Google TV Streamer review | Your new HOME HUB!
Summary
TLDRThe Google TV streamer offers a significant upgrade over the Chromecast with Google TV, featuring a more robust design, improved performance, and increased storage. It integrates well with smart home devices and provides a smoother user experience. The updated remote is a highlight, with a comfortable design and improved button placement. While not as powerful as the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, the Google TV streamer delivers a solid streaming experience at a more accessible price point.
Takeaways
- 📺 The Google TV streamer is the follow-up to the Chromecast 4K and offers several design and performance upgrades.
- 🤏 The device has a plasticky feel that feels cheaper than expected but sturdy, with a rubberized base to help it stay in place under your TV.
- 🎨 It comes in two colors: porcelain (off-white) in the UK and hazel (gray-green) in the US, designed to blend better into home decor.
- 🔌 The new streamer is harder to hide compared to the old Chromecast, likely due to its larger size and shape.
- 🖥️ The biggest design changes include a new, larger remote with better ergonomics, such as a deeper groove for comfort.
- 🎮 Performance has improved, with a smoother, more responsive interface, but it's not ideal for gaming and still uses Wi-Fi 5.
- 🔧 It includes more ports, like HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, and USB-C for power, but does not come with an HDMI cable in the box.
- ⚡ The device draws very little power and can be powered by a USB 2.0 port on some TVs, but this may vary depending on your TV model.
- 📡 The Google TV software has gained AI-generated summaries for recommended content, offering helpful insights without spoilers.
- 🖼️ New AI-generated art screen savers allow users to create custom prompts for display, though it may appeal more to families and children.
Q & A
What is the Google TV streamer?
-The Google TV streamer is a follow-up device to the Chromecast 4K, designed to integrate more seamlessly into home decor and offer an improved streaming experience.
How does the Google TV streamer differ from the Chromecast in terms of design?
-The Google TV streamer has a more muted color and a rounded wedge shape, making it look more like an ornament than a piece of technology, and it is harder to hide compared to the Chromecast.
What color options are available for the Google TV streamer?
-The Google TV streamer is available in an off-white color in the UK and a gray with a slight hint of green, akin to the Pixel 9 series, in the US, which is limited to the Google Store.
What are the new features of the Google TV streamer's remote control?
-The new remote control has a larger form factor with a dimple on the battery drawer for extra comfort, new button placements, and a dedicated button to help find the remote.
How does the Google TV streamer perform in terms of heat dissipation?
-The Google TV streamer does not get overly warm or hot to the touch even after hours of streaming, indicating good thermal management.
What are the connectivity options on the Google TV streamer?
-The Google TV streamer includes a dedicated HDMI 2.1 port, an Ethernet cable slot, a USB-C power and expansion port, and comes with a USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-A power brick.
How much usable storage does the Google TV streamer offer?
-The Google TV streamer comes with 23 GB of usable storage out of the box.
What AI features has Google TV integrated into the streamer?
-Google TV on the streamer includes AI-generated summaries for recommended content, custom AI art screen savers, and faster Google Assistant responses.
How does the Google TV streamer compare to the Nvidia Shield TV Pro in terms of performance?
-While the Google TV streamer offers a substantial upgrade in performance and storage, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro remains the top choice for Android TV boxes in terms of raw performance.
What is the price point of the Google TV streamer, and how does it compare to other streaming devices?
-The Google TV streamer is priced at $99, offering improved codec support and a vastly improved Google TV experience, but there are cheaper alternatives available that may better suit some users.
What are the advantages of using the Google TV streamer over the Chromecast with Google TV?
-The Google TV streamer offers improved performance, more storage, and a better integrated Google TV experience, making it a notable upgrade over the Chromecast with Google TV.
Outlines
📺 Google TV Streamer: A New Evolution
The new Google TV streamer, released as a follow-up to the Chromecast 4K, brings some design and functionality updates. Although initially attractive due to its simplicity, the device feels cheaper than expected, with a plasticky texture. Its compact design, especially with a rubberized base, allows it to blend into home décor, but it is more visible than the previous Chromecast, which was easier to hide behind the TV. The new color options, such as porcelain and hazel, further support its intention to integrate into various environments. However, users should be mindful of the HDMI cable to avoid imbalance.
