Google TV, the smart TV platform from the search engine giant, could soon get support for free TV channels.

       According to a report from Protocol, Google is in talks with free and ad-supported streaming television providers about the possibility of adding those channels to its smart TV platform. It will have a similar feel to the traditional TV with commercial breaks.

       It is being speculated that the free streaming channels could get launched on Google TV in the coming weeks or months, but the company may wait to announce the initiative with its Smart TV partners sometime early next year, reports Gizmo China.

       As for the usage, the users will likely be getting a dedicated live TV menu to browse through the channels.

       On smart TVs, the streaming channels are expected to be presented alongside over-the-air programming that can be accessed with an antenna.

       Google first forayed into the free TV streaming category when it unveiled the Android TV platform in 2014.

       Google TV is based on the Android operating system and is powering devices like Chromecast as Smart TVs.

       --IANS

       vc/bg

       (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)