Twitter

Google refreshed its Chromecast streaming device in late 2020 with a pebble-shaped enclosure, a smart remote, and new interface. And it was … fine. It was actually better than fine, but if you already have an Apple TV, Fire TV or Roku, why switch?

Here’s why: The better-than-fine Chromecast is now a $49 on-ramp to the best-in-class Google TV platform.

The recent additions of Apple’s TV app and Amazon’s IMDb TV app to the platform make Chromecast with Google TV the only streaming device on the market that runs every major streaming service. And two major device makers — Sony and TCL — will launch Google TV-powered models later this year that will put Google in the middle of the competitive global TV market.

If you’re in the market for a new TV device, Chromecast with Google TV is now the one to beat.

Google TV Runs Every Major Streamer

With the additions of the Apple TV and IMDb TV apps, Chromecast with Google TV now has every major streaming app available to download and integrate into its user-friendly, discovery-friendly, integrated interface. That’s a big advantage over the other major streaming platforms — Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung and Xfinity — that all lack the integration of one or more major apps into their interfaces.

Households are shifting their TV consumption:

Less cable. Sixty percent of U.S. households subscribe to both traditional TV (cable, satellite or telco) and streaming services, according to Leichtman Research Group, and eMarketer projects that the number of U.S. households with no traditional TV service will boom from 24.6 million in 2019 to 46.6 million in 2024.
More streaming. Half of U.S. households now subscribe to four or more streamers and 21% subscribe to six or more streamers, according to a December survey J.D. Power, and household spending on streaming increased from $38 in April 2020 to $47 in December 2020.
Even more streaming. Price is a declining factor according to February survey by Amdocs, which found that consumer loyalty to a streamer is driven more by the amount (49%) and quantity (45%) of content than the price of the service (38%).

Google TV is a new build of the Android TV OS that has been around for years, which explains why more than 6,500 apps were available on Chromecast with Google TV at launch in October 2020.

Chromecast with Google TV meets the consumer shift to more streamers by getting every major streamer onto the platform and emphasizing the film and TV titles from across those streamers rather than the streamers themselves. You can still browse the Netflix or HBO Max apps for something to watch, but Google TV’s content rows are a better, more comprehensive place to start.

Film and TV Titles Are the Focus

Google TV has dedicated tabs for Search, For You, Movies, Shows, Apps, and Library. For You is the main screen of the platform and has a carousel at the top with buzzy titles. Below that are five rows: “Top Picks for You” (algorithmic recommendations), “Your Apps” (favorite streamers), “Continue Watching” (current titles), “Trending on Google” (a genius feature), and “From Your Watchlist” (listed by most recently saved). And below that are rows of recommendations by genre (action shows, sci-fi movies, etc.).

The “Movies” and “Shows” tabs recommends titles from your streamers in content rows that will evolve toward your taste the more you use Google TV, and the “Movies” tab includes titles that you can rent or buy on Google Play from within the platform. The “Library” tab includes movies you’ve purchased on Google Play and movies that you’ve synced to Google Play with the Movies Anywhere app.

Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu and Prime Video titles dominate the recommendations rows, which is not surprising given the depth of those streamers’ catalogs. Titles from Starz, Epix, Showtime, Apple TV, Peacock, and Discovery+ also appear in many of my rows. CuriosityStream, PBS, and TV Everywhere apps like AMC, VH1, NBC, etc., are not — or not yet — integrated into recommendations, though those live and on-demand channels are if you subscribe to YouTube TV. (More on that below.)

As a longtime Apple TV user, seeing Netflix titles in these recommendations rows has been a when-hell-freezes-over experience. (There is a Netflix app for Apple TV, but it is not integrated into the TV app’s recommendations or its Up Next row where I keep track of what I’m watching.) I’m already seeing titles I didn’t know were in Netflix’s catalog, and I’ll likely watch more Netflix because of that.

Google Is the DNA of Google TV

Chromecast with Google TV is integrated into the broader Google ecosystem — Google search, YouTube TV and Nest devices — which is something you’ll notice the more invested you are in that ecosystem.

Google search. Nothing is more core to Google’s DNA that search, and the Google TV interface does a phenomenal job of helping you locate an individual title when you know what you want to watch and discovering one when you don’t. The Search tab includes a text box for typing in your search and a row of examples — “show me French films” — for using Google Assistant voice search on your remote.

Another great discovery mechanism within Google TV is the related material on the main screen for each film and TV title. If you’re checking out Nomadland on Hulu, you can click on Francis McDormand from the Cast & Crew row and see that Fargo is available to rent for $3.99, Almost Famous is on Prime Video, and Blood Simple is on HBO Max.

Google TV also connects to the Google search engine in a particularly ingenious way. If you do a Google search for “Young Rock” on your phone browser, you’ll get a customized search result for the Young Rock comedy series that allows you to save the show to your Google TV Watchlist. I use that feature several times a week when I hear about a movie or series I want to remember to check out later.

YouTube TV. You can subscribe to and stream YouTube TV — Google’s $64.99-a-month cable replacement — on every major TV platform, but it becomes part of the platform when you download it on Google TV. Immediately after you subscribe to YouTube TV, you get a “Live” tab on the Google TV interface and lots of new options in your content rows.

The Google TV platform is still fairly new, so I expect that the integration of YouTube TV’s live TV will get better over time. The “Top Picks for You” row on my account currently shows John Travolta and Nicholas Cage’s Face/Off streaming live and in progress — 30 minutes after it started — from AMC rather than the on-demand version that’s also available from AMC. If it’s not actually live, show it to me on demand.

Since must-watch scripted programming has largely moved from broadcast and cable to premium and streaming, YouTube TV is mainly for households that want live sports and cable news. If that’s you and you’re OK paying $64.99 a month, YouTube TV on the Google TV platform is a great option.

Nest devices. Chromecast with Google TV integrates tightly enough with Google Nest smart speakers, thermostats, security cameras, and other devices that you can unlock the front door, check on the baby’s room, turn on the AC, or dim the lights with your Chromecast remote.

Google, Amazon and Apple have improved the cooperation of phones, apps and streamers the last few years, but home devices are more of a one-brand show. Aligning your TV platform and home devices will go a long way toward determining how smart your smart home will be, and Google is in the lead.

Scott Porch writes about the TV business for Decider. He is a contributing writer for The Daily Beast and a podcast producer for Starburns Audio. You can follow him on Twitter @ScottPorch.

Buy a Chromecast with Google TV - 4K