After nearly four long years, we finally have a successor to Chromecast with Google TV. Meet the just-as-awkwardly-named Google TV Streamer. It’s available for preorder now for $100 and will ship on September 24. (It was announced alongside a new — and beautiful — Nest Thermostat.)
That the price is twice that of Chromecast with Google TV should service notice that this is more than that old dongle. Same goes for the fact that it looks entirely different. This isn’t a dongle. Or a stick. Or a puck. Instead we get a much bigger device, though Google is quick to mention how sleek it is and that it “fits right into your home’s decor without standing out.”
It’s definitely going to stand out, though — because it’s doubtful that you have anything else that looks like it. It might well be mistaken for a wireless router, especially since you’ll see at least two cables sticking out the back. One’s USB-C for power and data, and the other is for HDMI. (You’ll have to provide the latter yourself.)
There’s a third option, though, that Google doesn’t actually show in any of its promo images, and that’s for Ethernet. And gigabit Ethernet, at that. While that kind of speed probably is overkill for most folks, it’s important if you’re doing any local playback — as in watching movies on a home network. (And I’m always just a fan of being able to plug in whenever possible.) If you’re in a wireless-only situation, though, the dual-band radios should serve you just fine with the Wi-Fi 5 standard. (That’s 802.11ac, for those not using the new nomenclature.)
One more reason you’ll read in our full Google TV Streamer review that makes it better than Chromecast with Google TV — Google itself says so, calling it a “faster, more premium version.” It still supports 4K resolution, of course. It’s also good for Dolby Vision, HDR 10, HDR 10+, and HLG. On the audio side is support for Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos. But the thing we’re hoping to really notice is that Google says the new hardware is some 22% faster than its predecessor. One of our biggest complaints about Chromecast was that it always felt underpowered, with the user interface suffering from all kinds of hiccups. Hopefully this helps with that. It also has 4GB of RAM, and four times as much storage at 32GB. (Though the actual usable amount of storage will be less.)
Google says the voice remote has been redesigned. It looks pretty much the same in pictures, but Google is quick to point out that it’s easier to use and is more comfortable to hold, probably thanks to the addition of some texture on the back. And like the popular Onn 4K Pro, the remote has a customizable button that can be used to launch an app or switch inputs on the TV, or you can set it for some smart-home functionality. And perhaps even more important is that there’s a button on the back of the Google TV Streamer to force the remote to start ringing, should you not be able to find it.
And speaking of smart-home functionality, Google TV Streamer serves as a hub with the Matter smart home protocol. (And Thread, too.) That means faster and better response time since commands won’t have to go through the Internet and back before they’re implemented.
All in all, Google TV Streamer sounds like a good upgrade, and probably one that justifies the higher price. You’ll have your choice of “porcelain” or “hazel” colors when you order.