🛠️ Remote and Design Improvements
One of the most notable changes is the updated remote control, which is larger and more ergonomic, particularly for users with larger hands. Google made small but significant improvements, such as a deeper dimple on the battery drawer for added comfort. The button placement has been adjusted, requiring some time to adapt, but it is more intuitive overall. Changes to the button material and the addition of a 'find my remote' button are welcomed, although some users may prefer using Google Assistant to locate the remote. The device includes more ports, including HDMI 2.1 and Ethernet, but lacks an integrated HDMI cable, which may frustrate some users.
🌐 Google TV Streamer’s Enhanced Performance
Performance is a key focus with the Google TV streamer, which runs more smoothly than its predecessors, such as the Chromecast and Nvidia Shield TV. It features faster response times and minimal lag, especially when browsing or opening content, thanks to the updated Mediatek 8696 chipset. However, it still uses Wi-Fi 5 and is not ideal for gaming. Despite a 22% performance improvement and 4GB of RAM, the Nvidia Shield TV Pro remains more powerful for heavy users. The Google TV streamer also introduces a substantial 23GB of usable storage, alleviating the need for external storage expansion.
📱 Google TV and AI Integration
Google TV continues to evolve, integrating more smart home and entertainment features. The system now offers AI-generated summaries for recommended content, providing users with more context and information before deciding to watch. These AI-generated summaries offer spoiler-free overviews and related content suggestions. Additionally, Google has introduced custom AI-generated art as screen savers, although these may appeal more to families and children. Despite the AI advancements, some users might feel that this aspect is more of a novelty.
🖼️ Is the Google TV Streamer Worth It?
The Google TV streamer offers many improvements, but it may not be the powerhouse some users expected. While it is a notable upgrade from the Chromecast, it still falls short of the Nvidia Shield TV Pro in raw performance. The increase in storage, improved codec support, and better integration with Google services make it a solid choice, but its $99 price tag may deter some users. Google’s smart home integration, faster Google Assistant, and AI features are highlights, but those looking for an alternative might consider Walmart’s more affordable streaming box.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Google TV streamer
💡Chromecast
💡Remote control
💡HDMI 2.1 Port
💡Ethernet port
💡Wi-Fi 5
💡Google Home integration
💡AI-generated summaries
💡4K streaming
💡MediaTek 8696
Highlights
The Google TV streamer is a notable follow-up to the Chromecast 4K, offering improved hardware and a sleek design.
The device features a plasticky chassis, contrary to initial expectations of a more rubbery texture, though it remains sturdy and dense.
Its design is muted and meant to blend into home decor, with limited color options in different regions, like porcelain in the UK and hazel in the US.
Unlike the Chromecast, which could be hidden behind the TV, the Google TV streamer is harder to conceal, leading to mixed reactions regarding its placement.
The updated remote is the most significant hardware change, offering a deeper dimple for more comfort and stability, particularly for larger hands.
Remote button placement has changed, with the home button now dedicated to Google Assistant and the volume controls moved to the front.
The remote now has less button travel with a satisfying click, and a dedicated button for remote-finding has been added, which can be activated by Google Assistant.
The Google TV streamer has expanded port selection, including HDMI 2.1, Ethernet, and USB-C power, though it lacks an included HDMI cable.
It runs on a Mediatek 8696 processor, which offers a performance increase of 22%, making for a smoother experience compared to the Chromecast.
The device comes with 23 GB of usable storage, a substantial upgrade over previous models, reducing the need for external storage.
Google TV software now offers AI-generated summaries for recommended content, providing brief, spoiler-free plot overviews.
AI-generated custom art can be used as screensavers, adding a fun feature for families and children to personalize their TV display.
The integration of Google Home features allows users to control smart home devices, check camera feeds, and receive doorbell notifications directly on their TV.
Despite notable improvements, the Google TV streamer is not a powerhouse device for gaming, with the Nvidia Shield TV Pro still offering superior performance.
Overall, the Google TV streamer is seen as a solid upgrade, particularly in terms of performance, storage, and smart home integration, though it comes with some caveats.
