What we as soon as known as the Google Chromecast (after which the Chromecast with Google TV) is now the Google TV Streamer. I received’t faux to know the reasoning behind any product’s rebrand, however no less than this one makes a little bit of sense. Casting content material from elsewhere was once a giant motive TV dongles existed. At the moment, streaming gadgets primarily present the brains required to look at content material from Netflix, Disney+ and different streaming companies on nearly any display screen, and casting is a little bit of an afterthought. A reputation that focuses on Google TV’s interface as an alternative of casting appears proper in 2024.
That is Google’s first true set-top field, becoming a member of the non-dongle ranks of the Roku Extremely, the Apple TV 4K and Amazon’s Fireplace TV Dice. The Google TV Streamer is simply out there in a 4K configuration and, as soon as the backstock of Chromecast items promote out, it’ll be Google’s solely streamer, interval. Whereas that makes the lineup far easier than, say Amazon’s bloated Fireplace TV gadget catalog, it additionally means it’s a must to pay the 4K premium even when you solely have an HD TV.
That stated, the streamer is a full-featured, competent gadget with an interface that’s higher than most at pulling collectively all of the disparate threads of a streaming expertise. Add in perks like helpful good dwelling integration and a few fun-to-have AI smarts and the $100 streamer pretty earns its price ticket.
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Now that Google’s gadget sits subsequent to your TV as an alternative of hiding behind it, seems are essential. Fortunately, the gentle, oblong-wedge form is unobtrusive, although the darker hazel shade most likely does a greater job of fading into the background than my vivid white assessment unit. The again has room for the offered USB-C energy cable, plus an HDMI port and an Ethernet jack (observe that neither of the latter cables come within the field). Ethernet is elective, however with out the video cable the gadget is ineffective, so it’s a must to issue that into your price evaluation when you don’t have already got an additional twine helpful.
Inside, there’s a processor that Google will solely say is “22 percent faster” than the earlier technology, together with 32GB of storage (up from a skimpy 8GB on the Chromecast) and double the reminiscence at 4GB. It helps as much as 4K/60fps video with HDR, HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Imaginative and prescient. Audio codecs embody Dolby Digital and Dolby Atmos together with spatial audio when you’re carrying the Pixel Buds Professional. It solely helps Wi-Fi 5, which looks as if a miss — a bump as much as the Wi-Fi 6E normal can be extra futureproof. Heck, even the $50 Fireplace TV Stick 4K helps Wi-Fi 6.
The distant seems lots like that of the earlier technology, with two important enhancements: The amount controls are simpler to achieve now that they’re on the face as an alternative of the facet, and there’s a programmable star button that you should use to launch an app, or, extra excitingly, pull up your good dwelling management panel.
Presumably my favourite factor concerning the distant isn’t on the distant itself — it’s the find-it button on the again of the streamer. It rings your distant, and fairly loudly. You can too do that by way of the Google Residence app in your cellphone or pill by tapping the Google TV Streamer tile and hitting the settings icon (tapping Distant turns your cellphone into the controller). Regardless of residing in a tiny residence with (you’d assume) fewer locations for the distant to get misplaced, I used the finder perform no fewer than ten occasions over the course of my testing.
The distant nonetheless doesn’t have a devoted play/pause button and as an alternative depends on the button within the middle of the D-pad as the principle management. Once I examined the Chromecast with Google TV, that led to frustration when the middle button saved performing actions apart from pause, however this appears to be one thing Google has addressed as I had no points this time. The controller is small and hefty, but it’s so easy it might come out of my hand when typing an extended search entry. However actually, you must simply use the voice button; the voice recognition by no means as soon as misinterpreted what I stated.
Setup and streaming expertise
Of all of the good dwelling platforms I’ve examined, I discover Google’s to be the best to make use of. The vast majority of the setup for the streamer occurs via the Google Residence app, and when you’ve already been utilizing the app, your entire course of is painless — the toughest half is clicking via all the varied permissions and authorized phrases. Configuring the controls for energy and sound went via on the primary strive, one thing that hasn’t at all times been the case with different gadgets I’ve examined. I additionally like that I used to be prompted to create a child profile from the leap (so I didn’t have to recollect to do it later), together with a pin that’s simple to enter on the distant.
Earlier than touchdown you within the dwelling web page, Google asks for each streaming service you subscribe to or, within the case of free apps, those you want to look at. So from the primary time you employ the streamer, your homepage is populated not solely with these apps, but additionally with TV and film suggestions pulled from every.
Navigation shall be acquainted for a lot of, because the Google TV interface comes normal on a variety of TV units. However relying on which good TV you’ve got, the expertise could possibly be lots zippier with the Google TV Streamer employed. I’m presently working with a dirt-cheap Hisense 4K set with Google TV built-in, and speeds had been noticeably improved once I used the exterior gadget. Apps loaded shortly and even with the zero-attention-span method through which I used to be flitting between reveals, apps, reside content material and settings, the streamer saved up with barely perceptible lag. The Apple TV 4K remains to be sooner (unsurprisingly), so this isn’t category-topping however it’s loads speedy.
When you’re not acquainted, I’ll simply say that of all of the good TV interfaces I’ve examined, Google TV does the perfect job of integrating content material from all of the completely different streaming apps into one helpful and intuitive hub. And, no matter different monopolistic points the corporate could have, it’s probably the most egalitarian in relation to suggestions versus, say, Apple, Amazon or Roku, all of which favor their very own content material (YouTube is actually represented right here, however it’s not dominant).
