Google TV Streamer review | Your new HOME HUB!

Summary

The 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

00:00

📺 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.

05:01

🛠️ 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.

10:02

🌐 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.

Keywords

💡Google TV streamer

The Google TV streamer is the central product discussed in the video, described as an upgrade from Google's previous Chromecast device. It's a streaming device designed to be an integral part of home entertainment and smart home ecosystems. The video emphasizes its simplicity, improved storage, performance, and design updates that help it integrate into a home's decor.

💡Chromecast

Chromecast is Google's older streaming device, mentioned frequently in comparison to the newer Google TV streamer. The Chromecast plugs directly into a TV's HDMI port and is praised for its simplicity. The video highlights the Google TV streamer's divergence from Chromecast’s design, which is smaller and easier to hide behind a TV.

💡Remote control

The video focuses on the redesigned Google TV streamer remote, which has received significant improvements. It's larger, features a more comfortable design for users with bigger hands, and includes practical upgrades like a dedicated button for the Google Assistant and a 'find my remote' feature. These changes improve user experience compared to the older Chromecast remote.

💡HDMI 2.1 Port

The Google TV streamer includes an HDMI 2.1 port, which is mentioned as part of its enhanced hardware. HDMI 2.1 supports higher resolutions and faster refresh rates, making it suitable for modern 4K TVs. The inclusion of this port emphasizes the device’s focus on delivering better video quality and smoother streaming.

💡Ethernet port

Another key upgrade in the Google TV streamer is the addition of an ethernet port, which allows users to have a more stable internet connection compared to Wi-Fi. This feature is particularly useful for households with inconsistent Wi-Fi signals and is noted in the video as one of the advantages over the Chromecast, which lacked this option.

💡Wi-Fi 5

The Google TV streamer uses Wi-Fi 5, which the video describes as somewhat outdated but still serviceable for streaming purposes. While faster Wi-Fi versions exist, the device performs smoothly and doesn’t encounter significant lags when loading content, indicating that Wi-Fi 5 is sufficient for most users' needs.

💡Google Home integration

One of the video’s key points is how well the Google TV streamer integrates with Google Home devices. Users can control smart home functions like lights or cameras from their TV, and the device can display doorbell notifications. This integration showcases how the streamer acts as a hub for smart home management, enhancing its functionality beyond just streaming content.

💡AI-generated summaries

A new feature of the Google TV interface is the use of AI-generated summaries for recommended content. The video explains how this provides users with a brief overview of movies or shows, helping them decide what to watch. This AI-driven feature helps streamline content discovery, addressing the often overwhelming number of available options.

💡4K streaming

4K streaming refers to the ability of the Google TV streamer to play content in ultra-high-definition resolution. The video highlights this feature as a core aspect of the device, providing better picture quality for users with compatible TVs. This aligns with the device’s positioning as a premium product for home entertainment.

💡MediaTek 8696

The MediaTek 8696 is the processor powering the Google TV streamer. While not the most powerful chipset on the market, the video notes that it significantly improves performance compared to the Chromecast, ensuring smoother operation when navigating menus or streaming content. The processor is responsible for the improved speed and responsiveness of the device.

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]