Google unveiled Google TV Streamer today. The box will replace the company’s own Chromecast devices to compete against the likes of Apple TV.
Here are the main details:
- Retails for $99.99 (€119.99).
- Google says CPU is 22% faster than Chromecast 4K.
- Has double the RAM (4 GB) and 32 GB of storage compared to Chromecast 4K.
- Supports Wi-Fi 5 (ac) and Bluetooth 5.1.
- Comes with an Ethernet port and HDMI 2.1, which supports 4K HDR at 60fps.
- HDR10(+), Dolby Vision, HLG, and Dolby Digital(+), and Dolby Atmos supported.
Google says that TV Streamer supports Matter and Thread, and that it comes with Gemini technology. Here, Google says that Gemini may provide “full summaries, reviews, and season-by-season breakdowns of content”.
Ambient mode, another new feature, turns an idle TV “into a work of art”. Integration of Google services allows pulling up photos and videos from Google Photos, using either voice or by typing.
The “biggest Google-Home-Panel” is not controllable with the remove. This allows users to control other smart devices, for instance cameras or door bells. Google-owned Nest support is also available.
Integration with Android is also available, which means that Android users may stream content from their devices directly on the Google TV Streamer connected display.
The not so good
While Google TV Streamer offers better functionality than Google Chromecast devices that came before it, it disappoints in some areas.
Here are the main ones:
- The processor is just 22% faster than the Chromecast 4K model, which Google released in 2020. It remains to be seen how well it performs.
- The device supports only Wi-Fi 5.
- Only 32 GB of storage.
Only tests will show how well the device performs when compared to Apple TV or other premium boxes.
This may be an instant buy for heavy Google users. If you are already invested, say with Android and smart home devices, then you may like the idea of getting another option to control all these devices.
If you just want the best streaming box, this may not be it based on the hardware that you get. All in all, you may want to wait for the initial wave of reviews before you make a buying decision.
Do you own streaming boxes or sticks? If so, which do you use currently and why? Is the Google TV Streamer a box that you are interested in? Feel free to write a comment down below.
Hopefully it will be on deep discount by Black Friday. I might want to try it out. Secretly I want it to fail to scoop it up real cheep.
I personally do not feel that “Only 32 GB of storage” section applies to the average viewer. Almost nothing outside the official Google Store works on Google TV, so how many streaming apps do you need?
I bet Google has incorporated its adserver into that device and it probably plays several of them every five minutes at least.
I think every streaming service has its own ad service or has its ads baked in (Roku Channel, Pluto and Tubi do).
But if you want to play YouTube videos or buy from YouTube store, those ads will be managed by Google ad services as on any other Google platform.
Maybe you are implying on future “feature” (that supposedly coming to many platforms) : playing ads when you pause the video. Those ads will be provided though the company that owns the box. And in this case it is Google. I also heard that a lot of streaming services want to implement this “feature” too. So, who has the priority: streaming service or box manufacturer?