The Google Chromecast has been around for 11 years, but it's time to say farewell even to the newer Chromecast with Google TV, because Google is retiring it and introducing the Google TV Streamer, a more fully-featured streaming box that will compete with the likes of the Apple TV 4K and Roku Ultra. It's pricier than the Chromecast at $99.99 / £99 / AU$159.99, but boasts a list of features that should see it run laps around Google's previous streaming devices.
Maybe the biggest change, though, is that it isn’t designed to be hidden around the back of your TV. Instead, it’s a slim, rounded rectangle that looks like a phone wireless charger, with three ports and plenty of horsepower to run Google TV smoothly, and also to let you easily control your smart home. It plugs into your TV via an HDMI port.
Part media streamer, part smart home hub
The Google TV streamer is a modern-looking device that's available in either Porcelain or Hazel finishes, both of which will stand out in a sea of competing black, rounded box-like media streamers. Google’s game plan is really in the features, though, with the TV Streamer pulling double duty as a streaming player and smart home hub.
On the rear you’ll find three ports: a USB-C port for power, an Ethernet port for wired connectivity, and an HDMI 2.1 port for connecting to a TV. When connected, it can stream 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, with support for HDR, HDR10, HDR10+, HLG, and Dolby Vision video standards alongside Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos audio standards, to make the most your TV's HDR and sound capabilities.
The Google TV interface will be familiar to anyone who’s used a Chromecast with Google TV, or a TV that boasts the same platform, such as the Sony Bravia 9 or TCL QM851G. It's easy to view content available from all your connected services in one place, and it should run smoothly, because the TV Streamer is powered by a new processor, which Google says is 22% faster than the Chromecast with Google TV, and which is paired with 4GB of RAM for processing and 32GB of onboard storage.
Google TV will lean on personalized recommendations, in a way that resembles Amazon’s redesigned Prime Video app. For example, if you’re a fan of comedies, it might toss a few romantic comedies into one of your main bars to try and entice you. It will also personalize recommendations for different members of the household based on which profile is signed in.
Google is also using its Gemini AI to write summaries for movies or TV shows, and to curate and summarize reviews to give you a sense of what other viewers think about content they've watched.
Like a Fire TV or a Samsung Frame TV, you can display photos or works of art on your TV through the Google TV Streamer. Google will even let you create a custom screensaver using generative AI – you can simply describe a scene and the AI will generate a result.
Also baked into Google TV is a Smart Home panel that's reminiscent of the Google Home app, and which gives you easy access to adjusting the temperature on a Nest thermostat, viewing footage from Nest cameras, and creating smart home routines.
Moreover, the Google TV Streamer can help your connected devices stay online and even help you set up new ones, as it’s a fully-feature smart home hub with a Thread Border router built in, making it fully compatible with Matter.
While the remote is similar to the Chromecast with Google TV remote, it's a bit longer, and better weighted for a more comfortable user experience. It also gets a new 'star' button at the bottom, which is a custom button that you can map to opening a specific app or use to jump into the Smart Home panel. There's the same built-in microphone as before for easy communication with Google Assistant.
Maybe the best addition here is the Find My Device integration – you can ask a Google smart speaker or a Pixel phone to find your remote, or physically click the button on the back of the Google TV Streamer to ping the remote. Either option is sure to save you some time digging between the couch cushions.
The Google TV Streamer is much more premium device that its predecessors in terms of its design and features. The question is whether it’s worth the price, and we’re eager to go hands-on with it for our review, but it's worth noting that it costs less than the Apple TV 4K, and is on a par with the Roku Ultra, so looks like a good addition to the world of the best TV streaming devices.
If you’re already sold, preorders are open now, with shipping from September 24.
If you'd rather save some money and buy or update a Chromecast, Google is currently discounting it with Google TV 4K and HD. The remaining stock currently available from Google and authorized resellers will be sold, but once that’s gone, it won’t be replaced, though Google is planning to keep supporting Chromecast via software updates.
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