YouTube TV, Google’s version of cable TV, could soon let viewers watch up to four live streams simultaneously in a new feature called “Tile Mode .” This is according to a non-public presentation Google gave to its Smart TV hardware partners, where it discussed upcoming optimizations for YouTube Shorts on the big screen, as well as new YouTube Music functionality.
Announced at a presentation for Google TV and Android TV hardware makers, Protocol notes that the feature will likely eventually come to non-Android smart TVs from Samsung and LG given that Google likes to keep its services consistent. on different hardware.
Other new features detailed in the presentation include optimizations for YouTube Shorts, the company’s TikTok-style short-form video service, when viewed on big screens.
The report suggests that the YouTube Shorts interface will be improved by offering shortcuts for the ‘like’ and ‘dislike’ function. It will also change its format to better adapt to smart TVs.
Google’s development of the feature comes as TikTok has been making more and more inroads into the smart TV space. Although traditionally considered a mobile service, TikTok is now available on a variety of smart TV platforms from Samsung, LG, Google and Amazon.
One advantage Protocol points to is that Google has the advantage that YouTube is pre-installed on many TVs, while customers have to manually search for TikTok apps.
For its part, YouTube Music also has a couple of new features on the way for smart TVs, like the ability for subscribers to browse and add playlists and albums to their libraries.
Protocol reports that at least one of the new features could arrive in an update “in the coming months.”
