The Google TV Streamer pleasantly surprised this extreme cord cutter - and it's cheaper than ever

4 days ago 25

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Google TV Streamer is simply a streaming instrumentality that typically sells for $100.
The Google TV Streamer offers beauteous image, accelerated performance, and the champion astute location integrations of immoderate Google streaming device.
It's built for Android users but tin enactment with iOS, with immoderate compromise, and determination are lone a fewer audio customization options.

For a constricted time, respective retailers, including Google, are selling the TV Streamer for $79 ($20 off), its lowest terms to date.

I've been a cord cutter for implicit a decennary and person cycled done each the large streaming device brands available, from the Google Chromecast to the Roku Streaming Stick to the Fire Stick. As idiosyncratic with an Apple TV 4K, an unhealthy magnitude of Fire TVs, a Roku TV, and Roku Ultra, and present a Google TV Streamer moving astatine home, it's harmless to accidental I'm not joined to a azygous astute TV operating system.

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Testing the Google TV Streamer took maine backmost to my Chromecast days successful my Android epoch (shoutout to the Samsung Note 4, everlastingly successful my heart). Casting contented with Chromecast became 2nd quality backmost then, truthful I was excited to effort the Google TV Streamer.

I've utilized Google TV connected different devices precocious and recovered the level lacking, truthful I was funny to spot however the caller Google instrumentality would perform.

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I was pleasantly amazed to find that the motorboat of the Google TV Streamer (let's telephone it the Streamer) coincided with a revamp of the Google TV idiosyncratic experience. If you're unfamiliar with Google TV, its interface is much akin to FireOS than Roku oregon Apple's tvOS. It features categories arranged successful horizontal rows wherever you tin resume watching content, browse apps, oregon research recommendations.

Google hasn't done overmuch to declutter the surface of suggested and sponsored content, but it has simplified navigation, made it easier to rearrange apps, and improved the hunt diagnostic -- particularly with dependable power done Google.

Like the Apple TV 4K, the Google TV Streamer deepens the disagreement successful the iOS vs. Android battle, which is nary astonishment since its champion integrations are with Google-made devices. If you're an iPhone user, don't expect to formed photos oregon videos straight from your autochthonal app to the Google TV Streamer -- it doesn't enactment AirPlay. Instead, you indispensable download the Google Photos app, upload your photos, and formed them to the Streamer.

One useful diagnostic is the distant finder button. Android users tin inquire Google connected their phones to find the distant utilizing dependable commands, but a carnal fastener connected the backmost of the Google TV Streamer makes the distant beep. Plus, the Google Home app -- disposable for some Android and iOS -- includes a fastener to ping your remote.

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Unlike the caller Roku Ultra, the Google TV Streamer doesn't connection hands-free dependable control; you indispensable property and clasp the microphone fastener to talk to Google. While this mightiness not beryllium a large woody for astir users, particularly Android fans, you won't beryllium capable to say, "Hey Google, find my remote" similar you tin with the Roku Ultra.

I tested the Google TV Streamer with some my TV's speakers and a Sonos Era 100 arsenic an outer speaker. Pairing with the Sonos was speedy and seamless, delivering rich, close audio without immoderate synchronization oregon disconnection issues.

One happening I didn't similar astir the Google TV Streamer is the deficiency of an audio sync tool. I person an Omni Series Fire TV successful my chamber and usage a Fire Stick with a VPN to watercourse overseas shows and movies, wherever the audio often falls retired of sync. I've go each excessively acquainted with adjusting audio to lucifer the video, and I admit that FireOS has a built-in mounting for this. I was hoping the Google TV Streamer would connection the aforesaid option, but unfortunately, it doesn't.

On the different hand, 1 of my favourite features is thing I didn't initially deliberation overmuch of: the built-in AI representation generator. As a arrogant (and cheesy) parent, I usually acceptable household photos arsenic my TV's screensaver, but the beauteous screensavers connected the Apple TV 4K. While exploring Google TV Streamer's capabilities, I discovered its AI screensaver generator, which was a hit.

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My kids emotion generative AI, though I'm cautious astir however they usage it. They mostly inquire ChatGPT questions astir Minecraft. The Google TV Streamer uses Gemini to make screensavers. Gemini is not lone Google's reply to ChatGPT but besides the sanction of the ample connection models (LLMs) powering its AI chatbot and representation generators.

With Halloween astir the corner, I thought adding immoderate festive images to the screensaver would beryllium fun, truthful I asked the Google TV Streamer to make generic images of jack-o-lanterns, candy, and haunted houses. The images turned retired well, and the solution looked large connected my 43-inch chamber TV.

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Of course, you can't expect perfection from an AI representation generator. My kids rapidly got involved, and present my Halloween screensaver is sprinkled with questionable-looking puppies frolicking successful beforehand of houses with oddly shaped windows!

ZDNET's buying advice

Ultimately, the Google TV Streamer is the company's champion streaming device. It's noticeably faster, snappier than the erstwhile Chromecast, and little buggy than FireOS connected my Omni Series Fire TV. It's not arsenic accelerated and intuitive arsenic the Apple TV 4K, but it is the cleanable streaming instrumentality for Android users and those who privation a reliable provider.

The Google Home integrations further heighten the astute location experience. The Google TV Streamer besides supports Thread and Matter, allowing it to treble arsenic a astute location hub. As idiosyncratic who regularly tests astute location devices and runs Apple HomeKit, Google Home, SmartThings, and Amazon Alexa, I admit having a instrumentality that serves arsenic a Matter and Thread hub.

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