Google TV Streamer Review: High-End Streaming for Power Users

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8.2

Like

• Powerful enough for gaming
• Broad app support
• Excellent smart home integration

Don't like

• Interface is very busy
• Simpler OSD option disables search
• Costs twice what most streaming sticks
• Apple TV 4K is even quicker

When it was released in 2022, the Chromecast with Google TV was a decent $50 streamer designed, Trojan horse-like, to bring back the company's eponymous TV OS. Yet after only two years the device is being discontinued to make room for this: the Google TV Streamer. Hey Google, what gives?

Drawers around the world are littered with abandoned streaming devices, and some would even bear the (now-resurrected) Google TV name. Yet this time it seems there is a strategy behind the company's switcheroo -- I found the new Google TV Streamer to be better than its predecessor. Furthermore, it compares favorably to other streaming devices near its $100 price, including the Roku Ultra, the Apple TV 4K and the Nvidia Shield TV.

The TV Streamer is fun to use, zippy, and -- unlike the Chromecast before it -- powerful enough for use in (a little) cloud gaming. If you're looking for a high-end video streamer with excellent AV support and more, then the Google TV Streamer should be high on your list.

What is the Google TV Streamer?

The Google TV Streamer is an audio and video streaming device that is compatible with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos and can use thousands of Android TV apps. As of 2022, over 10,000 Android TV apps were available, though it's unknown how many are compatible with this unit.

Though it's designed to replace the Chromecast with Google TV, both devices could have easily coexisted -- just ask competitor Roku, which has four different streamers under $100. To be clear, the (final) Chromecast is still on sale for the time being and will continue to receive updates. This echoes the pattern of other Google products like the Chromecast Audio which was still sold years after being discontinued. 

The Google TV Streamer is a flat, rectangular box -- 6.4 inches wide by 3 inches deep -- which ramps up to an inch-high wedge at the rear to accommodate ports. For users who hardwire their AV system to the internet, there's an Ethernet port, and for those who don't, the unit boasts the not-quite cutting-edge 802.11ac Wi-fF standard. The other two connections on the back of the unit are USB-C for power and HDMI 2.1. The streamer comes in a choice of two lifestyle colors -- hazel (gray) and porcelain (off-white)

In addition to Vision and Atmos, the system supports HDR10, HDR10 Plus and HLG video formats and Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus audio. For connecting headsets and gaming peripherals, the Streamer includes Bluetooth 5.1 support.

Google claims the TV Streamer boasts a 22% faster processor than the previous Chromecast device. Though Google wasn't able to tell me what processor it used, Android Authority reports the system is the same one used in the Fire TV Stick 4K Max: a MediaTek MT8696. It's not quite apples to apples, though, as that Amazon system doesn't have Ethernet, and it's a stick instead of a set-top box. The Streamer includes 4GB of memory and also comes with 32GB of storage for installing apps. 

The jelly-bean remote feels hefty in the hand, and it's simple to program as a proto-universal remote: I was able to power on both my TV and my AV receiver. The remote comes with two shortcuts -- Netflix and YouTube -- and a third, which can be set to either show the smart home screen, control TV inputs or another favorite app. 

Setting the button as a smart home shortcut enables you to view your cameras in a flash and is the way I chose to use it -- though you will need to add these cameras as Favorites in the Google Home app on your phone first. Meanwhile, saying "Hey Google, find my remote" to your separate Nest device does make the Google TV Remote beep, plus there's a remote finder button on the main unit. Though the clicker comes with AA batteries, I would have preferred a rechargeable battery.

Navigating the Google TV interface

There are two fields of thought when it comes to streaming interfaces. One is apps-first, a grid of streaming services used by Roku and Apple; the second is content-first, rows of different content favored by Amazon and Google. But what if I told you there was a third type that combined the two?

Out of the box, the Google TV uses the latest version of its Android OS interface with Netflix-like rows of content with a larger banner on top and an apps shortcut bar. The interface has had some tweaks, and I do like the new Settings card, which appears on the right-hand side, giving you access to often-used functions. If you're used to the Shield TV interface, though, you will be disappointed that the "content discovery" rows aren't customizable. You get what you get, and you don't get upset.

