\nChromecast with Google TV is a big change in terms of features, looks, price and more for the Chromecast, compared to the first three models. It is now a proper dongle, and comes with a remote and Android TV built-in. It also sports Google\u2019s new \u201cGoogle TV\u201d interface that will be coming to Android TV devices in the future.
\nHere\u2019s everything you need to know about the new Chromecast with Google TV.
\nWhat is Chromecast with Google TV?
\nChromecast with Google TV is the fourth-generation Chromecast, which turned out to be a massive hit for Google when it was announced back in 2013. It was originally a $35 dongle that you plugged into your TV and instantly able to stream all sorts of content to your TV with ease.
\nNow, seven years later, it was time for Google to improve the Chromecast. So here comes Chromecast with Google TV. It now includes a physical remote control, and has an actual interface. Chromecast, never had an actual interface. Instead, you would hit the Cast button on your phone in a specific app, and that was it. Chromecast with Google TV has Android TV baked in, so it\u2019s not an entirely new operating system, but the Google TV launcher on top is brand new.
\nThe Chromecast with Google TV is made completely from recycled materials. So by purchasing the new Chromecast, you\u2019re actually helping the environment. This is likely also why some of the parts of the Chromecast \u2013 the remote and batteries \u2013 have an interesting texture.
\nChromecast with Google TV: User Interface
\nWhat is Google TV?
\nGoogle TV is the new launcher that is on top of Android TV on Chromecast with Google TV. This might all sound very confusing, especially if you remember the fact that Google had Google TV up until it killed it off in 2014 in favor of Android TV.
\nBut now Google TV is back, sort of. It\u2019s a new launcher on Android TV, that aims to make it easier to find content to watch on your big screen. There are a few new tabs at the top, that highlight different content. So the \u201cLive\u201d tab will highlight what is currently on TV, if you are a YouTube TV subscriber. Movies and Shows highlight movies and TV shows you can watch from a variety of different apps that are installed \u2013 as well as Google Play. Then there is the Apps library, where you can launch your apps, like you normally would.
\nGoogle TV will come to other Android TV devices starting in 2021. Though, Google hasn\u2019t said much about what devices will be first, or when in 2021 this new interface will be available. But it won\u2019t be exclusive to the new Chromecast forever.
\nWhat streaming apps work with Google TV?
\nAnything that has an Android TV app, or works with Chromecast will work with Chromecast on Google TV. But for the new Movies and Shows tabs, Google TV only integrates certain apps. Here\u2019s the list of the apps that are currently compatible with Google TV. Google says it\u2019ll be adding more in the future.
\nUpdate: On December 16, 2020, Google announced that Apple TV (channels and Apple TV+) would be coming to Chromecast with Google TV in early 2021.
\nABC
\nAmazon Prime Video
\nAMC
\nA&E
\nCBS All Access
\nCrackle
\nComedy Central
\nDC Universe
\nDisney NOW
\nDisney+
\nEpix Now
\nFox Now
\nHulu
\nHBO Go
\nHBO Max
\nHistory
\nLifetime
\nMTV
\nNBC
\nNetflix
\nPeacock
\nPluto TV
\nShowtime
\nShowtime Anytime
\nSling TV
\nStarz
\nTBS
\nThe CW
\nTNT
\nTubi TV
\nVH1
\nYouTube TV
\nAs you\u2019ll see there are a couple of larger streaming services missing here like Peacock. Which might be surprising, but it does still work on Google TV, it just doesn\u2019t integrate into the movies and shows tabs on Google TV. You can still open the app and watch content the old fashioned way on the Chromecast with Google TV.
\nChromecast with Google TV: YouTube TV
\nWhich Live TV services work with Google TV?
\nFor the Live tab in Google TV, Sling TV and\u00a0 YouTube TV are supported. At launch this was limited to YouTube TV, and now Sling TV has been added. We will likely see more options added. Just sign into your Sling TV or YouTube TV account, and it\u2019ll appear in the Live Tab.
\nFor a limited time, Google is giving new YouTube TV subscribers a free Chromecast with Google TV. So if you sign up for YouTube TV for a month, you can get a Chromecast for free. A month of YouTube TV does cost you $65, so you\u2019re basically paying for a Chromecast and then $15 for the first month of YouTube TV. It\u2019s a great way to check out YouTube TV and get a Chromecast for free.
\nUpdate: On June 7, 2021, Google announced that Sling TV is now supported in the Live TV tab for Google TV. So if you\u2019re a Sling TV or YouTube TV subscriber, you can see Live TV listings right on the home screen.
\nWhat HDR specs does it support?
\nThe Chromecast with Google TV does support 4K HDR content. But just like with anything else, there are different forms of HDR available.
\nCurrently, it only supports HDR10 and HDR10+. Which should cover most people and most content.
\nOutside of HDR, it does also support both Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, for great sound and picture quality.
\nCan you use it wired, instead of wireless?
\nWhile the Chromecast is used wirelessly, and connects to 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, you can use it wired. Via an ethernet cable. But, that will cost you extra.
\nGoogle does have plans to offer an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast, but it is not yet available.
\nHow does Google decide what content to list \u201cFor You\u201d?
\nGoogle TV is able to access things you have watched already, as well as what you have put on your wishlist in the Play Movies & TV app \u2013 before it was rebranded to Google TV.
\nThe recommendations \u201cFor You\u201d are not that great in the very beginning, especially if you did not create a wishlist. But the more content you watch, the better it\u2019ll get over time.
\nYou can still add stuff to your wishlist (now called \u201cwatchlist\u201d) on Google TV. Just search for a movie or show, and then add it to your watchlist.
\nChromecast with Google TV: Remote
\nWhat buttons are on the new Chromecast remote?
