Google Play Store is adding a feature that will be useful for frequent video streamers.
A new card for the Google Play Store reveals where you can find that television show or movie you want to stream.
Google announced a new Play Store feature in a recent blog post. To access it, open the Play Store app and select the Search icon. Then, enter the name of the desired movie or show. The "Where to watch" card is being released now, but it has not yet appeared on a Pixel 6 Pro running Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3.3.
In the blog post, Google's example displays a search for "The Last of Us" on HBO. The screenshot shows that the show is available on HBO Max, YouTube TV: Live, and Prime Video. The card does not include pricing information, which could be difficult to implement due to the varying subscription options available.
The card has a button for each app, allowing users to install streaming services and view ratings for a show on each platform. Ratings can differ considerably; "The Last of Us" received 4.8 stars on HBO Max, 3.9 on YouTube TV: Live, and 4.0 on Prime Video. A single rating from a source like IMDb may be more helpful.
Since the Google Play Store is an Android storefront, this feature mainly helps users find and install video streaming apps. If it were more than that, Google might have included the streaming time for each show and the option to set a reminder.
Instead of using "Where to watch", users could install the TV Guide app. The magazine once had a weekly circulation of 20 million, but last year it dropped to 900,000.
The TV Guide app (iOS|Android) presents similar information to "Where to watch," but focuses more on linking to the show. Tapping on a platform takes users to the website, where they can sign in to watch or subscribe.
The TV Guide app also lists local broadcast channels and cable systems.
The Play Store's "Where to watch" card may be useful on a winter night when you want to watch something but don't know which platform it's on.
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