Until now, Google’s Chromecast line has focused on making it easy to watch your favorite shows and movies on the big screen. But the new Google TV Streamer, Google has finally created a proper set-top box for binge-watching content, and this set-top box also supports wider smart home controls.
Design: From dongles to wedges
Announced a week before Google’s Made By event, perhaps the TV Streamer’s biggest improvement is that it’s gone from a simple dongle that you attach to your TV to an entirely separate device that attaches to your media console. Google says that its wedge-shaped design is designed to blend in better with your decor when placed in front of your TV, and to provide better reception for included remote controls and other smart home devices (more on that below).
Google has also given the Streamer TV some major hardware upgrades, including a 22% faster CPU, twice the RAM (4GB instead of 2GB), and four times the storage (32GB total) compared to the 2020 Chromecast with Google TV. This may not seem like a big deal, but it’s a much-needed improvement, considering previous models often ran out of space to download basic streaming apps. Streaming resolution is capped at 4K/60fps, but HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and spatial audio (when paired with Google Pixel Buds) are supported.
Additionally, there’s an HDMI 1.1 jack, a powered USB-C port, and a dedicated Ethernet slot for those who need peak bandwidth for streaming.Google has made the remote a bit longer, moved the volume rocker to the top, and added a customizable button that can be set to launch your favorite app, switch inputs, or summon the new Smart Home Control Center. And, as before, there’s a built-in microphone and a button to summon the Google Assistant.
Smart Home: Becoming the right device hub
Now, let’s talk about Google Streamer’s smart home enhancements: Not only does it support Matter, it also has a built-in Thread border router, making it easy to communicate with other devices around your home, and it even has its own version of TV Streamer. Google Home Panel (a feature seen on previous Pixel phones and the Nest Hub) makes it easier to adjust things like smart lights, and it also lets you view feeds from security cameras and video doorbells.
New AI Features
Finally, it wouldn’t be a Google device in 2024 without new AI features. Thanks to Gemini, TV Streamer can make custom recommendations based on the type of content you watch, as well as generate summaries, reviews, and even season-by-season breakdowns for what you haven’t watched. There’s also an ambient TV mode that can pull screensavers and memories from your Google Photos library. But if you want something a little more unique, you can also use AI to generate fantastical ones. Meanwhile, if you lose your remote, you can just ask the Google Assistant (not Gemini) to help you find it, or press a dedicated button on the back of the box.
So I haven’t had a chance to explore its features too closely, but with the new TV Streamer it feels like Google finally has a much more capable smart home hub that can truly compete with other Android-based boxes like the Apple TV 4K and NVIDIA Shield TV. The Google TV Streamer will cost $100 and is available for pre-order starting today, with official sales starting September 24th. It will come in two colors, porcelain white and hazel, with the hazel being sold exclusively through the Google Store.