Transcripts
four years after debuting the Google TV
on underpowered but ultimate acceptable
chomecast 4K Hardware we finally have a
followup that we've probably been
waiting for this is the Google TV
streamer so let's get into it there's
really only so much that press renders
and photos can tell you about a product
it's only when you get them in your hand
and use them in person you can
accurately ascertain what they're all
about and I say that as a Google TV
streamer while attractive because of its
Simplicity actually feels way cheaper
than I'd initially anticipated the
chassis is somewhat plasticky I actually
expected it to mimic the rubbery texture
of the pixel stand or the pixel tablet
base station and while it has a smooth
plasticky texture it's very dense it
feels super sturdy all that said luckily
the rubberized base is there as well so
it should stick to a surface when you
found the perfect position under your TV
and I say under your TV because even
Google suggests that this is the optimum
location for this new hardware a hefty
HDMI cable might cause some imbalance
with this so that's something to think
about I would say choose your cables
wisely in the UK where we only have wall
and color to choose from that's
porcelain this is an off-white almost
cream color which is a big departure
from the brilliant white of the
chomecast for Google TV toning down the
color makes a lot of sense for the
Google TV streamer though as it's
clearly designed to be integrated more
into your home decor a bright white box
might stand out a little more with the
rounded wedge shape also looking more
like a smaller ornament than a brand new
piece of technology luckily there is a
hazel color to choose from if you are in
the US this is limited to the Google
store but it's actually more of a gray
with a slight hint of green something
akin to the pixel 9 series it should
help you hide this a little bit easier
next to things like sound bars and all
that kind of things but as I say it is
limited to the Google Store in the US so
hopefully we do see this a wider
expansion in the future but there's no
news on that at this point in time my
only frustration is that this new design
is a really big departure from the tried
and tested chomecast which is plugged
into the back of your TV and is only
seen when need to troubleshoot or in
this case get an upgrade the Google TV
streamer is harder to hide which is
likely contributed to that muted design
and actually the design choices to try
and blend this into various surroundings
a little bit better while the nest Hub
or a home hub has utility on a counter
on a Surface a blob light box is a
little more out of place at least in
isolation after the original setup
process I left this on my TV cabinet and
actually kept it near an older Hub
almost to hide it from view then I threw
it haphazardly behind the gap between my
TV and the wall behind it and I still
believe that a streaming stick or a box
should be out of sight and out of mind
but credit where due though the Google
TV streamer looks nice compared to the
boxy overly techy looking Alternatives
but it will do the same thing stream my
TV shows and movies so does it matter
and while I'm being outwardly cynical
about the size and shape of the Google
TV streamer I do really like the style
it's in keeping with the rest of the
Google product portfolio in fact it
feels like the most obvious evolution of
the recent chomecast because of the
rounded size rounded edges and all those
kind of things for anyone wondering
about heat dissipation I actually
haven't noticed the Google TV streamer
get overly warm or hot to the touch when
streaming for hours per day so far this
might degrade over time but now The
Thermals seem pretty solid that's likely
due to that increased footprint
obviously the and the ability to
dissipate heat across the size of it so
the other big change with this device is
the updated remote and as soon as I took
this out of the box I knew right away
that this was the best hardware change
there's obvious size increases here but
Google has made important changes here
over the first generation Google TV
Remote so if like me you have fairly
large hands and the upgrades are going
to be noticeable right away at the rear
there's a dimple on that battery drawer
it is now marginally deeper or the
groove itself is marginally deeper so
that you can rest your index finger in
for some extra comfort and stability
when you're holding it it was such a
tiny change I have to admit I hadn't
even anticipated it but I love this
little extra attention to detail I will
say though it will take some time to get
used to the new button placements here
the home button moving into the
dedicated Google Assistant slot has
broken my muscle memory but I think it's
sensible to have the back and home
options just beneath that main
navigation Circle or main navigation
buttons the same goes for the volume
controls now that they're on the face of
the Google TV streamer remote I'm
actually not making as many erroneous
volume changes or incremental
adjustments it feels like a classic
remote and I say that in the best way
changes in the button material have also
changed the experience of using this new
physical remote as well each button has
