“Hey Google, play The Falcon & The Winter Soldier on Disney +”
“I’m sorry but that show isn’t available yet”
“Oh yeah”
Sad but yes, Google just announced that Disney Plus(Disney+) will be available on Google Assistant-enabled smart displays.
Disney +’s library of TV shows and movies is available to stream on smart displays like the Nest Hub and the Nest Hub Max. Google says all “Google Assistant-enabled” smart displays will support the feature, which should include similar devices from JBL and Lenovo. Content can be started with a voice command, such as as our intro above there.
In the past, it was possible to stream Disney + on Google smart displays by using the Chromecast-enabled Disney + app on another device to ‘cast’ a TV show or movie to the display. Now, straight from the smart display itself, it can be done.
You’ll need to link a Disney + account in the Google Home or Assistant app for this to work. It’s available in the US, UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Ireland, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand starting today, and Google says Disney + will roll out to more regions in the coming months. What about Malaysia? Well we still don’t have Disney + so I guess we’re gonna have to wait a little longer.
Anyway, to start playing a piece of content, you can use a voice command, and according to Google, the touchscreen of the smart display can be used to pause and resume playback, as well as skip forwards and backwards.
Disney + joins Netflix, which began streaming in July on the smart Google displays. Netflix also allows you to browse content through the touchscreen controls of the smart display, in addition to monitoring via voice commands. It even supports gesture controls through the camera of the Nest Hub Max, allowing you to pause or resume playback by holding your hand up.
Google says that in the case of Disney +, you won’t be able to browse and select content using the touchscreen of the smart display as you’ll have to use voice commands for that, but has confirmed that it supports gesture control.
A small smart display is not going to be the most immersive viewing experience, as we mentioned in the Netflix announcement. But if you just want to have The Simpsons on in the background while doing the dishes, it’s a pretty convenient solution to play it on a smart display.
