Google TV Streamer review

Chromecast is dead; long live the Google TV Streamer. When Google revealed that it was putting its Chromecast brand out to pasture late last year, many eyebrows were raised amongst the AV-minded folk of the What Hi-Fi? team. After all, the Chromecast with Google TV was a three-time Award winner, so what could replace it?

Google’s answer? A bigger and more feature-rich streaming box that’s designed to sit proudly on your media unit rather than dangle from an HDMI socket behind your TV. While a more powerful streamer from Google is exactly what we’ve been asking for, it also comes with a higher price tag and, as we’ve come to find out, not a lot in the way of improvements.

Price

The Google TV Streamer is a pretty significant step up in price compared to the outgoing Chromecast with Google TV. It officially costs £99 / $100 / AU$160, which is a tough pill to swallow when we recall that the Chromecast was priced just £60 / $50 / AU$99.

This price increase also puts the Google TV Streamer closer to the Product of the Year-winning Apple TV 4K (£149 / $130 / AU$219) and the not-quite-as-impressive Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Generation (£140 / $140 / AU$219).

Ultimately, a price increase this substantial – literally double for the US market, for instance – needs to be justified, so our expectations for the Google TV Streamer are understandably high.

Build

Google’s new streamer sports an all-new look that’s designed to take centre stage on your media unit. This is a streaming box much like the Apple TV 4K and Fire TV Cube, rather than a dongle or stick, and Google has taken design into account to help you accept the Streamer’s new place in your set-up.

It sports a low-profile, pebble-like appearance that’s no bigger in width than an average smartphone in landscape orientation. With its rounded corners and off-white Porcelain finish (the US also gets a grey-toned Hazel colourway), the Streamer looks clean, simplistic and, if we’re being honest, a bit bland. That’s no great shame, however, as it is designed to seamlessly integrate into your TV set-up, not draw your eye away from the screen.

Google keeps things simple on the rear of the body too, with a USB-C socket for power (cable and mains block are both included in the box), an ethernet socket (which is a major perk of this new form factor), an HDMI 2.1 socket, and a button that helps you locate your remote if you misplace it.

Speaking of which, bundled with the Streamer is Google’s Voice Remote, which looks very similar to the one included with the Chromecast. This smooth, rounded handset is slightly longer, making it feel a bit more comfortable in the hand. Some controls have been rearranged too – the volume buttons have migrated from the side of the handset to a more conventional place on the top edge with the rest of the buttons, while the home and Google Assistant buttons have swapped places.

Overall, we have very few complaints about the remote, aside from the fact that it is missing any sort of dedicated media controls. It does score points for having a “find my remote” feature, which is a godsend when the slippery handset slides between the couch cushions.

Features

If it wasn’t clear from the name, this streamer uses the Google TV operating system, which is also featured on a number of TVs from the likes of Sony, Philips and TCL. This Android-based software is fairly easy to navigate, includes a wide selection of streaming apps, and boasts a lot of smart home features (thanks to the inclusion of both Matter and Thread) – a boon for those who have invested in smart plugs, lightbulbs and doorbells.

It encompasses a wide range of international and domestic streaming services, including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV+, alongside the likes of ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and, since a recent update, BBC iPlayer. There is also a wide range of lifestyle and gaming apps, including fitness and yoga, as well as a variety of Android games that can be played with the included remote.

Considering the Google TV boasts 4GB of RAM (the same amount found in the Apple TV) and an unnamed processor that is reportedly more powerful than the one found in the Chromecast, we’re slightly frustrated by how often this operating system freezes.

Clicking through menus too quickly can cause the Streamer to stick, requiring it to take a moment to compose itself and move on; if we were pushing the hardware to the limit with a graphically intensive game, we’d understand – but we’re just browsing the home menu.

Software irks aside, the Google TV Streamer does include a host of new AI-based features courtesy of its Gemini platform. This includes more accurate content suggestions, AI-generated synopsis labels for movies and TV shows, display reviews for content, and even season-by-season breakdowns of TV shows if you need to catch up. On the whole, these mostly work well, however, we did find the three-word content descriptions to hiccup on occasion.

While Blade Runner 2049 is accurately described as “existential, atmospheric and bleak”, we’re not sure we’d describe BBC satirical comedy Amandaland as “gritty”. The best description is for Marvel’s The Incredible Hulk, which the streamer labelled as “incredible” – technically correct, we suppose.

Moving away from AI and back to AV, the Google TV Streamer ticks pretty much all of the boxes here. It can stream 4K HDR video (providing you have the correct subscription tier for your chosen service and a capable TV or projector), with all major HDR formats supported, including HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision and HLG. It also supports the expected set of Dolby audio formats, including Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital. Unfortunately, DTS:X is not catered for.