What sort of user are you? Do you prefer the look of apps in concentric rows, or do you prefer to browse through content? Both types are like a library: If you don't know what you're looking for they can be overwhelming. When you choose an app it's like choosing a section of the library, you've already narrowed it down to something you're interested in. None of the attempts to integrate a bunch of services into a singular discovery system have been successful, in my opinion. Apple TVOS 18 is trying it now, but if you're like me you don't open the Apple TV Plus app to then choose something from Netflix.

Meanwhile, the Google TV Streamer offers the choice of both options: apps only, or content. While an apps grid seems like a fun way to use the Google TV -- especially for users of the Apple TV -- this mode is unnecessarily locked down. Namely, you don't have access to the Play Store; you can't reorder the tiles, and search is strangely disabled. This is Google, after all, and search should be at the heart of everything it does. By removing search capability, they're penalizing users who want a simpler experience. I'm hopeful that Google will reverse this decision and provide an app interface that still features search at its core. If you want to try this mode for yourself, you can go to [Your Profile Pic] > Manage Profile > Accounts and sign in > [User name] > Apps Only mode. 

The new version of Android on mobile has worked it out: a customizable home screen of apps and a search bar. Do people need content shoved in their faces? I don't really need to know about Inside Out 2 if all I'm doing is trying to set a timer. It should be the same for the TV interface. If you want content, that's what app stores and the apps themselves are for.

Speaking of the Google TV Streamer's search capability, it worked most of the time in serving up the requested content -- even when using voice with a separate Nest speaker. Yet it still doesn't work across all apps. For example, I tried to play Avengers: Endgame using voice search, and it repeatedly told me it wasn't available on Fandango At Home, even though I knew it was.

App compatibility and speed

When it comes to running apps, many modern devices use a caching system that loads frequently-used apps into RAM, making them load quicker every subsequent time you use them. When I was testing the Google TV against its competition, I found that this caching translated to near-instantaneous load times for my two main test apps -- Netflix and YouTube. While there were some discrepancies with the initial run times -- 12 seconds to load Netflix on the Roku Ultra (2024) versus 2.8 seconds on the Google TV -- every other time, the app loaded immediately. In everyday use, this means that you spend almost no time waiting for your app to load and more time choosing content on any of the devices tested.

The amount of time it took to restart each device was more consistent, though. The Google TV Streamer is one of the slowest I've tested in a while. At 42 seconds, it was almost twice as slow as the Roku and the older Apple TV (2021), which took 23 seconds each. 

Though there are 10,000 apps, not all of them are guaranteed to work on this box. At the time of writing, I did find a number of apps that didn't work with the Google TV Streamer, including Apple Music and BritBox, though the latter reportedly notes that it is working on a fix.

Likewise, though the system is powerful enough for gaming, it is outright missing many cloud gaming apps, including Xbox Games Pass and Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna and PlayStation Plus. Unusually, a voice search for "Luna" while on the apps page brought up results for local restaurants. Meanwhile, a text search instead gave me the apps that follow and are compatible: Steam Link and GeForce Now. Not all that comprehensive, but enough for PC gamers, at least.

Lastly, the image quality was as fine as I've seen from any other video streamer. Given the compression on a lot of streaming services, you'll probably see some artifacts in dark areas from time to time, but you may not see them if you buy content. For instance, streaming Avengers: Endgame on Disney Plus, I was able to see some fizzing artifacts on the ground as Hawkeye discovers the immediate (and heartbreaking effects) of the blip, but these strobing effects weren't present in the HDX version of the movie on Fandango. It was the same when watching the two movies on the Apple TV 4K. Put simply, the streaming source is more likely to break the image before a streamer at this level does. 

Should you buy it?

Most people reading this will likely know if this device is for them. It's entirely possible that the streamer you have now is still great and if so, good luck to you! Alternatively, if you're looking for something with a little more muscle and which is a true upgrade from the $50-ish sticks, then the Google TV Streamer is both a fantastic streamer and a smart home user's dream. It's not a perfect device, but give it some time, and Google will likely iron out some of the current kinks. Right now, it's cheaper than most "enthusiast" devices by at least $30 and offers excellent speed as well. It's also especially suited to users who have a smart home decked out with Nest devices.