Major Upgrade Over Chromecast – Google’s new Google TV Streamer 4K doubles the RAM (4 GB) and quadruples storage (32 GB) of the old Chromecast with Google TV, adds a faster processor and built-in Ethernet for smoother 4K HDR streaming store.google.comstore.google.com. It supports up to 4K@60Hz with Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos audio tomsguide.com, addressing the performance and capacity complaints of its predecessor.
Premium Price & Design – Launching at $99.99 (about £99 / AU$159) on Sept. 24, 2024, it’s twice the price of the previous Chromecast 4K dongle tomsguide.comtomsguide.com. This new model is a sleek set-top box (available in off-white “Porcelain” or gray “Hazel”) meant to sit on your TV stand, with an included voice remote – a departure from the old plug-in dongle whathifi.comwhathifi.com. An Ethernet jack and “Find my remote” button are built-in, but the box can’t hide behind a wall-mounted TV tomsguide.comtomsguide.com.
Google TV Interface + AI Smarts – It runs the latest Google TV OS (on Android TV 13) with Google’s content-first interface and voice-enabled Google Assistant. New AI features (via Google’s Gemini AI platform) offer automated show summaries and recommendations, plus an AI image generator for fun custom screensavers tomsguide.comtomsguide.com. The UI aggregates streaming apps (Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, etc.) and live TV content, and now includes a smart home control panel for lights, cameras, thermostats and more tomsguide.comtomsguide.com. Reviews praise the intuitive, content-rich UI and snappy navigation – “an excellent streaming UI” with Google Assistant making voice search easy theverge.comtheverge.com.
Voice Remote & Casting Features – The compact voice remote is slightly redesigned (longer with better button layout) and adds a customizable shortcut button store.google.com. It can control TV power/volume via HDMI-CEC and IR, and of course trigger Google Assistant by voice. A remote locator feature makes the remote beep loudly at the press of a button on the streamer tomsguide.com – a perk previously seen only on high-end Roku devices. Like prior Chromecasts, it supports Chromecast casting from phones and Chrome browser, so you can cast videos, music, or mirror your screen to the TV effortlessly store.google.comstore.google.com.
Home Hub & Ecosystem Integration – Uniquely, the Google TV Streamer doubles as a smart home hub. It’s a certified Matter hub with a built-in Thread border router for connecting smart lights, locks, sensors, etc. support.google.comsupport.google.com. This deep integration with Google Home means you can monitor and control your smart devices on the TV without needing your phone or a smart speaker tomsguide.comtomsguide.com. However, unlike Apple TV 4K’s HomeKit hub, the Google box can’t yet serve as a full standalone automation hub beyond Thread routing tomsguide.com. It also currently cannot route TV audio to Nest smart speakers as a surround sound system, a limitation noted by reviewers theverge.com.
Strong Competitor Line-Up – At $99 the Google TV Streamer enters premium territory against the Roku Ultra, Amazon Fire TV Cube, Apple TV 4K, and veteran Nvidia Shield TV. Experts note its price “is more in line with premium devices from Roku, Apple, and Amazon” tomsguide.com. Each rival has unique strengths:
Roku Ultra (2024) – Roku’s flagship now features HDMI 2.1 with QMS (Quick Media Switching for judder-free refresh changes), Wi-Fi 6, a faster quad-core processor, and an excellent Voice Remote Pro (with Bluetooth headphone support and lost remote finder) reddit.comreddit.com. Roku’s interface is famously simple and snappy, free of intrusive ads beyond a small home-screen banner tomsguide.comtomsguide.com. It excels in ease of use and neutrality (no bias toward any content provider), but its cheaper sticks lack Ethernet and had no Dolby Atmos support until recent updates tomsguide.comtomsguide.com.
Fire TV Stick/Cube – Amazon’s ecosystem offers options from the $50 Fire TV Stick 4K to the $140 Fire TV Cube. The Cube (3rd Gen, 2022) packs an octa-core CPU making it “one of the fastest streaming devices on the market,” on par with Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K in speed tomsguide.com. It uniquely doubles as a hands-free Alexa smart speaker with far-field mics, IR blasters, and even an HDMI input to control cable boxes. Amazon recently refreshed the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) with Wi-Fi 6E and 16 GB storage (double the old) cybershack.com.au, undercutting Google’s price. However, Fire OS is ad-heavy and Amazon-centric – reviewers call its interface “crowded” and “ad-laden,” tolerated only thanks to the device’s speed making it manageable tomsguide.comtomsguide.com. For Alexa devotees or Prime Video loyalists, Fire TV works great, but others may find the homescreen cluttered with promotions.
