Google’s latest streaming device, the $30 Chromecast with Google TV HD, isn’t for home theater enthusiasts who live and breathe 4K and Dolby Atmos. Rather the opposite. The device is limited to a maximum resolution of 1080p (Full HD) and lacks Dolby’s best video and audio tricks. This is at least capable of playing HDR videos. But the target customer is clear: this product is for people who want to bring new intelligence to an old TV (or monitor). Maybe you have an Airbnb that needs more entertainment. These are the use cases where Google’s new streamer – and similarly priced starter options from Roku and Amazon – come into their own.
Despite a mediocre processor that sometimes struggles to navigate the interface, the Chromecast with Google TV largely succeeds in its mission of providing a good streaming experience wherever you want it. And just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s incapable. Along with its main features and built-in remote, you can run a USB hub in the Chromecast HD and take advantage of external storage, plug in a webcam for video conferencing, or a wired Ethernet connection for rock-solid streaming.
In terms of design and size, good luck spotting the differences between that $30 dongle and the $50 Chromecast with Google HD 4K. The older hardware comes in multiple colors, but you’re stuck with white for the HD model. It’s really the only visual differentiator. Otherwise, they both plug into an HDMI port and come with a USB-C power adapter, as TVs’ USB ports often can’t supply enough juice to run them optimally. The included voice remote is also identical and has the same shortcut buttons for Netflix and YouTube, as well as a dedicated Google Assistant button. It’s a comfortable, compact remote that’s easy for you (or an Airbnb’s guests) to get down in no time.
You already know its video limitations, but for audio, Chromecast with Google TV HD supports traditional Dolby Digital, so you can still enjoy surround sound. Just without the Atmos height channels.
Playback resolution aside, the user experience of both Chromecasts is, again, the same. And this is a good thing. Despite some lingering sluggishness that Google is still trying to address, Google TV remains my favorite interface for browsing TV shows and movies from several different streaming apps and Internet TV services. Browsing through its sections – For You, Live TV, Movies, Shows, etc. – is intuitive, recommendations are often relevant and Google advertising is harmless. It’s not as blatant as what you get from Roku or Amazon, Google’s only competitors at this price point. Every major streaming app is accounted for, although key players like Netflix have dismissed some of Google TV’s features like Universal Watchlist. It’s not enough to ruin my preference for the platform, but it can be annoying.
Google TV has supported custom profiles (and content-appropriate child accounts) for a while now, so everyone in your home can have their own watchlist and personalized choices. Overall, whether you’re looking through a show’s details page, doing a voice search, controlling your smart home, or downloading a Nest Camera stream, everything about Google TV is sleek and modern.
I still think Google would be well served by releasing a powerful streaming gadget that could really showcase this software to its full potential, but I haven’t had a wrong time using the Chromecast HD. I was worried it might be, but Google’s optimizations over time (and the new Android 12-based OS) make it perfectly tolerable. If this continues to hold true over time, we’ll find out in a few months. What I can say now is that any drop in performance is only momentary and not a constant annoyance.
Explore the Chromecast settings and you’ll find that Google will let you go either way: simple or advanced. New with Google TV running Android 12, there is a “matches frame rate” setting. But this goes beyond other implementations I’ve seen and gets delightfully cheesy. You get three choices:
Transparent
If requested by the app, your device will adapt its output to the original frame rate of the content you are watching, ONLY if your TV can transition seamlessly.
Not seamless
If requested by the app, your device will adapt its output to the original frame rate of the content you are watching. This can cause your screen to go blank for a second when exiting or entering a video playback.
Never
Even if the app requests it, your device will never try to match its output to the original frame rate of the content you’re watching.
I appreciate Google understanding that home theater nerds are often so picky that a seamless transition between frame rates is really important. You also get privacy-centric perks with the new software, like the ability to mute the microphone (in the handheld remote) or camera access (if you have a webcam connected). Text scaling has been added, allowing you to adjust the on-screen text size between 85 and 115%. And setup is a bit quicker thanks to an on-screen QR code that can quickly pull the Chromecast onto your Wi-Fi network. Obviously, these improvements won’t be exclusive to the cheaper Chromecast HD for long; Google has confirmed that Android 12 will soon arrive on the 4K model.
The Chromecast with Google TV HD still fully supports its long-standing namesake feature: casting. But its cloud gaming days are indeed numbered, at least as far as Stadia is concerned. Personally, it still crosses my mind that Google has yet to release a full-fledged Google Photos app designed for the TV screen. I would be all over it. Those with smart homes would also appreciate a full Google Home app for the TV platform, but that too is still missing.
In about a week of regular use of the Chromecast with Google TV HD, I haven’t discovered any major issues or frustrations. It offers the same modern, content-focused presentation as aging 4K hardware, but for $20 less. And it’s already been reduced at several retailers, so it could prove to be a compelling impulse buy for many over the holidays.
If you are a videophile, you probably don’t pay any attention to this product. Owners of 4K TVs should definitely look elsewhere. But for anyone who needs an ideal streamer to plug into a secondary TV in the kitchen, gym, second bedroom… everywhere thatthis $30 Chromecast gets the job done and offers a much richer feature set than the original Chromecast from nearly a decade ago – and it costs even less.
Every smart device now requires you to agree to a series of terms and conditions before you can use it – contracts that no one actually reads. It is impossible for us to read and analyze each of these agreements. But we’ve started counting exactly how many times you have to click “accept” to use devices when we review them, because those are deals most people don’t read and certainly can’t negotiate.
To use Chromecast with Google TV HD, you must agree:
- Google Terms of Service
- Google Privacy Policy
- Google Device Arbitration Agreement: “All disputes relating to your Google device will be resolved by binding arbitration on an individual basis, out of class […] unless you opt out by following the instructions in this Agreement. »
The following agreements are optional:
- Use Chromecast location: “Allow Google and apps with your permission on your Chromecast to use estimated Chromecast location from Wi-Fi.”
- Send usage and diagnostic data
Additionally, if you want to use the Google Assistant, you must consent to Google collecting:
- Information about the applications of your devices
- Details of your devices: “This data can be saved and used in any Google service you are signed into to provide you with more personalized experiences. You can view your data, delete it, and change your settings at account.google.com “
Streaming services also have their own terms of service and privacy policies.
Final tally: at least three mandatory agreements and at least four optional agreements.
Photograph by Chris Welch/The Verge
