Chromecast with Google TV HD evaluate: Just a terrific little streaming dongle | Engadget

Google’s newest streaming dongle is so much like the that after I first opened it up, I skilled a bit deja vu. The new Chromecast with Google TV nonetheless has a puckish oval design, it comes packaged with an equivalent distant and even the OS powering every part is (largely) unchanged. The solely main distinction (a minimum of on the skin) is up to date packaging that encompasses a label that claims “HD.” So as a substitute of supporting 4K shows, this new extra reasonably priced Chromecast is aimed squarely at folks trying to stream reveals and films on 1080p screens. And from the place I’m sitting, that is simply high-quality, as a result of whereas it is restricted to HD content material, this factor delivers primarily the identical nice watching expertise that we cherished on the unique.

The fundamentals

I’m not going to bore you with the everyday design part, as a result of the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is extremely simple and virtually a carbon copy of its predecessor. There’s the Chromecast itself which plugs immediately into your TV through HDMI, a separate distant with a built-in mic and Google Assistant button for voice controls and an influence adapter with a USB cable that you should use in case your TV cannot provide sufficient juice utilizing solely HDMI.

Setup is extremely simple too. Thanks to an replace in Android 12 for TV (which comes pre-installed), there is a new sign-on course of that works through the use of your cellphone to scan a QR code within the Google Home app. This cuts out the tedium of getting to enter your credentials, connect with WiFi and so forth. Though, if you would like to do issues manually, that is nonetheless an possibility too.

Once the Chromecast is up and operating, you’ll be able to log into your favourite streaming apps as regular after which dive into a number of the extra superior settings like HDMI CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) which permits the Chromecast to do stuff like mechanically activate while you hearth up your TV. You can even use Google’s controller pairing setting to program the Chromecast’s distant to reflect necessary features like adjusting the amount or switching inputs. That means for those who’re like me and you’ve got a comparatively easy setup, you would possibly even be capable of stash your TV’s distant in a drawer and rely fully on the Chromecast, which is an effective way to chop down on muddle.

The streaming expertise

When it involves discovering one thing to look at, issues could not be easier. There’s a devoted row throughout that high that makes it simple to search out reveals, films, apps and bought content material, together with a Live tab that works with a handful of streaming TV companies (YouTube TV, Pluto TV, Sling TV, Philo), so you’ll be able to bounce into at the moment airing program straight from the principle house display.

Naturally, as this mannequin is concentrated on 1080p content material, you will not get help for 4K movies. But even with the HD mannequin’s comparatively light-weight specs (simply 1.5GB of RAM with an Amlogic S805X2 chip), efficiency felt similar to what you get on the unique Chromecast with Google TV. Upon startup, there’s usually a little bit of lag because the dongle masses the OS and pulls down artwork for content material suggestions. And for those who concentrate, you may also discover some small hitches while you swap between apps or settings actually shortly. But typically, issues are clean, particularly throughout playback, which is when it actually issues.

The different notable characteristic you will not get on this new cheaper Chromecast is help for Dolby Vision. That mentioned, this omission does not really feel like an enormous deal as numerous 1080p TVs (notably older ones) cannot deal with that anyway. At least there’s nonetheless help for HDR10.

Other new additions in Android 12 for TV

As the primary gadget to characteristic Android 12 for TV pre-installed, the brand new Chromecast consists of a lot of helpful quality-of-life enhancements that can ultimately make their method to different Google TV units. These embrace the flexibility to regulate the textual content scaling (from 85 % as much as 130 %), choices for matching your content material’s framerate (which is ready to auto by default) and a few further encompass sound controls. And similar to Android 12 on telephones, you will additionally get a bit pop-up when the Chromecast prompts its mic, so there is not any confusion about when it is listening to you.

Wrap-up

With the Chromecast with Google TV (HD), it is clear the corporate did not attempt to do an excessive amount of. And that is completely OK, as a result of the unique blueprint works high-quality. It’s simply tailor-made for 1080p screens right here. You get the identical nice UI, a nifty compact distant that covers all of the fundamentals, and greater than adequate efficiency — all for simply $30. So for those who’ve bought an growing old set or secondary show that would profit from a contemporary streaming TV OS (and have not already invested in one other streaming platforms), the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is the watch buddy you want.