where you can watch content, it’s hard to complain since it’s better than what’s currently available. And we can just think of this as a good first step. The Google Play Store has been getting some pretty good updates lately, bringing useful features that we just can’t live without.
And while this new change to media search isn’t a huge one, it’s still a very welcome update. So, give this a try the next time you’re looking for TV shows and movies on the Play Store.
