So far, Google’s Chromecast line has mostly focused on making it easier to watch shows and movies on your favorite big screen. But in the new year Google TV Broadcaster, Google finally has a content-friendly set-top box that supports a wider range of smart home controls.
Design: from dongle to wedge
It comes just a week before Google approaches Made by event, perhaps the biggest change for the TV Streamer is the move from a simple dongle that easily drives your TV to a truly standalone device that lives inside your media console. Google says its wedge-shaped design is meant to easily blend in with your decor when sitting in front of your TV, offering better reception for the included remote and other smart home devices (more on that later).
Google also gave Streamer TV a relatively big hardware update Chromecast with Google TV from 2020Including a 22 percent faster CPU, double the RAM (4GB instead of 2GB) and four times the storage (32GB total). That might not sound like a ton, but considering the previous model often ran out of space to load mainstream apps, it’s a much-needed upgrade. While you get support for HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos and spatial audio (when paired with Google Pixel Buds), the streaming image drops to 4K/60fps.
Additionally, there’s an HDMI 1.1 slot, an enhanced USB-C port, and a dedicated Ethernet port for people who want the highest bandwidth for streaming. Google has also given the remote a longer touch while moving the volume control up and adding a customizable button that can be set to launch your favorite app, change inputs, or call up the new smart home control center. And as before, there is a built-in microphone and a button to call Google Assistant.
Smart home: Becoming a relevant device hub
This brings me to the enhanced smart home capabilities of Google Streamer. It just doesn’t support it The issue, it also has a built-in Thread border router to easily communicate with other devices in your home. In addition, TV Streamer is getting its own version Google Home panel (we’ve seen it on previous Pixel phones and Nest Hubs) so it’s easier to adjust things like smart lights, while also letting you view feeds from your security cameras and video doorbells.
New AI features
After all, it wouldn’t be a 2024 Google device without some new AI features. Thanks to Gemini, TV Streamer can create personalized recommendations based on the type of content you’re watching, and create summaries, reviews, or even season-by-season breakdowns for what you haven’t seen. There’s also a surround TV mode that lets you capture screensavers or memories from your Google Photos library. However, if you want something a little more unique, you can also use AI to create something fantastic. Meanwhile, if you lose the remote, you can ask Google Assistant (not Gemini) to help you find it, or you can simply press a special button on the back of the box.
So while I haven’t had much of a chance to get to grips with the new TV Streamer’s features, I finally feel like Google has a significantly more capable smart home hub. Apple TV 4K and like other Android-based boxes NVIDIA Shield TV. The Google TV Streamer costs $100 and can be pre-ordered starting today, September 24th. It will be available in two colors: porcelain white and hazel, the latter of which will be available exclusively from the Google Store.