Finally, the HDMI 2.1 socket doesn’t seem to support the usual gaming features we associate with the connection, but that’s forgivable as it doesn’t support console-quality titles. Interestingly, the LG C5 OLED TV that we’re using for testing recognises that it supports Quick Media Switching (QMS), which minimises the frequency of black screens flashing up when switching to different frame rates or HDR formats.

Picture

Considering the Chromecast with Google TV earned multiple Awards based on its five-star picture performance, our expectations are, naturally, fairly high. So, is the Google TV Streamer better than the Chromecast? We’re pleased to announce that it is. Is it good enough to justify the increased price and fend off the Apple TV 4K? Unfortunately, it is not.

We have both the streamers mentioned above on hand as reference devices to compare the Google TV with, and while there are plenty of positive aspects regarding the Streamer, it’s in an awkward spot as an upgrade that falls short of the competition. We use a range of streaming services, including Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, as well as some content purchased on Apple TV.

Starting with John Wick: Chapter 4 on Netflix in 4K Dolby Vision, we can see a clear improvement over the previous Google streamer in terms of contrast. The picture features enhanced depth and deeper blacks, which help to make the image a bit more impactful. The opulent Parisian palace interior looks crisp and detailed, and the Google TV Streamer does the dramatic lighting justice with bright highlights that ensure details aren’t lost on Caine’s face as he is recruited by the Marquis to hunt down Wick.

We then switch to A Quiet Place: Day One in HDR10 on Amazon Prime Video, to assess how the Streamer approaches colours. It’s good news, as it balances punch and naturalness well; Samira’s yellow coat and orange hat have a nice sense of vibrancy while also looking measured and authentic. Likewise, the vibrant foliage and tennis court found in Challengers appear both rich and eye-catching without looking overdone.

Sticking with the steamy tennis-themed flick, we find that motion isn’t an issue on the Google TV Streamer, as the tennis ball darts from one side of the court to the other without any awkward stuttering or flickering. However, this film features a fairly pronounced film grain effect, which can look a tad fuzzy and distracting on the Google Streamer.

We also refer to some lower resolution content, Peep Show on Netflix to be exact, and find that the Streamer does a solid job of presenting the older show. The natural characteristics are still present, but its tendency to emphasise some visual fuzziness is also apparent.

We conclude testing with the opening of Blade Runner 2049 on the Apple TV app, and while we’re generally positive about the picture, it’s pipped by the Apple TV 4K in practically every sense. Apple’s streamer is punchier, richer, more three-dimensional and crisper, leading us to prefer its picture over that of the Google. Admittedly, it is more expensive, but we deem the additional outlay to be worth the picture upgrade if your budget can stretch.

Sound

While we can be fairly complimentary towards the Google TV Streamer’s picture performance, we can’t really say the same about its sound. It suffices for movies and TV shows in most ways, which we admit is the most important factor, with a clear and detailed sound that emphasises vocal clarity. As bullets and arrows start flying in a battle at the Osaka Continental Hotel in John Wick: Chapter 4, the streamer does a solid job of delivering weighty thuds as bodies drop, and the slashes of katanas sound clean and sharp.

That being said, it doesn’t deliver much in the way of low-level dynamics. Dialogue sounds flat and uninteresting, with a one-note feel to voices, robbing the performances of emotion in the process. That dull characteristic can also be felt at the start of Challengers, as the electronic score that bursts to life in the opening match feels misjudged and doesn’t have the intended impact due to its weak timing.

These deficiencies are felt heavily when listening to music through the Google TV Streamer. There is an absence of warmth, and instruments lack texture, which we find is the case with Tool’s Invincible and Taylor Swift’s Willow. Pair that with a lackadaisical sense of timing and the aforementioned poor low-level dynamics, and we’re left with an uninspiring musical performance that is easily bested by the rich and natural-sounding Apple TV 4K.

Ultimately, the Google’s sound will be serviceable for many, but for those with keen ears who want a streamer that delivers a cinematic and musical sound, you may wish to look elsewhere.

Verdict

The Google TV Streamer is in an awkward position. It’s a good streamer that will likely meet most people’s needs; however, it is a good streamer that replaces a great one. It does so at a premium, too, with a higher price tag attached for a picture and sound performance that isn’t far detached from its predecessor.

Furthermore, this inflated price puts it uncomfortably close to the exceptional Apple TV 4K, which betters the Google TV in the most important areas.

Admittedly, the Apple TV 4K might not be a tempting proposition for staunch Android users who refuse to touch Apple products with a ten-foot barge pole, but if picture and sound are top priorities for you (and we’re not sure why they wouldn’t be), then the Apple TV is a better choice.

SCORES

• Picture 4
• Sound 3
• Features 5

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Read our review of the Apple TV 4K (2022)

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