Google TV Streamer Dominates: Top-Notch Streaming Experience

Google TV Streamer 4K: A Game-Changer for Streaming and Smart Homes

After years of development, Google has finally released a top-notch operating system for watching TV – the Google TV interface. Running on top of Android TV OS, it’s designed to make it easy to find what you’re looking for and constantly recommend new shows to watch. But what about the hardware? For a long time, the Chromecast streaming dongle just couldn’t keep up. That’s where the new Google TV Streamer 4K comes in.

What’s New?

The Google TV Streamer 4K is an upgrade in every way over the Chromecast with Google TV. With a new processor, built-in ethernet port, double the RAM, and four times the storage, this set-top box is ready to take on any streaming challenge. Plus, it supports Matter for your smart home and has a Thread radio, making it a Thread border router. This means you can use it as a central hub for all your smart devices.

The Good

Excellent streaming UI
Google Assistant on board is a great navigator
Fast, easy-to-use smart home controls
Smart home hub with Matter, Thread, and a built-in ethernet port
Handy Find My feature for the remote, with a speaker

Smart Home Capabilities

The addition of support for Matter and Thread, a mesh networking protocol designed for IoT devices, elevates the Streamer to true smart home hub status. Thread is one of two wireless protocols the new Matter smart home standard supports, and it creates a more reliable communication pathway for low-power smart devices like lights, locks, and sensors throughout your home.

Home Runtime Feature

Google’s new Home runtime feature, coming to its Google Home hubs later this year, will enable direct local control of gadgets over Matter. This should significantly reduce latency when issuing commands to smart devices.

Is it Worth It?

It’s these smart home capabilities that make the Streamer worth purchasing over the $50 Google TV with Chromecast or Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro. Neither of those works with Thread, and neither can automatically pull up a livestream on your TV when someone rings your doorbell or let you control smart lights and adjust your thermostat on the big screen.

Agree to Continue

To use the Google TV Streamer 4K, you must agree to:

At least three mandatory agreements
Streaming services also have their own terms of service and privacy policies

Conclusion

David and I agree: this is the best set-top box Google has made yet. It’s not some earth-shattering new idea or game-changing improvement on the formula, but Google TV is the best streaming UI on the market, and the hardware doesn’t hold the streamer back this time. Combined with an easy-to-use smart home panel and Matter and Thread support, all for under $100, this is the set-top box we’d recommend to most people.

[Image: The Google TV Streamer 4K]

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