Google Chromecast was introduced in 2013 when smart TVs were a novelty. This tiny device was designed to wirelessly cast smartphone apps, including video streaming apps on to televisions. It quickly gave traditional TVs a range of smart skills rather inexpensively. The most recent versions, the Chromecast Ultra and the Chromecast 3rd-gen were announced in 2016 and 2018 respectively. These dongles had some design changes, but their features were very similar to the first-generation Chromecast. Google’s new Chromecast in 2020, comes built with Google TV. The new device runs on a faster OS, has a spectrum of streaming services, and it also brings a voice assistant to your fingertips.
Google has given the new Chromecast a fresh design. The new device is elongated, has more rounded edges, and it looks like a small pebble that connects to TVs using HDMI. The device comes with an USB Type-C port on its one end. Thankfully, Google bundles a Type-C cable, and an USB adaptor. The new Chromecast now comes in three different colours – Snow, Sunrise and Sky. The new device is also more environmentally friendly as Google says, it is manufactured from 49 per cent recycled plastics.
The biggest improvement the new Chromecast offers over the predecessors is the inclusion of remote. This remote is powered by 2 AAA batteries, and it comes with a circular d-pad button on the top to make navigating through settings and content easier. There are other eight buttons which include, Back, Input, Home, Mute, Power and dedicated buttons for Netflix, YouTube and Google Assistant.
The remote supports Bluetooth and IR. This means when the Chromecast is connected to HDMI-CEC, you can use the remote to control the TV volume, and even power-down both, the TV and Chromecast when you’re done watching. The Chromecast uses Wi-Fi connect to your network and there are no other physical connections on the device. Google has also introduced an optional Type-C power supply dongle, that comes with an Ethernet port for wired connection. This dongle will help a lot, if you prefer wired connections.
The Chromecast with Google TV is said to perform significantly better than previous models. The device can now stream in full HD or 4K HDR with support for HDR10+ and Dolby Vision formats. It also supports DTS, Dolby Audio, Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby Atmos formats which means streamed content on your TV will sound great.
Google promises to make a big shift with the new Chromecast. The earlier models acted as a link between the TV and online content services. They required a separate device like a smartphone or a laptop to cast content on a TV. The new Chromecast supports all the older features, but the addition of a remote and Google TV means you no longer need to cast everything you want to watch. The new device runs on Google TV as its operating system, which means you have a variety of apps to choose from that include Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney Plus. The device also supports many local streaming services such as Zee5, ALTBalaji, MX Player and more. Google says the new Google TV will replace the older Android TV to offer a smoother user experience. It brings an all-new simplified user interface to make navigating and exploring new content a lot easier. Google has also introduced a new ‘For You’ feature, that suggests movies and shows based on your viewing preferences. The Google TV also features a new ‘Apps Only’ mode, that removes all content recommendation if you prefer a simpler and uncluttered interface.
The Chromecast with Google TV also comes with a new Live TV feature, that lets you stream TV channels. This feature currently works with YouTube TV in selected regions, and Google claims they are working with more content providers to make the Live TV feature more robust. Another new feature that is Watchlist. This feature lets you add movies and shows from various services, and Google has also integrated this feature in the Google search. This means if you add something to your watchlist while browsing on a phone or a laptop, it will show up on your TV. Google also says the Chromecast with Google TV will also support Stadia at some point in 2021. Stadia is Google’s Cloud game streaming service, that will allow users to play modern, high-end games on the Chromecast, even connect Bluetooth controllers to it.
The Chromecast with Google TV also supports Google Assistant, which means you can use voice commands to search for movies and TV shows. Google Assistant can answer a wide range of questions, and you can even use it to find new restaurants around you or tell you the traffic situation. The new Chromecast also supports Google Home, which means you can control smart lights and other smart devices from your TV. You can also use the Chromecast to display pictures from your Google Photo library, turning your TV into a giant picture frame.
The Chromecast with Google TV brings major improvements over its predecessors. The device is priced $49.99 in the US, which makes it significantly cheaper than its competitors. We are hoping the new Chromecast will Google TV will arrive in India soon, and to keep yourself updated, keep following us at www.reliancedigital.in.
