If you’ve got an older TV that you love and aren’t ready to replace with a smart TV, then you should consider an over-the-top device like Google TV Streamer 4K. This device is designed to own your HDMI 1 port and become your primary operating system for the TV, also handy if you don’t particularly like the one you have.
This device is Google’s big rethink on their approach to after-market TV Operating Systems. Google has Android TV OS, which many manufacturers are adopting, however there’s a lot of displays in the world that you may want to add that kind of experience to.
The Google TV Streamer offers all of your streaming services, including YouTube, Netflix, Disney+, Stan, Amazon Prime, Foxtel Now, Paramount+, ABC iView, TenPlay, 9NOW, 7 Plus and many, many more.
It’s 2024, so streaming is often now the primary source of content delivery to a display like the TV in your office, bedroom, rumpus or living room. If you are comfortable leaving broadcast television behind, then you can place a TV pretty much anywhere in the home (or office) and streaming your content over WiFi. For those not quite ready to let go, then you still have the ability to run the aerial to your TV and switch between that and HDMI for this experience.
After several weeks of use, I’m ready to share my thoughts on this impressive streaming solution.
Design
The Google TV Streamer 4K opts for a minimalist aesthetic, small, unassuming in it’s industrial design, this is possibly the sleekest set top box I’ve used. To the untrained observer, it could easily be confused for an oversized wireless charging dock.
For those with a white low-line unit, this will easily blend into your entertainment setup (although we would love to see a black edition).
Compared to the previous Chromecast dongle, it is larger and requires dedicated power, rather than just USB and HDMI ports, but there’s a good reason for the larger size and that’s performance.
Google designers made a conscious choice to round the design, much like the corners of our modern smart phones, it makes it a little more friendly than the sharp angles of years gone by.
The exterior is finished in a matte rubberized feel, giving it a modern look and not something you’d be concerned to see your kids interact with. The included remote is similarly sleek and comfortable to hold, featuring dedicated buttons for popular streaming services like Netflix and YouTube, as well as a built-in microphone for voice control.
The control also includes an dedicated star button that can be customised to one of 3 functions. Firstly, you can have it launch your Google Home control center to access and control your IoT devices (connected to Google Home). This is great for Android mobile users who already leverage this from their phones.
Your second option is to launch an App of your choice. While YouTube and Netflix are common enough to justify dedicated remote buttons, many of us use other streaming services and getting to them fast makes the user experience all the better, so if you want this star button to launch Amazon Prime, you can do that. This probably raises the question, why not have 3 or 4 configurable buttons?
The third option is the ability to switch Inputs for the TV it’s connected to, like changing to an Xbox for example. Unfortunately the Hubbl TV I had it connected to wasn’t on the very lengthy list of TV manufacturers, but the concept here is a great one, given the Google TV doesn’t support multiple HDMI inputs itself.
Performance
Under the hood, the Google TV Streamer 4K boasts a powerful processor and while Google doesn’t promote the specific processor chip used, this information is available online. Google selected a 2GHz SoC with a PowerVR GE9215 850MHz GPU and paired it with 4GB RAM that delivers a really smooth and ultra responsive experience.
Navigating through menus, launching apps, and switching between streaming services feels snappy and effortless. Perhaps the best expression of performance for a device like this is how rapidly you can dive in and out of content.
The user interface surfaces recommended content on the front page, which all come from a variety of sources, one tile will be from YouTube, while the one right next to it is from Amazon Prime or Netflix. This means dividing in an out of content and apps is a regular workflow and having a device that takes just a second or two to enable this, makes it a dream to use.
I’ve tested the device with a variety of content, including 4K HDR videos, and have yet to encounter any noticeable lag or buffering issues. The picture quality is crisp and vibrant, and the device supports Dolby Vision and HDR10+ for an enhanced viewing experience (compatible TV required).
Features
The Google TV interface is a major highlight. It presents personalized recommendations based on your viewing habits, seamlessly integrating content from various streaming services. Finding something to watch is a breeze, whether you’re browsing through curated lists, exploring new releases, or searching for a specific title.
