At its best, the Chromecast with Google TV represents how streaming is supposed to work. You shouldn't have to sift through a dozen apps--Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney, HBO Max, and so on--just to figure out what to watch. Everything should instead be accessible from one menu that acts as a universal guide to streaming. Google's new $50 4K streaming dongle tries to deliver on that ideal. But because the new Chromecast often works so well, it's all the more glaring when it doesn't.

Not long ago, I thought of smart TV software--especially from the likes of Samsung and LG--as something to ignore. Dedicated streaming devices such as Roku's Streaming Stick and Amazon's Fire TV Stick offered slicker interfaces and better app selections, which made me wonder why TV makers even bothered making subpar software. A funny thing's happened in recent years, though: Smart TV software from LG and Samsung has actually gotten pretty good. Now, I'm wondering why those companies don't take a page from Roku and Amazon, and put their software on external streaming players. To be clear, I don't own any Samsung or LG TVs, so I haven't lived with their software like I have with all the major streaming devices.

It's a problem many are familiar with. There's a huge amount of content available on TV; so much so that many struggles to find something to watch. Consumers are spoilt for choice and it's made more difficult by the fact that it's hard to seek out shows they might like among the many unsuitable ones. The average viewer spends almost an hour every day trying to find something to watch. But there's a way that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help with content discovery, and it's a function that's already available on Samsung TVs.

Samsung Electronics knows how hard it is to look for content available on TV these days. So the South Korean tech giant has introduced a new AI system for its smart TVs that helps users find or discover content that matches their preference. Samsung took to its online newsroom Thursday to announce Universal Guide, its advanced program powered by artificial intelligence that helps with content discovery. According to Samsung, its new program will assist users in finding content, be it a TV show, movie, song or a sports channel, that fits their taste. Universal Guide is designed to give suggestions that viewers might like.

Along with a literal wall of a television, and new QLEDs with AI for 8K, Samsung's "First Look: event ahead of CES 2018 had some news about Bixby, SmartThings and Universal Guide. For those not familiar with Bixby, it is Samsung's answer to Siri, Alexa, ...Cortana. And Bixby will be in Samsung's 2018 range of televisions. Samsung says Bixby "enables easier interaction between the TV and its users, thanks to its intuitive UX, and comprehensive voice analysis capabilities". The new TVs will also feature SmartThings, Samsung's IoT platform hub, which promises "a simpler way to control the television and sync with other devices.