Video calls are a very important part of our lives, and a lot of that has to do with the times we live in. Now, video calls if you are using Google Duo are set to become a lot cooler, if you have a smart TV running the Android TV software, that is. Google has confirmed that Google Duo app for Android TV is in the works and a beta version will be released sometime in the coming weeks. This means you will no longer be restricted to your PC or phone for Google Duo video calls and can sit back and enjoy these on your TV if that is what you wish. Google is also giving the Meet app Chromecast support for TVs.
But you TV doesn’t have a front facing camera, you might be wondering. Google says that the Duo video calling app will work with just about any USB webcam that you may plug in to the TV. “With Google Duo, you can initiate one-on-one and group calls from your TV, and if your TV doesn’t have a camera built-in, you can simply plug in a USB camera,” says TJ Varghese, Group Product Manager, Google Meet hardware. To be fair, bringing Google Meet to the large screen would mean that video calls that include a lot of participants would probably be smoother since you’ll have a better view of everyone else on the screen. And for families, group video calls can now be a lot more involving too.
Google has also added Chromecast support for Meet, and at this time, you can cast the same Google Meet session to your Chromecast, Android TV based smart TVs as well as TVs with the built-in Chromecast. Google also points out that this could be very relevant for students who can now view the lesson and their classmates on a larger screen.
Google Meet and Google Duo are already available on smart displays such as the Google Nest Hub and the Google Nest Hub Max. The wider and more convenient availability should hold Google Meet and Google Duo in good stead in the battle against video meeting app rivals Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
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