Google I/O, the big G has quietly seeded the second beta of Android 13 for Android TV.
Last week, Google released the first beta of Android 13 for Android TV to developers. However, the build was pretty barebones and did not pack any of the expected new features that were long teased. Right on time for Google I/O, the big G has quietly seeded the second beta of Android 13 for Android TV. The system images have only been made available for the Android Emulator this time around, though. On the bright side, unlike the first release, the latest build comes with some new features, including support for HDMI state changes.
In the release notes, Google says that "HDMI state changes are now surfaced to the MediaSession lifecycle." So, if an HDMI device is no longer the active source on the display, content playback will be automatically paused, and the device will enter standby mode to reduce power consumption. This is all provided developers handle such events properly.
Additionally, the beta supports expanded picture-in-picture mode, so developers can create PiP windows with outlandish aspect ratios if they wish to. Google says this will help improve multitasking and allow apps to take better advantage of bigger displays.
By default, the PiP window will be docked to one edge of the screen, while the fullscreen app will be resized to occupy the space next to it. However, if the latter cannot be resized, the system will scale it down in compatibility mode and apply borders around the window to maintain the aspect ratio (via Esper). And if the docked mode is disabled, the expanded PiP window will be overlaid on top of the fullscreen app.
Interestingly, Esper's Mishaal Rahman also spotted that Android 13 will be the first release to support PiP on Google TV.
You can't try out Android 13 for Android TV beta on your smart TV right now as it is targeted at developers, but rest assured that most of these changes should arrive for your Android TV hardware at some point in the future — sadly, Android TV devices aren't as quick to be updated as many Android phones.
( Details and picture courtesy from Source, the content is auto-generated from RSS feed.)
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