Google TV Streamer is company’s new take on streaming devices

It’s just a few more days before Google’s upcoming hardware event, but the company didn’t wait that long to announce Chromecast’s successor. On Tuesday, Google officially released the Google TV Streamer, a $99.99 home entertainment gadget that replaces Chromecast with Google TV (4K). 

Design Upgrades

There are visible out-of-the-box changes that you will notice with the new streaming device. Unlike Chromecast, the Google TV Streamer isn’t a dongle that hideaway on the back of your TV — it’s a sleek, pill-shaped set-top box that is designed to be a part of your home decor. It’s also larger and wider in size, which allows it to fit a Gigabit Ethernet port, alongside the familiar HDMI 2.1 and a USB-C port. 

The bundled remote, though similar in look to its Chromecast counterpart, has undergone some nice design tweaks. It’s a bit longer, has a textured back for better grip, and comes with a new customizable button that can be mapped to open an app or change HDMI inputs.

Button placements have also changed — the Home button is now on the right face instead of the side, with the volume adjusters below it, and the Assistant button has moved to the left below the back button.

To help you locate the remote if you misplace it, the new remote has “Find My Remote” support with a tiny speaker inside. It beeps when you give your Assistant “find my remote” command or when you press a button on the back of the TV Streamer.

Moving on to the hardware inside, the Google TV Streamer has double the RAM (reportedly 4GB), and 32GB of storage and is powered by a processor that is 22% faster than its predecessor. It can natively run 4K Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, or HLG content with Dolby Atmos audio.

Matter/Thread Integration and Gemini 

Beyond streaming, the Google TV Streamer can manage and control your smart home devices via the Google Home panel. It also supports Thread and Matter and functions as a Thread Border Router.

Thread, if you aren’t aware is a low-powered networking protocol (like WiFi or Bluetooth) that allows Matter-enabled devices to talk to each other. Meanwhile, Matter is a standard that enables smart devices from different brands to work together seamlessly.

On the other hand, a Thread Border Router connects a Thread network to a larger network, such as Wi-Fi or Ethernet. It acts as a bridge, allowing Thread devices to access the internet and communicate with other devices on the larger network.

Since the TV Streamer is a 2024 product, it has to come with AI — in this case Gemini. With tons of shows and movies available through various streaming services, you can put Gemini to work to find the best content for your mood. Google says it will even provide “full summaries, reviews, and season-by-season breakdowns of content” as you browse. 

Otherwise, it’s the same Google Home interface, except that the Ambient mode now uses generative AI that lets you use your voice to create a custom screensaver. 

Google TV Streamer Availability

You can purchase the Google TV Streamer from the Google Store and Best Buy starting September 24. It will be widely available in Porcelain while there’s also a Google-exclusive Hazel shade. 

The retail box of the Google TV Streamer includes a Voice Remote (with 2 AAA batteries), a power adapter, a 1.8m USB-C power cable, a quick start guide, and a safety document, but it does not include an HDMI 2.1 cable.

Google TV Streamer (4k) Technical Specifications