slightly less travel and a little more
click when you actually press them
however I am comparing to a
four-year-old chomecast with Google TV
Remote that has been thoroughly put
through its Paces every single day
during that 4year period so the material
of each of these buttons is definitely
I'm going to say less rubbery this time
around I'd liken it to softer plastic
but it is a rubber composite Google
decided to add a dedicated button to
help you find your remote on the back of
the Google TV streamer I think this is
neat but I do prefer asking the
assistant to find my remote then hearing
the beep from that which does get quite
loud I must admit it's much easier to
pinpoint the remote control when you're
not over by your TV away from the most
likely last location of it which is
probably going to be a couch like it is
for me it is a great option to have
though I must admit one final note on
the remote though the color appropriate
AAA batteries return once again and once
more the unnecessary but excellent
attention to detail is something I can't
help but love with a larger form factor
means we're going to have different port
selection and there's more ports at the
back of the Google TV streamer we're
gaining a dedicated HDMI 2.1 Port
ethernet cable slot and that accompanies
the USB C power and expansion Port so in
the Box you get a USB a Toc cable and a
usba a power brick I figured we actually
might have moved on from usba by now but
this is a low power device so it doesn't
matter all that much in fact it actually
only draws around 2 wats of Power when
in use so it means you should be able to
power the Google TV streamer via a
compatible USB 2.0 port on your TV it is
worth testing this out though before you
commit to less cables as I found that
this doesn't work on some of my LG TVs
but your mileage may vary and Google is
actually making this a little bit easier
this time around to get power to this
device one Saving Grace is that Google
bundles in a 1.8 m around about 6t high
quality USB ATC cable so reaching a wall
outlet shouldn't be a problem if you do
need to do that if you don't have a
spare HDMI cable lying around you will
need to go and grab one though because
Google does not provide one in the box
so while we have more Port some more
power I'm actually a little bit mythed
that the new streaming device lacks the
ease of just plugging the chomecast into
the back of your TV with its really neat
integrated HDMI connection design the
Google TV streamer is yet another
iteration of the impressive but not
fully realized Google TV system and for
the first time since the move away from
Android TV and all butt name I can
confidently say that this is the best
experience that a first party system has
offered and delivered right out of the
box I was struck how much smoother it
was using the TV streamer over the
chomecast and even my Nvidia Shield TV
there was no millisecond of processing
when you tap or press a button which is
something that has frustrated for a long
time it's not completely lag free or
free of lag it's just almost not there
or you won't notice it anywhere near as
much there isn't a pause or hang when
opening a movie or TV suggestion unless
you've just started up the device I'll
stop short of calling it snappy but it
is a massive Improvement one thing that
is a little frustrated that it isn't as
much of a problem in general use is that
this still uses Wi-Fi 5 I'm not sure if
the extra processing power helps but it
or if it isn't even a better Wireless
chip in here as the hangs that I
sometimes would have when loading
previously playing YouTube videos seems
to be been obliterated with the new
hardware although Google also hasn't
confirmed the new chipset we do know
that it's powered by the mediatech
8696 this isn't a particularly powerful
processor in any sense of the word but
in terms of raw performance the Nvidia
Shield TVO Pro actually remains
undefeated as a known streaming product
there are others on the market which
will put that one to shame as well put
it this way though you're not going to
be doing too much gaming on the Google
TV streamer rightly or wrongly and
although the performance uptick may have
been a reported 22% which doesn't seem
all that much the 4 GB of onboard Ram
really doesn't show that you don't hit
those lag spots anywhere near as often
another notable upgrade is at the Google
TV streamer now comes with what I'd
consider a whopping 23 GB of usable
storage right there out of the box it's
not going to be a media server but you
should be able to expand that as well if
you really need more space I will say
this upgrade alone renders my USBC Hub a
little bit redundant and I wouldn't
suggest doing that now cuz there doesn't
seem to be much need I'm glad that I
won't have to suffer through shuffling
around apps on external storage just to
get things working as they should Google
TV as far as the software goes is
visually identical but as I alluded to
earlier it has gained a few new tricks
that do help tie things together more so
than ever before we know that the first
step was bringing in all of your
services into one accessible place and
now it feels like Google is integrating
your other accounts and Smart Home Tech
