This streaming device is too expensive to be this basic

It took quite a long time, perhaps too long, but Google finally updated its Chromecast to move towards the front of the pack again in the streaming device wars. Its latest offering is the Google TV Streamer, a wordier and ill-fitting name for a device that’s fast, intuitive, and pretty attractive.

The Google TV Streamer is designed to enhance your smart TV experience. It offers you a catalog of apps and services if you have an older TV in need of an OS upgrade. It can also be used to supplement a TV’s OS if it’s lacking in any specific area, especially if you’re keen on the Google TV interface over other options.

Having dabbled with a variety of smart TV operating systems and video streaming devices, and having previously enjoyed a Chromecast, I was very excited to see what Google had to offer, not only the ways in which it enhanced the Chromecast, but also how it keeps up with competitors in a saturated market.

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Specs, pricing, and availability

The Google TV Streamer was released this fall, and retails for around $100. It’s available from Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and directly from the Google Store. Notably, it provides 4K resolution as well as the top HDR formats, including HDR10+ and Dolby Vision.

The streaming device comes with a remote as well as a charging cable, but the purchase does not include an HDMI cable. The streaming device is meant to sit in front of or near the TV. The white aesthetic of the device and the remote lends itself to a modern, bright home; it also comes in Hazel, though that seems harder to find at the moment.

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What I liked about the Google TV Streamer

Intuitive and speedy OS with vast app database

The interface is fast, clean, and practical. The twofold increase in memory, and four times as much storage as the Chromecast is evident in Google’s updated device. It’s free from clutter while still making it easy to navigate to any of the services or tabs you need. The home page features a large banner and options to seek out movies, TV shows, and apps; it also includes a library of any titles you’ve saved to watch later.

Like most home pages, it features a slew of carousels as you scroll down, highlighting trending titles and new releases, as well as content you might like. With every title, you can find out where it’s available to stream, buy, or rent, and you have the option to add it to your library. There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about the interface, but it also doesn’t do anything that’s annoying or confusing.

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I also appreciate that there are plenty of apps that function better on Google TV than other apps. For example, Just Watch, a very handy database that helps find and track titles across streaming services, simply doesn’t work well on most operating systems outside of Google TV. Another streaming service, Hoopla, has a TV app that can be accessed via Google TV that isn’t widely available elsewhere, which means you don’t need to cast content from your phone.

There are some clever features as well. Google TV offers a solo listening mode, where you can enjoy your TV privately on a connected Bluetooth device, which can be helpful when you have more than one person in the room, but you’re the only one watching.

Another helpful addition is an IMDB-like database that lets you find titles and relevant news based on actors or filmmakers I like. If I select Barbie, for example, notable cast and crew pop up, and I can click on Greta Gerwig to see other films she has directed and starred in, as well as a slew of YouTube clips.

The remote is also quite impressive. Small, durable, and attractive, it has as few buttons as it needs to allow you everything you need. For those who embrace a connected smart home, the Google TV Streamer can easily integrate itself, while also welcoming voice control and Google Home operation.

What I didn’t like about the Google TV Streamer

Some patience and effort is required

Like most operating systems, a bit of time is required to set everything up, connect it to your services, and toggle all the settings to make it work for you. You’ll need a Google Home account to get the device going, and once that’s set up, you’ll need to find all the apps you frequently use and log into all of them so that Google TV can get you there when you’re ready. That process can be tedious, although not particularly difficult. What’s more time-consuming is getting Google TV to know what you want. I’m not yet impressed that it can help me find things that I might want to watch, but hopefully the algorithm will come along soon enough.

Because it’s a Google product, there’s a big push towards YouTube; the push is too much for me. There are several carousels focused on YouTube exclusively, and it’s just not something I’m interested in. I use YouTube very specifically and judiciously, and I don’t want anything offered to me from it, especially since I don’t think Google TV knows what I want to watch just yet.

The descriptions of some titles and the accompanying reviews that Google offers are highly questionable. While some summaries are accurate, some are misleading and cryptic; they are supposedly generated by AI, which seems completely unnecessary. According to Google, Deadpool and Wolverine is about the latter recovering from injuries and the two teaming up to take on a common foe. That’s not really what it’s about. What’s more, favorable reviews seem to be at the top of most titles, and they all sound made up. It’s not a huge problem, but it is pretty silly.

There are a couple other feature that I don’t care for but others may include, like the opportunity to create AI-generated screensavers, or an ambient mode that offers pretty pictures and soothing sounds on your TV when you want something on in the background.

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Verdict: Should you get the Google TV Streamer?

The Google TV Streamer is an impressive device designed to assist those who are trying to make sense of a lot of titles from a lot of different services. For those who have cut the cord and jumped in completely to Netflix, Prime, and a slew of other streaming services and apps, Google’s offering makes the experience much easier and more consolidated. I do think that it requires a bit of effort on the part of the user to make it the most efficient.

The biggest question is value. This streamer comes at a high price compared to alternatives, and I think much of that is because of branding and aesthetic. With that in mind, I’m not sure the cost justifies the features available as there are plenty of less-expensive options that do the same thing.

Google TV Streamer

The Google TV Streamer is a streaming device designed to support the latest video and audio technologies with AI integration and smart home control.