You’ll have to forgive us for being a little surprised at Google’s decision to release the Chromecast with Google TV (HD). It’s been over two years since the original Chromecast with Google TV was released, which replaced the aging Chromecast Ultra for your 4K streaming needs.
Over two years later, Google TV has slowly made its way into the best 4K TVs, giving you access to all your favorite streaming services and cloud gaming services (RIP Stadia). And given that the original iteration is our pick for the best Android TV box, that begs the question, where does the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) fit in?
Chromecast with Google TV (HD): Pricing and Availability
The Chromecast with Google TV (HD) was introduced in September 2022, two years after the launch of the 4K version. Unlike its counterpart, the HD version only comes in one color (Snow) and retails for around $30.
With that, you’ll get the Chromecast dongle itself, a USB-C to USB-A cable, an accompanying charging brick, and Google’s excellent remote. If you’re interested in picking one up for yourself, it’s now available at just about every online retailer and physical store you can imagine.
Chromecast with Google TV (HD): What you’ll like
Out of the box, the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) is already a step ahead of the one that came before it. Instead of shipping a new device with an outdated OS, this new Chromecast comes with Android 12 on board. In mid-October, Google leveled the playing field a bit when it finally brought the latest update to the 4K iteration, but it was still a bit odd to have the new software available on the new entry model. range first.
If you’ve used any of the best Android TVs released in the last year or two, you’ll find yourself right at home. The Chromecast with Google TV (HD) offers the same great experience, and you can get started simply by plugging it into an open HDMI port on your TV. Of course, you’ll also need to use the included power adapter or plug the USB-C to USB-A cable into a USB port on your TV. Just make sure it can deliver enough power, otherwise you might experience some misfires.
The initial setup process has been made a little easier with the new “Quick Connect” option. Instead of manually entering the long and complicated password for your Wi-Fi network (at least it should be), you can simply point a phone connected to the same network at a QR code that appears on the screen. From there, it will only take a few moments before you can finish setting everything up for the first time.
Perhaps the most exciting thing about this new streaming device is that Google is including the same large remote control that was first introduced with the Chromecast with Google TV (4K). This includes quick access buttons for YouTube and Netflix, as well as a dedicated Google Assistant button and even volume controls on the side.
There really isn’t much to report about the interface that you haven’t already seen for yourself. It’s the same big Google TV we’ve come to know and love over the past few years, with multiple profiles, and still able to stream from your phone to any TV you’re using.
Chromecast with Google TV (HD): What you won’t get
The most obvious omission when looking at the whole Chromecast package with Google TV (HD) is the lack of 4K support. Obviously, if you’re considering this or any of the best streaming devices, you’ll know if you want (or need) a dongle capable of streaming in 4K.
And while it shouldn’t be too surprising, Google has also decided to drop all Dolby Vision support from its latest Chromecast. On the plus side, you’ll find HDR10, HDR 10+ and even Dolby Atmos support (via HDMI passthrough). However, make sure you know which Chromecast with Google TV you’re actually getting, otherwise you might be disappointed when you get home and things are hooked up.
While I love the included remote, which will likely work seamlessly to control your TV, I wish Google made a slight change. With the plethora of streaming services, I would have liked to see the Netflix shortcut button replaced with a customizable button. I’m sure there are workarounds for this, but I’d much rather Google let us do it from the built-in Settings app instead.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I was quite shocked to see TikTok pre-installed on the Chromecast along with Google TV (HD). There may be an undocumented partnership between Google and TikTok. But when you have a streaming device that’s already suffering when it comes to storage, pre-installing apps doesn’t make much sense. Yes, you can uninstall the app manually, but at the very least a screen during the installation process asking if we wanted to install it or not would have sufficed.
Chromecast with Google TV (HD): The Competition
The Chromecast with Google TV (HD) faces some pretty tough competition, even from other Android TV and Google TV devices. Google’s most obvious competitor here is the Fire TV Stick, which costs $10 more and is also “limited” to HD content. But I would say that despite the various advertisements Amazon is constantly throwing in your face, Fire TV still feels like a more mature platform in some ways.
From there, if you’re looking into the realm of Android TV devices, you can’t ignore the .onn Android TV 4K Streaming Device. The name is somehow even more awkward than Google’s latest Chromecast, but for just $20 you can also stream all the 4K content you want. The remote is arguably a bit better too, as there are a total of four shortcut buttons in addition to all the TV controls you’ll need and a dedicated Google Assistant button.
We’d also be remiss if we didn’t highlight the Roku Express, which was updated earlier this year. Although it doesn’t hang from the back of your TV’s HDMI port, an HDMI cable is included in the box. Plus, it delivers the same Roku experience you’d find on the company’s more expensive streaming solutions.
Chromecast with Google TV (HD): Should You Buy It?
You should buy this if:
- You want cheap Google TV.
- You want to add smarts to a non-smart TV.
- You want a streaming dongle for travel.
- You don’t care about 4K streaming.
You should not buy this if:
- You want to host content directly on the Chromecast.
- You worry about storage constraints.
- You want to be able to stream in 4K.
While I feel like Google could have, and probably should have, released the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) at least a year ago, it’s nice to see another option hitting the market. So what if it doesn’t have 4K, chances are you won’t even notice the difference, especially if you’re just watching sports or browsing YouTube. Plus, it still does everything the 4K version can, right down to including the same remote and the same amount of storage.
Speaking of which, if you really want to “step up” your streaming dongle, you can grab a USB-C hub (with power supply), plug in some external storage, and access it all from the Chromecast. But I’m still crossing my fingers that Google’s next streaming device looks more like the Fire TV Cube or the NVIDIA Shield TV.
Still, if you want an inexpensive way to enjoy Google TV and don’t care if you have 4K playback, the Chromecast with Google TV (HD) would be our top suggestion. And with the 2022 holiday season upon us, you’ll likely be able to find it on sale, which will make it even more appealing.
Chromecast with Google TV (HD)
Pretty much the best streaming dongle
Google took everything great about the original Chromecast with Google TV and dropped the price by removing 4K streaming. For most people, this is the best streaming device as long as you don’t care about 4K or Dolby Vision.