Google has long had a leg up on Amazon as far as smart screen video playback is concerned. YouTube is really the ideal service for these kinds of devices. Amazon, on the other hand, has a solid option for watching movies and TV on the Echo Show, in the form of its own Prime video service.
The Nest line upped the ante late last year with the addition of Hulu, and today it adds the biggest premium streaming service to the mix. Starting this week, Google is rolling out support for Netflix for the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. Users can connect the smart home devices to their account and watch shows via voice command or touch. The app can also be controlled via gestures, picking up a previously played show where it left off.
It’s worth mentioning, of course, that these kinds of devices aren’t the ideal set up for watching a long movie or TV show. But there’s a definite appeal in the idea of being able to continue a movie or show where you left off when you’re, say, making dinner. And the addition of a service like Netflix is definitely a pretty big win for Google in the smart screen battle.
The feature is rolling out “globally wherever the service and Nest devices are currently available.” No word yet on if and when support is coming for third-party Google smart screen manufacturers like Lenovo.
