Google TV is getting more Gemini features, including video generation with Veo

Google TV is getting another infusion of Gemini features, and this time it’s not just about smarter search or voice commands. The update brings two notable tools: Nano Banana for photo and video transformation, and Veo for AI video generation.

Let’s start with Nano Banana. This is Google’s lightweight image editing model, optimized to run on-device rather than in the cloud. On Google TV, it means you can take photos or short video clips and apply edits — think object removal, style transfer, or background changes — without sending your data to a server. That’s a privacy win, but honestly, I’m not sure how many people are doing serious photo editing on their TV. The use case seems narrow: maybe you’re casting a photo to the big screen and want to tweak it before sharing with the room. Still, having the option is better than not having it.

Veo is the more interesting addition. This is Google’s video generation model, and bringing it to Google TV means you can generate short video clips directly from the TV interface. Type a prompt like “a sunset over a lake with birds flying” and Veo spits out a 5-10 second clip. This feels more practical — imagine creating custom ambient backgrounds for your TV, or quick video snippets to share on social media. But the quality is still hit or miss. I’ve seen Veo demos that look impressive and others that look like early 2010s deep learning experiments. It’s improving fast, but it’s not ready for prime time in every scenario.

The bigger picture here is that Google is aggressively pushing Gemini into every corner of its ecosystem. Google TV already had Gemini-powered recommendations and voice search. Now it’s adding creative tools. This is a smart move if they can nail the user experience. But I worry about bloat. The TV interface is already cluttered with streaming apps, ads, and now AI tools. If these features are buried in menus or require too many steps, they’ll be ignored. Google needs to make them accessible without making the UI more confusing.

There’s also the question of hardware. Not all Google TV devices are created equal. The Chromecast with Google TV from 2020 has a modest processor. Running on-device AI models for photo editing or video generation might be sluggish or outright unsupported on older hardware. Google says Nano Banana and Veo will work on “select” devices, which is code for “the new ones.” If you bought a TV two years ago, you might be left out.

I appreciate that Google is experimenting. The voice assistant on Google TV is already one of the better ones — it actually understands context and doesn’t make me repeat myself. Adding creative tools feels like a natural next step. But I’d rather see them polish the existing experience first. Let me search across all my streaming services without hiccups. Let me control smart home devices without lag. Then layer on the AI toys.

Still, I’m curious to try Veo on a big screen. Generating a calming video loop for a living room TV sounds genuinely useful. And if Nano Banana can clean up a blurry photo I took at a family gathering, that’s a win. Just don’t expect to replace your laptop or phone for creative work — not yet anyway.

This update is rolling out now to Google TV devices in the US, with more regions coming later. I’ll be testing it on my own setup and will report back on how well it actually works.