The For You web page retains monitor of what you’re presently watching throughout apps so you’ll be able to simply dive again in, and does a reasonably good job of recommending new stuff primarily based in your watching habits. I additionally love the Watchlist characteristic (which you’ll find within the Library tab); when somebody at work recommends the trailer for the upcoming Inside Chinatown, otherwise you hear that Severance is coming again quickly, you’ll be able to add these reveals to the Watchlist from inside your browser (offered you’re signed in together with your Google account) and discover it in your TV the subsequent time you’re on the hunt for recent content material.
Whereas I want the house display screen/For You web page was customizable, the algorithm is adept at conserving issues fascinating. Additionally, looking for titles is pretty spot-on. Once I stated, “Play Abbott Elementary,” the Hulu app opened and the subsequent episode in my queue began taking part in. When present titles are somewhat extra widespread, I’ll add within the platform identify, like “Play Beef on Netflix” or “Play the show Poker Face on Peacock.”
You can too ask the assistant to point out you reveals and flicks primarily based on a theme, like arise comedy specials, grownup animation or crime television, by prefacing your question with “Find me…” These outcomes are hit and miss, however are nonetheless pulled pretty equitably from throughout your most well-liked apps. It may be helpful when you’re undecided what to look at, however have a imprecise notion of the vibe you’re searching for.
Good dwelling management
Whereas Google has competitors from Apple TV, Roku and Fireplace TV gadgets, which additionally combine good dwelling controls, it has succeeded at making its dwelling aspect easy and helpful. The panel that slides out from the settings icon seems lots like what you’d see on a Google Nest Hub. From there, you’ll be able to simply management good lights or thermostats and look at reside feeds out of your linked cameras. When you program the star button to drag up your good dwelling panel, you’ll be able to even do this stuff when you’re watching a present: the present pauses, the panel slides out after which your content material resumes when you’re completed dimming the lights, checking the doorbell feed or no matter else wants doing.
To manage these capabilities together with your voice, you’ll want to carry down the Assistant button. Some units with Google TV in-built allow you to entry the Assistant with “Hey Google,” however not right here. That’s probably as a result of the one mic is on the distant, which doesn’t have the battery energy to help an always-listening mode. However you should use the Assistant button to make your smart-home request from any display screen, together with when the TV is off (that’s one thing Amazon’s Fireplace TV Dice can do too, with no button press required, since that set-top gadget has an onboard mic). Now that Google’s streamer helps each the Matter normal and acts as a Thread router, many good dwelling gadgets are already suitable, and extra are assuredly on the way in which.
The streamer can do just a few further issues like present you tomorrow’s climate, however it falls quick on dealing with some fairly fundamental good dwelling assistant requests like setting a timer. And, regardless of Google’s huge search capabilities, it doesn’t appear to have the ability to reply fundamental questions. Once I requested, “How far away is the moon?” as recommended in one of many firm’s promotional how-to movies, it displayed a bunch of YouTube movies on the subject as an alternative of a straight reply. That’s considerably anticipated since it’s a video streaming gadget, however as a result of Google appears to border this as a kind of dwelling hub, I discovered myself wishing it was a bit extra succesful ala a Nest mini or an Amazon Echo.
Further AI options
As a result of it’s 2024, you’ll be able to’t have a brand new gadget with out AI methods, and for the streamer, these manifest in AI summaries, plot synopses and assessment aggregations on the title web page of a given present or film. The 2-sentence, computer-made writeups are OK — most likely not higher than what a human might do, however not considerably worse. The opposite AI funsies occur with the screensaver. When your gadget is idle, you’ll be able to have it present some artwork pulled from a mixture of avenue murals, traditional work, pictures and aerial earth photographs. Or it may possibly present a range out of your Google Images. Or, when you insist, it may possibly show AI-generated photos.
The streamer can create these customized photos primarily based in your prompts, and the outcomes right here had been additionally simply fantastic. I requested for bicycles in area and was introduced with the usual AI disregard for physics with two rusty bikes fused collectively to make a three-wheeled monstrosity in entrance of a Milky Approach-esque ribbon of overly vivid stars. I finally selected the non-AI artwork choice to fill my display screen. Even AI-concocted fairies tenting on the moon bored me after a bit. That’s most likely for the perfect, contemplating the carbon price of every new picture.
When Google launched the TV Streamer, it additionally introduced Google Freeplay, a built-in number of round 150 free live-streaming channels much like these supplied from Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel and the like. When you add different reside TV streaming companies to your system, like Pluto TV or Sling, you’ll additionally see these present up within the Reside tab the place Freeplay sits — one more means Google TV gamely melds content material from completely different sources.
Wrap-up
At $100, the Google TV Streamer isn’t the costliest streaming gadget. Amazon’s Fireplace TV Dice is $140, however it’s additionally a speaker. Apple’s non-Ethernet set-top field is $129, however comes with twice the storage capability and an iPhone 14 chip inside that makes it ridiculously quick. Roku’s premium set-top field can also be $100, however it helps Wi-Fi 6 and has a fancier backlit distant. Google’s previous-generation Chromecast supported 4K video and related video codecs — and it was half the value.
Sure, the additional RAM and storage is nice, however there are just a few options — like Wi-Fi 6E help, true assistant capabilities, screaming processor speeds — that Google might have packed in to make the $100 price ticket unassailable. In comparison with its competitors, and contemplating the truth that its predecessor price half as a lot, it feels just like the streamer ought to fall within the $80 vary. However I’m not going to quibble over twenty bucks. The Google TV Streamer is responsive and fast, packing the perfect streaming interface on the market with good dwelling options which might be helpful and correctly built-in. Anybody searching for a dependable streamer shall be glad including this wedge beside their TV.