\nGoogle kept the remote on the Chromecast pretty simple. It has the necessary buttons like a directional pad, home, back, volume controls, and Google Assistant. There is also a power button and inputs. But Google also added two other buttons for popular streaming services.
\nThere is a YouTube button and a Netflix button. As you\u2019d expect, pressing either one takes you directly into those apps. This is not anything new, Android TV manufacturers, Roku and Fire TV all do something similar \u2013 though they do it based on who is paying. So depending on when you buy your Roku, you may have different buttons on your remote.
\nCan they be customized?
\nThe YouTube and Netflix buttons on the Chromecast with Google TV remote cannot be customized, at least not yet. Google has hinted at the fact that it may add the ability to customize them in the future.
\nThough, considering the fact that they have YouTube and Netflix logos on them, there\u2019s not a whole lot of customizing you can actually do here.
\nCan the remote control my TV too?
\nYes. The Chromecast with Google TV remote can control your TV as well.
\nIt supports HDMI-CEC, which is a protocol that allows HDMI devices to talk to each other, allowing for multiple devices to be controlled by a single remote.
\nThe remote is able to turn on\/off the TV, switch inputs (to the Chromecast input, only), adjust volume and mute.
\nDuring the setup, Chromecast will walk you through controlling your TV and soundbar if you have one. It works with most brands of TVs and sound bars, including Sonos.
\nThis way you won\u2019t need to use another remote to control your TV or your soundbar.
\nCan you play games on Chromecast with Google TV?
\nChromecast with Google TV does support Stadia. But not officially until 2021. Surprisingly, you cannot play Stadia on Chromecast with Google TV, out of the box. Which is a clear oversight by Google, obviously.
\nHowever, many users have reported being able to sideload the Stadia app and play on the new Chromecast now. So there doesn\u2019t seem to be anything stopping users from playing Stadia now \u2013 other than it not being officially available in the Play Store to download to that device.
\nYou can still download games onto the Chromecast with Google TV, like you would on any Android TV device. But keep in mind the limited storage space on the Chromecast. Because there is so little space available, you won\u2019t be able to download a lot of games, like Asphalt. As there\u2019s just not enough space.
\nAre there parental controls available?
\nIn March 2021, Google announced that parental controls were coming to Google TV. And on March 30, those started to rollout in the US.
\nWith Google TV, you can set how long kids can watch TV, set the limit on ratings for content they watch and even the apps they can watch. As well as setting a profile lock so they aren\u2019t able to make changes without the parents approval.
\nHow much storage is available on Chromecast? And can you expand it?
\nSpeaking of storage, the Chromecast with Google TV comes with only 8GB of storage. You\u2019ll have around 5GB of space available out of the box. After installing all of your apps, you\u2019ll likely be down to around 4GB of space.
\nYou can technically expand the storage on Chromecast. As it does plug in via USB-C, and as we\u2019ve seen already, USB-C hubs do work on the Chromecast. So you could theoretically get a USB-C hub and plug it into the Chromecast, and plug in a hard drive that way. But installing apps likely won\u2019t be possible, because they can only be installed on internal storage. But that storage is good for running something like a Plex server on your Chromecast. Or something else that plays local files.
\nCan I use headphones with Chromecast?
\nYes, you are able to use a pair of Bluetooth headphones to listen to movies and shows from Chromecast.
\nThis is a feature that Roku has made pretty popular, and it\u2019s good to see other devices sporting it as well.
\nTo set this up, head to the settings menu, and pair a new device. You can pair another Bluetooth device to your Chromecast, whether that is a Bluetooth remote, game controller or a pair of headphones. Unfortunately, Bluetooth is the only option for using headphones here. As there is no headphone jack on the Chromecast.
\nThis means that you\u2019re going to be able to watch the game without waking up your kids or significant other, as long as you don\u2019t scream at the TV when your team turns over the ball.
\nChromecast with Google TV
\nHow much is Chromecast with Google TV?
\nChromecast with Google TV is on sale now for $49.99.
\nIt\u2019s likely that it will be discounted during the holiday season, possibly down to $35-$40.
\nIt\u2019s right in-line with the competition from Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Their 4K models are also around $40-$50. Making it a lot more competitive than something like the NVIDIA SHIELD TV, which is almost as expensive as the Apple TV 4K.
\nGoogle offers the Chromecast with Google TV in three colors: snow, sand and sky. Which are basically white, kind of orange and light blue. There is no black Chromecast this year, due to the fact that Google made the Chromecast entirely out of recycled plastics. It would have been nice to have one that blended in with the back of your TV, but a 100% recycled Chromecast is definitely a better aspect.
\nWhere can I buy the Chromecast?
\nYou can buy the Chromecast with Google TV from the Google Store, Best Buy, B&H Photo, The Home Depot, Target and Walmart.
\nOther retailers will likely start selling the Chromecast with Google TV in the near future.
\nWhat comes in the box?
\nThe packaging for the Chromecast with Google TV is pretty simple. It comes with the Chromecast, as well as the USB-A to USB-C cable and wall charger for charging. There is also the remote and two AAA batteries included. It\u2019s quite surprising to see batteries included in the box, normally those are sold separately.
\nGoogle also went as far as to color-code the batteries that come with the Chromecast with Google TV. So the Snow model has white batteries, sky has blue batteries and so forth. It\u2019s that attention to detail that makes Google, Google.
\nThe post Chromecast With Google TV: Everything You Need To Know \u2013 Updated June 2021 appeared first on Android Headlines.
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![](\"https:\/\/plus.maciejpiasecki.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/Google-TV-Chromecast-2-AM-AH-6.jpg\")
\nSource: ndroidheadlines.com <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"