Up till now, Google’s Chromecast line has been largely centered on making it simple to observe reveals and flicks in your favourite large display screen. However with the brand new Google TV Streamer, Google lastly has a correct set-top field for binging content material that additionally helps a wider vary of sensible residence controls.
Design: From dongle to wedge
Coming only a week forward of Google’s upcoming Made By event, maybe the most important change for the TV Streamer is switching from being a easy dongle that hangs off your TV to a really standalone machine that lives in your media console. Google says its wedge-shaped design is supposed to mix in simply along with your decor when sitting in entrance of your TV in order that it presents higher reception for its included distant and different sensible residence gadgets (extra on that later).
Google has additionally given the Streamer TV a large {hardware} improve in comparison with the Chromecast with Google TV from 2020, together with a 22 % sooner CPU, double the RAM (4GB as an alternative of 2GB) and 4 instances extra storage (32GB whole). Which may not sound like a ton, however contemplating that the earlier mannequin typically ran out of house for downloading fundamental streaming apps, that’s a much-needed enchancment. Streaming decision caps out at 4K/60fps, although you do get help for HDR, Dolby Imaginative and prescient, Dolby Atmos and spatial audio (when paired with Google Pixel Buds).
Moreover, there’s an HDMI 1.1 jack, a powered USB-C port and a devoted Ethernet slot for individuals who need peak bandwidth for streaming. Google additionally made the distant a contact longer whereas transferring the quantity rocker to the highest and including a customizable button that may be set to launch your favourite app, change inputs or summon the brand new sensible residence management middle. And identical to earlier than, there’s a built-in microphone and a button for summoning the Google Assistant.
Good residence: Changing into a correct machine hub
This brings me to the Google Streamer’s improved sensible residence capabilities. Not solely does it help Matter, it additionally encompasses a built-in Thread border router for simply speaking with the opposite gadgets in your home. On prime of that, the TV Streamer is getting its personal model of the Google Home panel (which we’ve seen on earlier Pixel telephones and Nest Hubs) in order that it is simpler to regulate issues like sensible lights whereas additionally providing you with the flexibility to view feeds out of your safety cameras and video doorbells.
New AI options
Lastly, it wouldn’t be a 2024 Google machine with out some new AI options. Due to Gemini, the TV Streamer can create customized suggestions based mostly on the sort of content material you watch and generate summaries, critiques and even season-by-season breakdowns for stuff you haven’t. There’s additionally an ambient TV mode that means that you can pull screensavers or reminiscences out of your Google Photographs library. Nonetheless, if you’d like one thing a bit extra distinctive, you too can use AI to generate one thing fantastical. In the meantime, for those who lose the distant, you possibly can ask the Google Assistant (not Gemini) that will help you discover it or you possibly can merely press the devoted button on the again of the field.
So whereas I haven’t had a lot probability to dive into its options, with the brand new TV Streamer, ultimately it seems like Google has a considerably extra succesful sensible residence hub that’s additionally a real rival to the Apple TV 4K and different Android-based packing containers just like the NVIDIA Shield TV. The Google TV Streamer prices $100 and is accessible for pre-order at present with official gross sales starting September 24. It is going to be obtainable in two colours: porcelain white and hazel, the latter of which can be obtainable completely from the Google Retailer.
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