Today marks a turning point in Google's streaming lineage. The beloved (and Award-winning) Google Chromecast with Google TV streamer has officially been discontinued, with the Chromecast series as a whole being laid to rest after 13 years. While saying goodbye to this successful line of streaming devices is hard, it's a bittersweet occasion; as Google has officially announced its successor.
The imaginatively titled Google TV Streamer picks up right where the Chromecast left off, but this time Google is going for a full-on streaming box solution rather than an HDMI dongle. Looks-wise, the new streamer carries forth the smooth, pebble-inspired aesthetics of the Pixel phones and Pixel tablets, as well as the outgoing Chromecast. Google says it designed this streamer to sit alongside your TV rather than being tucked away in a media unit, hence the slick design; however, it should also improve connectivity with other smart home devices too according to Google. On the subject of connectivity, Google has included an ethernet port for wired internet connectivity, which should lead to smoother streaming and less buffering.
