CNNgo for Android TV is trying its best

CNNgo aims to be your one-stop shop for all the world’s events on your Android TV. This app wants to give you instant access to a hand-curated library of all the day’s top news encapsulated in bite-sized clips and lovingly rendered in HD. That’s what it wants to be. What it is, well…

Sure, the grid of current events is aesthetically pleasing, but once you begin consuming, you get shuffled into a playlist of related events that quickly feels like a barrage of content, as many of the segments are only 30 seconds long, with none going longer than three minutes. There’s no easy way to dive deeper into these stories, and the problem is that it’s just impossible to encapsulate the complexities of current events in these kinds of soundbites.

Much of the content doesn’t even have an anchor or narration, just text over video or stills. The overall experience begins to feel like a depthless bombardment of anxiety-inducing injustices and political hijinks interspersed with the occasional ad. But hey, if that’s what you’re into.

Our biggest gripe is that, in spite of requiring a cable or satellite subscription, there’s no live feed.

Perhaps we’re being too hard on poor CNNgo. The app actually seems far better suited for mobile devices, where you can quickly get a glimpse at what’s going on in the world while you’re on the go. But on the Android TV platform, CNNgo invites you to settle into couch and enjoy a parade of oversimplifications.

Maybe that’s what you’re looking for. Those already familiar with the deeper details of current events might find this a useful medium to get updates for the topics they pay attention to. If you want to give it a whirl, click the button below to grab it for free from the Play Store, then let us know what you think of it in the comments below! A subscription with a satellite or cable provider is required.