The one service Google features more prominently than others is its own YouTube and YouTube TV, though it doesn't dominate the interface the way Apple, Roku, and Amazon do with their own offerings. Despite Google being the largest provider of ads on the planet, its latest offering is relatively low on ads, instead focusing on shuttling you to the apps you want. The addition of a remote and a full menu system and user interface makes it much easier to use the Google Chromecast in a home with people who are less tech savvy or don't have their own separate devices (like kids).Ĭompared to Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Apple TV, the user interface is refreshingly simple. It's easy to use, fast, and has access to nearly all the apps you could ask for. And yet, it took seven years for Google to marry them. Two very popular products you'd think would go great together. On the hardware side, it had the Chromecasts. Google's product strategy has always been "throw things against the wall and see what sticks," but particularly in the TV space. The Google TV experience is a long overdue addition The Google Chromecast with Google TV interface puts content front and center, but doesn't favor Google's apps too heavily. You can still use it like previous Chromecasts, but it no longer requires another device to be useful. This is entirely different, offering a full-blown Android TV experience, complete with a remote, menu, apps, file management, and an app store. Instead, when watching content on another device (like your phone), a Chromecast logo would appear that you could tap to "cast" the content onto your TV screen. Previous Chromecast models worked the same way, but once you connected it to your Wi-Fi and plugged it in, there wasn't much else you could do with it by itself. It has a USB-C port for power that you have to plug into a wall outlet or power strip (your TV's USB ports likely don't provide enough power), and it connects to your internet via Wi-Fi. Operating System: Android TV OS (Google TV)Īudio Formats: Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby Atmos (pass-through)Ĭonnectivity: HDMI out, Bluetooth, 802.11ac (2.4GHz / 5GHz) Wi-Fi, USB-C for powerĭimensions: 2.4 in x 6.4 in x 0.5 x (W x L x H)Īs you'd expect, the latest Chromecast plugs directly into the HDMI port on the back of your TV. Here are the Chromecast with Google TV's specifications according to Google: You'll find the same operating system on some of the best TVs out there. The Google Chromecast with Google TV is a standalone streaming box, running a rebranded version of Android TV that Google has dubbed Google TV. Google seems to have been paying attention to its competitors' missteps, though it makes some of its own mistakes along the way. The idea of a box that just streams video from the internet is no longer weird, and Google has the benefit of its own hardware optimizations and seeing the mistakes being made by its competition. It's not the first time Google has tried this type of standalone design, but it enters a much more mature streaming market. This is a much more traditional streaming device, clicker and all. This new model keeps the Chromecast branding, but totally changes the user experience. In some ways, it's interesting to see Google pivot from its well-established "Chromecast" designs, which are largely geared toward tech-savvy consumers that occasionally want to send some content from their phone to their TV. Updated July 25, 2022: This post has been updated to reflect the latest information and software updates. We'll probably hear more about it at Google I/O in May.Google's latest Chromecast is one of the best streaming devices you can buy, period. We can only guess when this device will come out. There's a good chance Google will fix that problem with the new generation, since using an older codec just produces more bandwidth costs, and that means more money out of Google's pocket. Google's own Chromecast with Google TV doesn't support AV1, though. As deals with YouTube hardware partners are renegotiated, Google is making AV1 hardware support a component of the deal this was reportedly one of the issues in the Google v. Google is having YouTube lean so heavily into AV1 that it is building custom AV1 transcoders for its server farms. AV1's superior compression and royalty-free licensing have earned it the support of Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft, Samsung, Intel, Facebook, Arm, Hulu, and a ton of other companies. AV1 is Google's latest video codec, building on the success of VP8 and VP9. Further Reading Google merges Chromecast and Android TV with the “Chromecast with Google TV”The other problem with the current dongle is the lack of AV1 support.
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