Google announced today it will finally start offering movie and TV show purchases and rentals from the Google Play online store, the same store you use to buy apps and other content on your Android device.

This puts devices running Google TV's software on a more even level with Apple TV, which has always let you buy video content directly from the box.

But it's important to note that Google Play's video content library isn't as robust as Apple's or Amazon's. You can get a lot of great shows and movies, but the selection is pretty poor compared to the competition.

All content syncs with your Google Account, so if you buy a movie or TV show on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, you'll be able to stream it to your Google TV too.

This was also a feature missing from Google's Nexus Q media streaming device, which was blasted by reviewers for not having a way to access content directly from the device. (You need an Android tablet or smartphone in order to make the Nexus Q work.) Google delayed the Nexus Q so it could improve the product.

In the meantime, the new Google TV update fills a wide-open gap the platform has had since it launched nearly two years ago.