What Is The Google TV Streamer And What Makes It Different From The Chromecast?

For more than a decade, Google's Chromecast has faithfully turned old dumb TVs into smart TVs, breathing new life into televisions past their prime. From Amazon Fire TV Stick to Apple TV, The Chromecast has faced stiff competition in a crowded market. So, it's not surprising that Google decided it was time for an upgrade, retiring the Chromecast in favor of the sleeker, faster, AI-powered Google TV streamer. 

The Google TV Streamer is more than an entertainment device; it's also a smart home hub with a built-in Thread border router and support for Matter, allowing it to easily connect and communicate with smart devices throughout your home. Unlike Chromecast, the Google TV Streamer isn't an HDMI dongle that hangs behind your TV. Instead, it's a slim streaming box that sits beside it. In many ways, Google's new streamer is more than just an upgrade of the Chromecast; it's an entirely new, high-end device designed to change how you interact with your entertainment and smart home environment.

With so many must-have streaming services on the market, organizing apps can be a challenge, even with the smartest of TVs. Google knows this, and with the Google TV Streamer, it has set out to make streaming and smart home management more intuitive. The device is Google's next-generation 4K HDR streamer with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos for an improved viewing and listening experience. While it has impressive specs, including a 22% faster processor, 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of storage, it also does the little things like helping you find your remote when it goes missing with the Google Assistant-powered "find my remote" command. 

By getting rid of the dongle design, Google has made its new streamer more of a traditional set-top box like the Apple TV 4K or Roku Ultra. This design should boost its Wi-Fi performance since the box won't be placed behind the TV. The streamer has an ethernet port, so you can plug it directly into your router for faster, uninterrupted streaming. Google has also redesigned the voice remote, making it more ergonomic with a textured back that makes it easier to grip. The remote has a customizable button that you can program to open your favorite app or the home panel. Google has also incorporated its Gemini generative AI to help you out by providing customized recommendations based on your viewing habits, which the company likens to having a personalized TV guide. 

Given everything it brings to the table, it's not surprising that the Google TV Streamer costs more than Chromecast. You'll have to shell out about twice as much for the upgrade, with the Google TV Streamer costing $99.99 vs. $49.99 for Chromecast with Google TV. For that extra money, you get a much faster device with Google AI and smart home integration. As mentioned earlier, you also get a faster CPU, more storage and memory with the Google Streamer than with Chromecast, and a set-top box design instead of a dongle. 

With its new streamers, Google has created a future-proof device that should be able to handle changing streaming demands and smart home technologies. Google TV streamer users will be able to use its Gemini to do things like make generative AI screensavers that'll be displayed when the device is in ambient mode. Besides making recommendations based on your past viewing habits, Gemini can show synopses and reviews of the shows you're considering watching. Since the Google TV Streamer Matter and Google Home compatible devices, you can access smart home functions like temperature settings, adjust lights, or view live feeds from connected security cameras from the home panel.