Google TV Streamer (4K)

I've had this streaming device for a bit over a week now, and so far it's been a complete letdown. I seriously would have expected better from Google. What promised to be a seamless and user-friendly experience, especially with complementing my existing Google TV (CHIQ) that I bought separately about a month ago in the bedroom, has turned into a… Read more

constant source of frustration and wasted time. I was hoping that by running the same operating system across both TVs, everything would be more streamlined and 'on the same page.' Instead, this device is plagued with severe bugs and a lack of basic functionality that makes it incredibly difficult to recommend. Right from the start, the setup process was a nightmare. The 'Scan QR code' method consistently failed, getting stuck at the fingerprint verification stage on my (Samsung Galaxy S24) phone and refusing to sign in. I shouldn't have to resort to a clunky, manual setup when a modern device boasts a convenient QR code option, but it was the only way to proceed. This persistent setup failure across multiple Google TV devices (including my CHIQ TV) strongly indicates a fundamental flaw on Google's end, undermining the very idea of a unified ecosystem.

Even after finally getting it set up, the problems continued, like:

1; Misleading Content Recommendations: The 'For You' section on the home screen constantly pushes content from streaming services like Disney+ and Stan, even though I don't have these apps installed or subscriptions. What's worse, Netflix, one of the most popular streaming services in the world, was selected in my 'services' list, but its content was nowhere to be seen prominently. This makes the content discovery feature useless and annoying.

2; Frustrating Volume Control: The HDMI-CEC volume control via the remote was incredibly laggy and unresponsive. I was forced to abandon this feature and manually set up IR control for my Pioneer AV Receiver. While more responsive now, this means I can no longer control the volume using the Google TV app on my phone – a basic smart feature lost.

3; Other Persistent Bugs: My overall experience with Google TV (including with my CHIQ TV) has revealed inexplicable issues like Fahrenheit/Celsius discrepancies (it was always showing the weather in Fahrenheit even though I live in Australia), and the Google Home app failing to consistently find the TV. For example, because I had to set the TV up manually, it didn't add it to my Google Home app; it just added it as a local device. I then spent far too long, getting annoyed and stressed, trying to work out how to add it to a room. This pattern of bugs points to a deeply unstable software experience that completely negates any supposed benefits of a unified platform.

Overall, this Google TV streamer has been extremely disappointing, and it's far from user-friendly. I've spent more time troubleshooting fundamental issues than enjoying content. The promise of a streamlined experience across Google TV devices simply hasn't materialized. In contrast, my old Amazon Fire Stick has been significantly more reliable and a lot more user-friendly. Google needs to drastically improve the software stability and setup experience for this platform to be competitive. So, with everything I've experienced so far, I'm starting to regret this purchase, especially with the high price tag.

I just hope they can fix some of these bugs and make it a bit more user-friendly, because the way it is now, it's just stressful trying to get it set up correctly.

Ps; sorry for the long review, far out it has been a long process to get this far, I don't think I want to do all that again

Feels like a 60% more expensive downgrade from the Google Chromecast 4K (which is discontinued) – *** The HDMI cable is NOT INCLUDED! Without an HDMI cable you can not used this! *** * The below review is my personal opinion and feelings on this device I am not a professional tester! * I have a Chromecast 4k which I have been using on the kids rumpus room TV for a while. I got fed up with the built in interface of my Samsung TV and decided to… Read more

get another but the Chromecast has been superseded by the "TV Streamer" 4k which is (in theory) 20% faster! First things: I found this way better than the Amazon Firestick I owned and have since chucked as it didn't work with Binge/Disney/chromecast and it is way better than the Google Tv experience found on any of the TCL Tvs I have used. The TV Streamer does not feel like an Upgrade to the Chromecast 4k) in fact my first impressions were that it was actually slower and more bug riddled! I am now feeling I should have just purchased a Raspberry Pi 5 which has significantly better hardware specs and expandability and just installed Google TV on it!

What I like ------------- - Network port: The wired LAN port is a nice addition not present in the Chromecast and important if you live in a Wifi congested area eg flats. - Experience: The Google TV experience is way better than interface on many of it's competitors (such as the Firestick) and better than the interface on some of the built in devices in low end TVs. - Apps: The Google Store has a much better selection of Apps than most of many of the more proprietary built in OSs like Samsung's one and isn't as locked down as the TCL Android TV. I use VLC and Kodi to stream from my NAS as well as all of the platforms like Netflix, Disney, Youtube, Apple, Binge, etc. - Remote: The remote (while not as nice as the original Chromecast 4k remote) is still good. - Chromecast: Chromecast from Android devices is a useful feature which is not available on my Samsung TV and unreliable on my TCL tv.

What I do not like --------------------- - Price: More than 60% price hike over its predecessor Chromecast 4K in Google Store for a product that IMHO is not as good. But the Chromecast is apparently discontinued and out of stock. - Parts not included: It will also not work out of the box like it's predecessor unless you have an 4K HDMI cable lying around. (I did not! So I got to go emergency cable shopping on New Years eve! Fun!) - Accounts: You basically have to tie in your Google account to your TV which isn't great if it is a shared TV. You can create a special account for it but you can't then use your YouTube premium account on that. - Shop around: I was about to pay $160 for this on the Google Store, but noticed that it is cheaper pretty much everywhere else! I got mine in Officeworks for $127 Dec 2024 (Now $147 Jan 2025) - Video performance: It works fine in 1080p however 4K@60hz performance is somewhat lacking especially when it comes to upscaling to 4K from lower resolution files on my NAS I get frequent cutouts and jitter that do not occur on my Chromecast 4K using the same Apps (VLC and Kodi). - Remote: I preferred the previous generation remote (I have one on order) - Speed: It claims to be faster than the Chromecast 4K (3rd gen) but I have found it to be slow and often jittery in menus and apps. - Ports: They have still not included a USB port or micro sd slot. Note: It has a USB C port but that is for power though apparently there are third party docs that allow expansion through this but I have not tested it. - Portability: It is no longer a dongle that can easily be slipped into the front pocket of a bag it is a unit designed to be left in place. - Crashes and bugs: It has crashed on me a couple of time and some of the third party apps aren't as stable as they were on the Chromecast 4K. This may get better as apps developers troubleshoot on newer versions of Google TV. - Packaging: While most of the packaging was recyclable and potentially biodegradable card/paper. They added in a whole bunch of little plastic ties and thin sheets wraps which as far as I can tell serves absolutely no purpose other than possibly aesthetics!

Conclusion ------------ Overall I have given it an Ok rating as on its own it is better than it is still better than other other similar devices (Such as the Amazon Fire stick) and the built in media platforms in many TVs that I have tried (such as my Samsung TV). It also has the ability to Chromecast from Android devices which is very important for me. That said, it feels like Google is trying to gaslight me into believing that a more expensive product that in practice doesn't seem to work as well as the old one is somehow better while ceasing to make the old model available. The original Chromecast 4K (3rd Gen) had its own issues such as expansion, etc but was generally a good product at a reasonable price point and if I could take this unit back and get a new Chromecast 4K instead, I probably would!