Chromecast with Google TV - 4K - Snow

Chromecasts have long been something I've ignored because I don't like the idea of having to use my phone to cast to my TV for everything I watch. However, when Google announced their "Chromecast with Google TV" I was very intrigued at the mix of a streaming device with the ability to Chromecast. So far, I am quite happy with my purchase! SET-UP: - Unboxing and first impressions are always great with Google Products. They have a great way of making the unboxing process simple while providing a product that's uniquely Google. - I really go like the feel and look of the Chromecast and Remote. They are modern yet simple and feel very good in the hand, not too cheap at all. - Set-up was mainly simply but had a few hiccups. Google says you can use the "Google Home" app to do all your setup for you but I have largely found that the Google Home can be the most useful app I have while also being the most frustrating when setting up a new product. - I eventually ditched using the Google Home app and did the setup just via the remote and that was very simple and straight forward. After a little bit to download new firmware updates and download all my apps, I was ready to go! PROS: - I really like the interface! It's smooth, easy to maneuver, and when in doubt just ask Google where something is. - Speaking of which, the Google Assistant button is a fantastic addition. Use it for asking everyday questions or use it to find "movies that won Oscars in the 2000's" really whatever you need it to do! - The device uses your app subscriptions (Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+...) to recommend TV and Movies you might want to watch. I really like how it does not push you to watch something you have no interest in or don't even have a subscription too. The whole add-less vibe feels nonintrusive and makes for a more personal experience. - If you have YouTube TV, this Chromecast is a must have! Google TV integrates Live TV right into the menu so you can quickly browse what's on air right now without having to open the YouTube TV app. I really like that because it makes the home menu screen your go to place to find anything you subscribe too. - The "Chromecast" feature of this Google TV device is also very easy to use! It syncs up with your Google Home Devices or phones so that if you are watching a video or streaming Spotify, you can just quickly cast it to your TV with the touch of a button. Or, simply say "Hey Google, play Netflix on my TV" and it can do that too without you even touching the remote. - Watching shows & movies on here is truly a great experience too! The 4K HDR is vibrant and crisp, it has Dolby Vision for movies/TV that it applies to, and Dolby Atmos for superior home theater sound quality. All three of those qualities are an absolute must for the best home theater experience and you are getting them all for only $50. CONS: - The one app that I wish this had is "Apple TV". I know Google/Apple don't usually get along, but I do with the Apple TV app was on here for those who want to stream "Apple TV+" - This isn't a con for me but although you don't need Google services (Like Google Smart Speakers, Android Phone, & YouTube TV) to enjoy this Chromecast, I would imagine that your experience would not be as great as mine without all those devices/services. - I think the "Library" section of the Home page is really lacking on 2 parts. First, if you have a large library of movies you digitally own, they will show in your library but its in one long scrollable line. Rather then a sortable area where you can view 20 movies at a time, its really just a long single line list where you can see 5 at a time. Second, Google TV is trying to push its "Watchlist" feature where from an Android phone you can easily add a Show/Movie to your watchlist and it will appear on your Google TV. But at the time of writing this, the Google TV app is not available on Android phones yet and hasn't even been announced on Apple phones yet. BOTTOM LINE: - If you are looking for a simple, easy to use streaming device but has all the high end specs you would want at a low price, the Chromecast with Google TV is an absolute no brainer. It is simple to use, has a great interface, and has all features you would want from a higher end streaming device (4K HDR, Dolby Vision/Atmos, Voice Commands). I really think Google TV is going to be a great solution for many home's entertainment needs!

