Google TV Streamer 4K It is the evolution of Chromecast

I tried the Google TV Streamer 4K, the biggest evolution of Chromecast in a decade, and I liked the changes in its design and remote control, which gave it enough prominence to stop being the dongle that didn’t attract much attention… although I expected more from the AI.

Almost four years later, in August, the tech giant announced what it said was one of the biggest updates to Chromecast in its 10-year history: the Google TV Streamer, which has a new name, a new format and new features.

On Monday, September 23, Google announced the availability in Spain of the Google TV Streamer 4K, which is now on sale starting at 119 euros.

I had the opportunity to test the Google TV Streamer last week before its launch in Spain. I can tell you that, despite the name change, it is still a product that retains the advantages of Chromecast, but has a significantly different design and adds certain AI functions to the television experience.

The name change is clearly intended to simplify the nomenclature of Google products, but I’m not convinced for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, it looks dangerously similar to the name of a competitor, Apple TV. Secondly, Google already has too much of a track record of changing and withdrawing products. Thirdly, Chromecast was already a well-known family, and the current name gives a lot of importance to Google TV, which despite being a great platform, is still not so well known.

New design: Google TV Streamer is no longer a dongle

Until now, although the format has changed slightly over time, Chromecast has always been a dongle, that is to say, a small device that connects to the port and, in this case, hangs.

The Google TV Streamer is a complete departure from the Chromecast design, abandoning the dongle format completely to become a device that sits on a surface instead of hanging from the port. It has an elegant design with no logos or anything in sight, so it blends in well with any type of decor.

I tried the porcelain white version, with an almost white tone that suits my taste well, but they also sell a gray color, which Google calls Hazelnut for some reason, in which the remote seems a little prettier to me.
Hidden from view on the back of the device are three ports: a USB type C for power, an HDMI port for connecting to the TV and an Ethernet port in case you want to connect the Google TV Streamer.

You should know that the box includes a USB type C cable and a power adapter (yes, here, but not in cell phones…), but not the HDMI cable needed to connect the Google TV Streamer to your TV, nor the Ethernet cable if you need it.

As you can see in the photos, I only had black HDMI cables at home, but if you have good taste (even I’m thinking about it), you’ll probably prefer to buy a white cable that won’t clash.

Performance: ultra-fast speed and 4K quality to bring your TV to life

Google TV Streamer, like Chromecast, is still a fantastic way to liven up TVs that aren’t too powerful or new, but that work.
Although Google doesn’t specify the processor it uses, the truth is that it makes the Android TV operating system run very fast, opening and closing applications in an instant, and you can browse as if you were using a high-end TV.

Personally, I used it connected to WiFi and its performance seemed fast enough for me to watch films and series in my daily life, but you also have the option of connecting it to Ethernet if you want to play streaming games without a console, for example, if you have a controller.

Although on paper its 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage show its premium range, I was quite disappointed that it only has WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, as in both cases it is two generations behind the latest standards.

I don’t understand this choice by Google in a product that obviously wants to inaugurate its streaming catalog at the highest end, something that its price of 119 euros also seems to indicate.

In terms of image and sound quality, both for its 4K resolution and support for HDR10+ as well as its support for audio with Dolby Atmos, among many others, it makes it possible for the device to be up to par even for those who have high-quality televisions and even sound bars or home audio systems.

In my case, I tried it with a very simple LG smart TV that is 7 years old and the result was very good as far as possible, but if you have more complete equipment, I doubt it will disappoint you, in my experience.

Remote control: bigger and with programmable button

Although the evolution is not huge either, the remote control is one of the things that has changed in this Google TV transmitter compared to previous Chromecasts.

Although the shape is the same, the new remote control is a little bigger and longer, so I found it more comfortable to hold and more difficult to lose sight of than, for example, the Amazon Fire TV Stick, which is much smaller.

The Google TV Streamer remote control appears to have the same buttons as the latest Chromecast, but if you look closely you’ll see that this is not the case: the volume up and down buttons have been moved to the top so that they are less hidden, which I think is a great idea; the home button is now highlighted instead of the voice control microphone; and the app list button has disappeared.

The big new feature is the programmable button on the bottom of the remote, marked with a star icon. You can customize it to open an app or perform a function of your choice, which is very useful if the buttons already included on the remote for YouTube and Netflix are not enough, as they are for me, since I use Max and RTVE Play more.

Google promised a significant advance in AI in this device, and I expected that to translate into much more advanced voice commands, but I’m afraid to say that my experience has not been very good, because it works very much like the basic Google Assistant, but I don’t see any advances and it has often fallen short for certain moments.

However, in terms of voice recognition, I have noticed that it is more accurate than the Google Assistant of a few years ago.

Other features: the button to find the remote control is a great idea, but I expected more from the AI

One of the things I liked most about the Google TV Streamer is a feature that solves one of the most common problems for TV owners: where the hell have I left the remote control?

To solve this, the Google device has a small physical button on the back, next to the charging port and the standby light.

When you press it, the remote emits a ringing sound and the LED on the bottom lights up so you can find it, and it doesn’t stop until you press a button. It’s very useful if you keep losing the remote control under the sofa cushions.

I tried moving the remote control about 10 meters away from the TV and it worked without problems, in case you are one of those absent-minded people who sometimes accidentally take the remote control to another room; it’s happened to all of us, hasn’t it?

And another aspect that really excited me was Google’s promise to incorporate more artificial intelligence into the well-known Chromecast experience.

Google TV, which gives its name to the device, is the platform that serves as the basis for the experience. Not only does it compile all the information about the programs and films you watch in your different streaming accounts, but its algorithm also learns from your tastes and makes suggestions that it thinks you might like. It’s very similar to what Google has always done on YouTube.

Most of the functions are concentrated in the For you tab, which is not new to Google TV, but which the company claims has been improved thanks to AI. Although I found it useful and discovered, or rather remembered, series that I had been meaning to watch, I didn’t notice a significant change in the experience compared to a few years ago.

Among other features, I liked the ability to customize the TV when not in use with the Google Photos screensaver, which displays photos from the gallery, and the smart home controls, which are compatible with the Matter and Thread standards so they can be controlled from the TV.

Conclusion: Is the Google TV Streamer 4K worth buying?

Google TV Streamer 4K is a device that offers a very good experience and, unless you are an iPhone user and prefer Apple TV, it can be a perfect option for any user. It is not a cheap device, at 119 euros, but its performance has seemed impeccable and very fast.

Perhaps it is not the great leap forward I was expecting in many aspects, but the changes Google has made have convinced me in most cases, such as the design, which is no longer a dongle, and the remote control with simplified buttons.

Another thing is the price/performance ratio. I don’t think Google has managed to produce a product that is so competitive, especially when compared to the popular Amazon Fire TV Stick.

With a price tag of 119 euros, the Google TV Streamer considerably increases the cost of the Chromecast range, whose models currently cost 40 and 60 euros (with HD and 4K, respectively).