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Although it is hardly new, Google is an entity that virtually everyone knows and uses on a daily basis. Whether you are seeking information on something trivial or you are checking your email, there is no avoiding Google. This ubiquitous tech company has become an institution of our time. Google exerts a strong influence over many aspects of our lives by virtue of their search engine dominance. This is often referred to as Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, and involves adjusting the content on a website to be more appealing to Google. If that isn't power, what is?

Google has made my life much easier. I use Google Play regularly because it offers a variety of premium movie and TV streaming apps. Google Play is a powerful marketplace in and of itself, and the specific branch of Google Play that is focused on movie and TV streaming is excellent.

That said, if you are looking for an app that allows you to watch your favorite shows and movies offline, or with Chromecast, then Google Play Movie and TV is definitely worth considering. So, does the Google Play Movie & TV app hold up to the competition? Well, first off, it is important to note that if you're looking for a premium streaming app that offers a library of titles for you to stream on-demand, you're barking up the wrong tree. That said, if you're looking for an app that allows you to watch your favorite shows and movies offline or with Chromecast- which is something Google Play Movie & TV excels at- then it's definitely worth considering.

Google Play Movie and TV functions a little bit differently than the majority of the other premium streaming apps. You can only watch movies and shows that you rent or buy on Google Play Movie and TV. So, unfortunately, you cannot simply pay a certain amount of money each month in order to automatically have access to hundreds of movies and shows like you can with Hulu or Disney Plus.

That is, in my opinion, the biggest downside of this app. But, then again, maybe that is more your style. You can watch a certain movie and don't mind paying out of pocket each time. It certainly does open up your options - Google Play Movies and TV does have one of the largest libraries of any streaming service out there.

Overall, Google Play Movies and TV seems to be a premium streaming app that excels in most areas. However, we will elaborate more on each facet in a moment. First, let's talk about how Google Play Movies and TV was born, grew, and expanded into one of the best streaming services out there.

History

Google Play Movies originally launched in May of 2011. It was rebranded under the Google Play umbrella in March 2012 and made available in the United States immediately. Google Play Movies and TV had a somewhat more gradual roll out internationally than a lot of other streaming apps tend to have. They began their expansion into Korea in September 2012, growing into Australia, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and Spain in October of the same year. The rollout continued in this fashion, growing a few countries at a time each month.

Design

I really like how Google Play Movies and TV looks. It has a very sleek and professional look to it. It's both minimalistic and flashy at the same time, which makes sense given the way the content is organized. I mean, the design of this app itself is very sparse, with clean lines - and it's overall classy look - but it still has tons of content?and it doesn't feel cluttered or overwhelming (the way many other similar apps can feel). The app?s discover mode is helpful, smoothly allowing you to browse titles by genre. You can select your genre of choice from a scrollable selection of tags at the top. Then just scroll to your heat?s content. Once you find a title that catches your eye, just click on it and check out the title?s credit info, view a trailer, and view rental and purchase options. You can also ?like? or ?dislike? movies and shows, adding them to playlists, which is a very convenient and useful feature. Google Play Movies & TV will know what to recommend to you in the future based on your preferences

The design and usability of Google Play Movie and TV is impressive, so streaming apps should take note.

Content

Pretty much any movie or TV show can be found on Google Play Movies and TV. Well, as long as the movie or show you are looking for is somewhat well known. I will say that, as a big fan of indie films, so long as I have been using the Google Play Movies and TV app, I have never had an issue with not being able to find a specific title. Of course, Google will have to have the rights to the movie or show in order to make it available, but even if this app does not happen to have a movie or show that you are looking for, it will point you toward a site or streaming service that does. According to Google, the majority of the content on this app is available to stream in HD. And, as of December 2016, many of them can be viewed in 4K Ultra HD.

Devices

Google Play Movies and TV is available on just about every device. Originally, it was only available on Android devices, but now it is available on Apple devices as well. You can also access Google Play Movies and TV on most smart TVs, including Amazon Fire, Roku, and Chromecast devices. Unfortunately, though, I do not believe that Google Play Movies and TV is currently available on gaming consoles like Xbox or PlayStation.

Pricing and Plans

This is a bit of a bittersweet fact for many. Monthly streaming of movies and TV shows through Google Play Movies and TV can be costly, depending on what plan one chooses. However, Google Play Movies and TV do not have a feature where one pays per month to have an ever-growing library of streaming content. If you want to watch movies or television shows on the Google Play Movies and TV app, you can do so for free. However, once you find something to watch, you will need to pay for access to it. There are a variety of ways to pay for this, with some titles able to be rented or purchased while others are only available as rentals. Purchases can also be downloaded and viewed offline.

Suggestions that I have for Google Play Movies and TV App

I would like to see a baseline streaming service offered by Google Play Movies and TV that offers a sizeable library of movies and shows without the individual rental or purchase price. Ideally, this would include a large selection of titles that are available to stream without any added fees or restrictions. I would not mind at all paying a certain amount per month for something more like a Prime Video service, where I can rent or buy titles as well as stream select movies and shows on-demand.