The voice search functionality is remarkably accurate and convenient. Simply press the microphone button on the remote and ask for what you want – it’s that easy.
The Google TV Streamer also acts as a smart home hub, allowing you to control compatible devices like lights and thermostats directly from your TV.
1. 4K HDR Support with Dolby Vision and HDR10+
The Google TV Streamer 4K delivers movies and TV shows in stunning 4K resolution, enhanced by High Dynamic Range (HDR) formats like Dolby Vision and HDR10+. These HDR technologies offer greater detail, richer colors, and higher contrast, providing an immersive visual experience.
2. Dolby Atmos Audio
This feature allows for an immersive sound experience with Dolby Atmos, creating a multidimensional audio environment where sounds can move around you, even from above, enhancing your audio-visual experience with true 3D sound from compatible content.
3. Smart Home Integration
With support for Matter and Thread protocols, the Google TV Streamer acts as a smart home hub, allowing you to control various smart devices directly from your TV. This integration includes accessing live feeds from security cameras, controlling smart lights, and managing thermostats.
4. Ethernet Port for Stable Streaming
The device includes an Ethernet port for a wired internet connection, which ensures a stable and high-speed streaming experience, especially beneficial for high-quality 4K streaming where Wi-Fi might be less reliable.
5. Ambient Screensaver and AI Features
Utilizing Google’s AI model Gemini, the Google TV Streamer can display either your personal photos from Google Photos or generate AI-based screensavers based on your voice commands when the TV is idle.
6. Enhanced Navigation and Voice Control
A 22% faster processor enhances the speed of app loading and navigation, while Google Assistant provides voice control for easy content search, smart home management, and more, all through the accompanying remote or via voice commands.
7. Customizable Remote
The remote for the Google TV Streamer features a customizable button that can be programmed for quick access to your favorite apps or smart home controls. It also includes a textured back for better grip and a ‘Find My Remote’ feature to locate the remote when misplaced.
Issues and Opportunities
While the Google TV Streamer offers a lot to love, there’s always room for improvement. As suggested in the design section, Google designers thought long enough to add 1 programmable button on the remote, so it’s hard to understand why they didn’t add a couple more.
I also wonder why a company that makes smart home speakers and displays with far-field microphones to power Google Assistant (or Gemini), why this isn’t included in the Google TV Streamer 4K. Perhaps this was a cost saving exercise, if so, then let’s see a 4K ultra model that takes this to the extreme and throw some additional HDMI ports on while you’re there to be a one stop shop for making a dumb display into an incredibly smart one.
It is worth noting that the max resolution is 4K@60fps, so if you have an expensive TV that runs 200Hz, or connect this to a super fast monitor, then understand it will be bottle-necked.
Price and Availability
The Google TV Streamer can be yours for A$159.00 and while this is a 50% increase over the Chromecast 4K, it does have a number of benefits over the legacy approach. For that price tag, it’d make a great present at Christmas for friends/loved ones that need an upgrade to their TV experience.
You can grab one form the Google Store online, or major retailers like JB HiFi.
The Streamer is available in just the one colour, Porcelain (white) and given it’ll be on display, this may be a really important, and limiting choice for people. Many of our electronics are black and having a white device in isolation may look stark, although this is changing and other manufactures are opening the door to device colours that fit in our interior design.
Overall
The Google TV Streamer is a compelling streaming device that delivers a polished and enjoyable entertainment experience. The speed and performance of the device is seriously impressive and given the price tag, it’s surprising that TVs with price tags many times this value can’t deliver the same level of experience.
I particularly like that Google offers something different than most TV experiences, in that they offer integrated Google reviews and online ratings from the likes of Rotten Tomatoes. We understand these also help feed the recommendation engine, ensuring the best content gets surfaced to you.
So good is the experience here, I think Google, a company very familiar with making hardware, should consider making a 1st party entry into the TV industry, making a reference device, as they do in the mobile industry with their Pixel line.
While there are minor areas for improvement, the overall package is a product I’d definitely recommend.