This is the most amazing product from Google I've owned yet. I purchased this initially to upgrade my older Chromecast. Everything about this "Google TV" is 1000x better than what I owned previously. I can now view my content in 4K which the older model could not do, and it has a great interface. It's Android 10 over the Google TV UI, and it's pretty appealing. I can easily ask Google to find something particular to watch and it'll do it. This thing will search movies across different apps to find exactly what you're looking for. What makes it even better is that it still has it's cast function. so you have the option to use the Google TV remote or cast from your Android phone like normal. I was hesitant at first, and I wish I had mad this purchase sooner. You can even control all your google connected with the remote included. For example I use my Google Home to control my AC, but I can also with my remote in hand tell the Google remote to turn the AC on or off, and it does it. Even quick than my home can which is pretty neat. If you were ever indecisive about buying this device then I hope this review helps you. You're gonna love this Google TV. For $50 you can't go wrong.

Awesome Streamer. Had to get this cause Hbo max isn't available on my LG oled tv yet. Setup was super easy cause I already use the google nest home ecosystem in my home. Took about 15 mins with all the downloads I had to do. Plays all my apps that I use. Hbo max, netflix, youtube, youtube music, Hulu, Disney plus, Amazon prime, Paramount plus formerly cbs all access. All of them work on this device plus I can cast from my phone's & tablets. I Was able to setup the included remote to my tv & my vizio sound bar. The built in google assistant button on the remote works flawlessly and I can control my cameras, smart switches, plugs & lights with it. I'm extremely satisfied with this new version of android tv that google is now calling Google tv. It isn't full of bloat ware and runs very smoothly & fast. I liked it so much I went out and bought another one for my mother. I did read several reviews before buying this product and all seemed pretty positive of course there are some cons with this device, but for what I use it for none bother me. From what I've read this device has 2gb of ram & 8gb of rom with only 4gb of rom available to the user. This can be upgraded with a passthrough usb-c hub from what reviewers have tested. So you could upgrade the rom to whatever your hub can handle i.e. 256gb or more. I just wish google would of made a usb port or micro sd card slot available with this from the factory. There isn't any ethernet ports on this unit but again reviewers have found passthrough hubs with ethernet do work with this streamer. I have found that the wifi on this works amazingly well & it seems to support 802.11ac. Also you have the ability to side load apps and launchers & use Vpn's on this device.

Keeps everything well organized and easy to find. Voice control is very accurate and responsive. Picture quality for some reason is better than with apps built into my TV's(a Samsung and a Vizio). Has a broad variety of downloadable apps that aren't available on Samsung. The remote is able to control both the power and volume of the TV and the content and makes selecting a program very easy as the device connected to the TV is very responsive to the remote. Highly recommend!

Easily the best 50 bucks I've spent! All apps consolidated into one. You can open apps individually or search everything with voice. Controls tv volume and power!!!!! 1 remote for everything. And it looks sleek and elegant, as to be expected. ***Note: plug in directly to wall outlet; if plugged in to tv usb it will have to reboot each time, AND the tv power button won't work.

I have been using this since April 2021 and I love it! It’s better than the firestick I had. I am greatly enjoying it paired with my Google home products as I can tell my Google home to turn on /off my den TV. The setup was super quick and easy- including pairing my TV to the remote for audio/power button functionality. The only thing I don’t like is how to white remote buttons become discolored. In about two months they have become discolored and using wipes has not helped. Makes it look kind of icky.

This is a game changer. I bought my second a few months ago. I love them so much. I went in to check on the pricing of a third one Nvidia Shield. And decided to give this a try I'm so glad I did. My only complaint would be that I've only had it for a couple of days and the keys are already staining. I may have handled some turmeric. But I take that everyday so it would be a problem if it gets worse,

Overall, this is an upgrade over the previous Chromecasts with curation of your apps. That makes it easier to find something you want to watch. I would have given it five stars, but it has frozen on the home page several times, and I had to unplug and replug it to get it to work. My solution is to go to the apps rather than the home page which cuts out the curation, which is a big drawing card for this gadget. That's OK with me because I can look for myself, but if you want the curation, it might be a problem. Otherwise, this is a great entertainment tool in which you can easily access your apps. I run Tablo through it which allows me to pause recorded programs using the Android TV controller for this Chromecast. Going directly through the Tablo app presents a glitch that causes the pause not to work, which is an annoyance. Overall, it's worth the price, and I would buy it again.