into the probably the most obvious focal
point in your home I have to say I've
been loving the Google home integration
checking camera feeds or controlling
lights from your TV with the remote is
perfect the ability to get dobell
notifications on your TV is expertly
implemented although I've only tested it
in a few hypothetical scenarios delivery
drivers aren't actually as consistent
enough to always press my Nest well when
dropping things off that's why by
default though the system will nudge you
to assign your Google home account to
the new short cut button on the remote I
was skeptical of doing this at first but
it's actually been quite useful I think
I might actually switch out to another
app at some point in future but I found
using the quick setting sidebar is fine
for making those smart home adjustments
and I think that might that seems the
most sensible at least as far as I'm
concerned the Google assistant is also
way faster at responding which makes me
want to use it much more this time
around I'm intrigued to see if or how
Gemini is ever going to be drip fed into
the Google TV experience but for now the
assistant is still here and it's doing a
better job than it ever has previously
the thing is AI is playing a more
integral role in the Google TV streamer
including AI generated summaries for
recommended content that you'll see on
screen I wanted to actually hate this
feature but I can already see the value
in it Google TV is set up to put content
right there in front of your face if you
didn't already know and this can get a
little overwhelming at times and the Sea
of syy stuff and Samy generated content
can be really difficult to sift through
I think getting a snippet of information
about a show that Google TV thinks
you'll like is actually better than just
a title and the service that you can
watch said recommendation on when you
open up these now you'll get an overview
of what the content is about plus a
brief plot summary outline so far this
has been fairly spoiler-free but I do
wonder if AI will ever ruin a movie by
giving me that full plot overview
sometimes it'll give you some related
content information too which is nice if
something is part of a bigger series or
even a bigger lineage the what people
are saying option pulls reviews from
Google critics and even gives you an
overview of any awards or accolades that
the show or movie has won I'm not sure
how AI is power in these sections but
the extra information is helpful when
you're trying to find the next thing
you're going to binge on the other
touted AI feature is the custom AI art
screen savers and I say AI art in air
quotes there essentially this is pixel
Studio but for a bigger screen you
create a prompt and if it's allowed you
get an image that's churned out the
guide rails are more pronounced after
the Fallout of the initial pixel Studio
launch but I will say that the results
are impressive in my own testing I'm
unlikely to use it though as even as
goodlooking as some of this AI imagery
is to me it's still AI sludge but it
might be fun for families and those with
children wanting to create something
that will appear on their home TV screen
and you can play around with this and
have a lot of fun with it especially if
you got younger children they want to
realize something that they might not
have the capability of drawing or even
envisaging on paper or otherwise to cut
to the chase here I think while they I'm
many improvements and important changes
the Google TV streamer isn't quite the
PowerHouse streaming box that many of
you out there probably hoped it would be
however it's a substantial upgrade over
the chomecast with Google TV I think in
the most important ways to me it feels
like a big Hub that Google TV probably
ought to be running on making the TV the
main interaction point for all of those
other smart home services and
entertainment as well the best changes
are the performance and storage uplift
though which was always a complaint
leveled at the chomecast sure I will say
and I do own this as well the Nvidia
Shield TV pro remains practically
untouch still but you do get improved
codec support and a vastly improved
Google TV experience here so it feels
more in line with that $99 entry price
this time around I think if the price
puts you off than the updated $50
Walmart on streaming box probably might
be better suited to you and on paper
actually Stacks up really well against
Google's Flagship streaming system and
it's half the price I do think this is a
notable upgrade over the chomecast but
with some of those caveats however those
are fewer and far between at least with
more reasons now for you to be excited
by the first party streaming box from
Google I want to ask you though what do
you think do you think the Google TV
streamer is a good product a bad product
or are you just going to stick with the
Nvidia Shield TV pro which I think is
still the top dog at least as far as
Android TV boxes go let me know down in
the comment sections below I want to say
a big thanks to our channel members on
the screen now and also thanks for
watching this video thanks for making it
this far but until next time I will
speak to you later
[Music]
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