The Google TV Streamer surprised me in the best way - and I'm an extreme cord cutter

1 week ago 4

ZDNET's key takeaways

The Google TV Streamer is a streaming device that sells for $100.
The Google TV Streamer offers beautiful image, fast performance, and the best smart home integrations of any Google streaming device.
It's built for Android users but can work with iOS, with some compromise, and there are only a few audio customization options.

I've been a cord cutter for over a decade and have cycled through all the major streaming device brands available, from the Google Chromecast to the Roku Streaming Stick to the Fire Stick. As someone with an Apple TV 4K, an unhealthy amount of Fire TVs, a Roku TV and Roku Ultra, and now a Google TV Streamer running at home, it's safe to say I'm not married to a single smart TV operating system.

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Testing the Google TV Streamer took me back to my Chromecast days when I was in my Android era (shoutout to the Samsung Note 4, forever in my heart). Casting content with Chromecast became second nature back then, so I was excited to give the Google TV Streamer a try.

I've used Google TV on other devices recently and found the platform lacking, so I was curious to see how the new Google device would perform.

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I was pleasantly surprised to find that the launch of the Google TV Streamer (let's call it the Streamer) coincided with a revamp of the Google TV user experience. If you're unfamiliar with Google TV, its interface is more similar to FireOS than Roku or Apple's tvOS. It features categories arranged in horizontal rows where you can resume watching content, browse apps, or explore recommendations.

Google hasn't done much to declutter the screen of suggested and sponsored content, but it has simplified navigation, made it easier to rearrange apps, and improved the search feature -- especially with voice control through Google.

Like the Apple TV 4K, the Google TV Streamer deepens the divide in the iOS vs. Android battle, which is no surprise since its best integrations are with Google-made devices. If you're an iPhone user, don't expect to cast photos or videos directly from your native app to the Google TV Streamer -- it doesn't support AirPlay. Instead, you'll need to download the Google Photos app, upload your photos, and then cast them to the Streamer.

One handy feature is the remote finder button. Android users can ask Google on their phones to locate the remote using voice commands, but there's also a physical button on the back of the Google TV Streamer that makes the remote beep. Plus, the Google Home app -- available for both Android and iOS -- includes a button to ping your remote.

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Unlike the new Roku Ultra, the Google TV Streamer doesn't offer hands-free voice control; you have to press and hold the microphone button to speak to Google. While this might not be a big deal for most users, especially Android fans, you won't be able to simply say, "Hey Google, find my remote" like you can with the Roku Ultra.

I tested the Google TV Streamer with both my TV's speakers and a Sonos Era 100 as an external speaker. Pairing with the Sonos was quick and seamless, delivering rich, accurate audio without any synchronization or disconnection issues.

One thing I didn't like about the Google TV Streamer is the lack of an audio sync tool. I have an Omni Series Fire TV in my bedroom and use a Fire Stick with a VPN to stream foreign shows and movies, where the audio often falls out of sync. I've become all too familiar with adjusting audio to match the video, and I appreciate that FireOS has a built-in setting for this. I was hoping the Google TV Streamer would offer the same option, but unfortunately, it doesn't.

On the other hand, one of my favorite features is something I didn't initially think much of: the built-in AI image generator. As a proud (and cheesy) parent, I usually set family photos as my TV's screensaver, with the only exception being the beautiful screensavers on the Apple TV 4K. While exploring Google TV Streamer's capabilities, I discovered its AI screensaver generator, which turned out to be a hit.

Also: Apple TV vs. Roku: Which streaming device should you buy?

My kids love generative AI, though I'm careful about how they use it. They mostly ask ChatGPT questions about Minecraft. The Google TV Streamer uses Gemini to generate screensavers. Gemini is not only Google's answer to ChatGPT but also the name of the large language models (LLMs) powering its AI chatbot and image generators.

With Halloween around the corner, I thought it would be fun to add some festive images to the screensaver, so I asked the Google TV Streamer to generate generic images of jack-o-lanterns, candy, and haunted houses. The images turned out well, and the resolution looked great on my 43-inch bedroom TV.

Of course, you can't expect perfection from an AI image generator. My kids quickly got involved, and now my Halloween screensaver is sprinkled with questionable-looking puppies frolicking in front of houses with oddly shaped windows!

ZDNET's buying advice

Ultimately, the Google TV Streamer is the company's best streaming device. It's noticeably faster and snappier than the previous Chromecast and less buggy than FireOS on my Omni Series Fire TV. It's not as fast and intuitive as the Apple TV 4K, but it is the perfect streaming device for Android users and those who just want a reliable provider.

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The Google Home integrations further enhance the smart home experience. The Google TV Streamer also supports Thread and Matter, allowing it to double as a smart home hub. As someone who regularly tests smart home devices and runs Apple HomeKit, Google Home, SmartThings, and Amazon Alexa, I appreciate having a device that serves as both a Matter and Thread hub.

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