New isn’t always better
The Chromecast with Google TV had a good run(Image credit: Google)
- Google has stopped selling the Chromecast with Google TV
- The gadget made its debut in September 2020
- An upgrade is available in the form of the Google TV Streamer
Four-and-a-half years after making its debut, theChromecast with Google TVis no longer being sold byGoogle– joining products likeGoogle Daydreamand theNexus Q(remember that?) in the hardware section of the Google graveyard.
The disappearance of the gadget from the official Google Store was noted by9to5Googleand others, with both the4Kand HD versions no longer available. The HD model launched in 2022, two years after the original.
While you might still be able to hunt one down through third-party resellers, the future is very much theGoogle TV Streamerunveiled in August 2024. That’s now the default Google TV device, yours for $99.
However, as a long-time user of the Chromecast with Google TV (4K edition), there’s no way I’m going to swap the old device for the new one right now. In fact, I’ll probably stick with my current streaming dongle until it stops working, which could still be several years off at this point.
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What makes the Chromecast with Google TV special
The Google TV Streamer is the future(Image credit: Google)
The Chromecast with Google TV was a significant upgrade to traditional Chromecasts when it made its debut. Before it arrived, Chromecasting was quick and easy enough, but everything had to be controlled on a phone, tablet, or laptop.
With the Chromecast with Google TV, you have a chunky little remote – even more straightforward to use, with its tactile, physical buttons and scroll pad. There’s on-board storage too, and a software interface, making it a truly standalone device.
The Google TV Streamer is by no means bulky, but it needs a flat surface to sit on, whereas my Chromecast with Google TV just dangles out of an HDMI port. The new gadget is more expensive too, packing in more storage that I’m never going to use.
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Both the old and new streaming devices make use of Google TV – one of the best and most versatile TV software platforms – so there’s no upgrade there. In an ideal world, I’d love a Chromecast with Google TV, 2025 edition (if anyone from Google is reading), but my current streaming gadget continues to do a fine job.