When businesses had to deal with social distancing limitations during the pandemic, Zoom became an incredibly popular tool in workplaces across the world. In March 2020 alone, Zoom received two million downloads on mobile, and it’s now become the clear leader amongvideo chat appsfor offices that rely on remote work. Now, Zoom video conferencing is headed for your living room, albeit in a limited capacity.
Zoom is coming toGoogle TV and Android TVwith a native app on the Google Play Store, but it will be exclusive to Sony Bravia TV sets. Sony announced the exclusivity in apress release, adding “We are excited to partner with Zoom to bring video conferencing to our BRAVIA TVs, making Zoom services available on the Android TV platform” (via9to5Google).
Sony makes aBravia Camaccessory to bring smart webcam functionality to its Bravia TVs, which users can utilize when making Zoom calls. This means two-way video, screen sharing, and collaboration tools are included in the app, making the experience a lot like a regular Zoom call on desktop or mobile. Bravia Cam’s smart features will further improve the experience by doing things like adjusting the sound and picture settings depending on where you are in the room and how far away you are from the TV.
The app is only coming to select Bravia TVs compatible with the Bravia Cam in early summer. When it is released, users will be able to download the app straight from the Google Play Store.
There is no word when or if Zoom will come to other TVs, but now that an Android TV app exists, the barrier for entry is lower for devices like the latest Chromecast and Nvidia Shield TV. You may infer some hope from Sony’s phrasing when proclaiming itself “thefirstTV brand to support the Zoom for TV app on Google Play Store,” but there’s no guarantee more will follow. In the meantime, you canuse Google Meet for video callingon almost any Android TV or Google TV with a USB webcam attached.
