Google on Wednesday rolled out a new search experience for Indian users seeking suggestions on movies and TV shows to stream. The company introduced the feature in the US market in September, 2019 and has since expanded it to other countries. The suggestion feature will be enabled when users search for “what to watch” or good shows to watch” on mobile, tablets or on desktop. The suggestions feature also enables users to rate the movies that are watched by the user and also provides personalized suggestions based on multiple algorithms.
Google Suggests What to Watch
Google would display a list generic recommendations of the top picks that are available to stream when the user searches for “what to watch.” The generic recommendations are said to be based on a combination of “what’s popular or trending in Google products, what’s mentioned across the web, and what’s new to streaming services.” However, the company enables users to customize the suggestions by enabling them to feed in the subscriptions that are currently enrolled by the user. As of press time, Google enables users to select Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar and SonyLIV as their streaming subscriptions list. Further, Google displays content available for free, rent or purchase from Disney+ Hotstar, Voot, SonyLIV, Google Play Movies and YouTube. Additionally, Google enables users to select the content type including movies or TV shows along with genre including action, adventure, love, drama and thriller. “When you’re settling in for a movie night, or figuring out which shows you might want to binge before they return this fall, it’s not always easy to choose from all the options out there,” Matt Sheets, product manager at Google, said in a release in September.
Google Would Provide Suggestions Even for Specific Searches
In September, Google highlighted that the suggestion feature would even provide recommendations on specific searches including “horror movies from the 80s” or “adventure documentaries about climbing.” “And we’re continuing to expand the wide range of movie and TV show interest to help everyone figure out what to watch,” Sheets said. The company enables users to rate the movies and to turn off or turn on personalized recommendations. The personalized recommendations are said to be based on a combination of a user’s past searches and browsing history along with the TV shows or movies rated by the user. Additionally, Google will also rely on the trailers watched by the user on YouTube to provide a personalized set of recommendations.
