I think the guide UI is better than the app, but the recordings in the library tab aren't completely up to date, so it's a mixed bag. If you watch live TV a lot and miss having a traditional cable box, it's super nice. If you record a lot and watch stuff from your library, it isn't gonna help much. Just depends on your use case.

The GoogleTV/YTTV integration in more ways than not, is the same type of "integration" one gets with YTTV thru FireTV. Basically, the GoogleTV user interface is nothing more than an updated AndroidTV user interface that adds a few newer touches such as a linear channel guide and a way to go directly to the YTTV Library. Basically it creates some nice looking shortcuts to the YTTV app but in no instance, does GoogleTV "replace" the YTTV app in any true sense.

The GoogleTV integrated channel guide is much more visually pleasing than the YTTV app guide is but it too is still limited to 6 hours in the guide and 24 hours if you click on the channel icon, just like in the YTTV app. You also cannot "add to library" in YTTV directly from the GoogleTV UI. You still have to do that from the YTTV app.

YTTV Library content is accessible via the GoogleTV user interface via their "Library" tab (one difference with FireTV that doesn't offer that option) but it still only displays a half dozen icons for the first entries in your library and to see all your library content, you have to scroll to the end and click on the icon taking you yet again to the YTTV app library interface to playback most library content.

Other providers you may subscribe to are integrated as well and you can, for the most part, filter out any content you don't subscribe to but there still are "suggestions" and PPV offerings that are mixed in with other programming that you already subscribe to. That to me is one of my sore points. For me, this intermixing of content I subscribe to with some I have to pay more for, pushes the GoogleTV interface more towards being self serving vs. user friendly. I am not saying GoogleTV shouldn't promote YT exclusive content, content from other providers like HBO Max that pays them to "advertise" some content, or PPV movies from Google Play but put it on their own lines vs. mixing it all together.

I could go on with more pro's/con's but suffice it to say that if one is expecting GoogleTV to perform miracles above what the YTTV app already offers or allow one to circumvent the YTTV app in any real sense, that simply is not the case. The YTTV app is still called to playback any content, it's required to add anything new to your library and in every sense of the word, the YTTV app is still front and center in most cases once you start playing back content from YTTV the same way other providers apps are used if you were to choose content from GoogleTV for CBS AA, HBO Max, Peacock, etc. It opens the proper app to playback content and navigating for other content from the same provider will keep you in their app without pressing back or home on the remote more than once.