Apple TV 4K (2022) – Apple’s streamer remains the performance king with its A15 Bionic chip (literally an iPhone CPU inside) delivering ultra-fast, fluid navigation and multitasking theverge.com. It supports all major formats (Dolby Vision, Atmos, HDR10+), offers up to 128 GB storage, and uniquely integrates Apple’s ecosystem: AirPlay casting, Fitness+ workouts, Apple Arcade gaming, and HomeKit smart home hub capabilities with Thread. Critically, it’s one of the only devices with no intrusive ads in the interfacetomsguide.com – content is front-and-center, and it’s privacy-minded. The downsides are price (~$129+ for 64 GB) and a lack of broad format support like no built-in Kodi/Plex server and limited codec passthrough (no DTS:X or TrueHD bitstream). Still, for those in the Apple ecosystem or anyone who values polish and power, Apple TV 4K is a top choice. (A next-gen Apple TV is rumored for late 2025 with an even faster chip and enhanced features 9to5mac.commacrumors.com.)
Nvidia Shield TV (2019) – Aging but still respected, the Shield TV Pro (2019) remains a favorite for enthusiasts, especially for local media. It runs Android TV and can function as a Plex media server, with up to 4K HDR output, Dolby Vision/Atmos, and unique AI upscaling that sharpens HD videos impressively. Its Tegra X1+ processor, while old, handles most apps smoothly and even enables retro gaming and GeForce Now cloud gaming. The Shield’s backlit remote and extensive codec support (including Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD MA, etc.) cater to home theater geeks avsforum.comt3.com. However, it lacks AV1 decoding (a newer video codec many services are adopting) emby.media, and Nvidia appears to have paused hardware updates – no new Shield in years. It’s also pricier ($150+) and comes with the full Android TV flexibility (and complexity) that casual users might not need.
Performance & Limitations – How does Google’s new device stack up? In use, the Google TV Streamer 4K feels snappier and more reliable than the “lag-plagued Chromecast from a few years ago” theverge.com. It breezes through 4K streaming and voice searches without stutters. That said, the CPU upgrade is only modest – some reviewers found it “not a big enough speed bump,” noting the streamer can still hitch momentarily when scrolling quickly through heavy menus theverge.comwhathifi.com. It sticks to Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) wireless (lacking Wi-Fi 6), which is a surprise at this price theverge.com, though wired Ethernet makes up for it if you need absolute stability. Audio format support is one clear limitation: the Google TV 4K focuses on Dolby audio and does not support passthrough of DTS or lossless codecs (no DTS:X or Dolby TrueHD bitstream) avforums.com. Streaming apps typically use Dolby Digital+/Atmos, which work fine, but home theater users with local content will miss DTS-HD support (Fire TV and Shield handle those formats) emby.media. Additionally, the Google box cannot pair with Google/Nest speakers for TV audio output theverge.com, unlike how Apple allows HomePods or Amazon allows Echo speakers to enhance TV sound.
Pricing & Value – At $99.99, the Google TV Streamer (4K) is mid-way between budget sticks and ultra-premium boxes. It’s exactly double the Chromecast’s original price whathifi.com. This jump “needs to be justified,” as What Hi-Fi? notes, putting high expectations on the new device whathifi.com. The good news is it delivers many high-end features (Ethernet, robust hardware, smart home integration) that justify a premium. Indeed, it now competes head-to-head with Roku Ultra and Fire TV Cube which are similarly priced. However, if budget is the main concern, there are cheaper alternatives: e.g. Google’s own Chromecast with Google TV (HD) at $30 for 1080p streaming, or the popular Roku Streaming Stick 4K often ~$40 on sale, which still offers 4K/Dolby Vision in a tiny stick form. Google’s older Chromecast 4K (2020) remains available at ~$50 and provides the same Google TV interface – but keep in mind its 8 GB storage fills up fast (many hit its app limit) and it lacks the new speed and smart home bells and whistles store.google.comstore.google.com. The new Streamer is clearly aimed at power users and Google ecosystem households who will appreciate the upgrades.
Expert Verdict – Early reviews are positive but pointed. Tom’s Guide awarded it Editor’s Choice, calling the Google TV Streamer “a completely redesigned streaming device” that makes “clever” use of AI and transforms the TV into a smarter home hub tomsguide.comtomsguide.com. They concluded it’s “a strong step forward” and “worth the premium… especially if you’re invested in the Google Home ecosystem” tomsguide.com. The Verge likewise gave it a high score (9/10), praising the “excellent streaming UI” and Google Assistant integration, the fast, easy-to-use smart home controls, and the handy remote finder – ultimately calling it Google’s “best attempt at a streaming device yet”theverge.comtheverge.com. However, experts also note that competition is fierce: What Hi-Fi? found the Streamer solid but felt its “great predecessor” (the old Chromecast) and “even greater competition” make the $100 price a bit awkward whathifi.comwhathifi.com. That review cited unimpressive audio quality and only modest picture improvements as downsides, though it praised the device’s balanced image and improved remote whathifi.comwhathifi.com. In sum, Google’s 4K streamer now truly plays in the big leagues – it closes the hardware gap and even carves a niche as a hybrid streaming-and-smart-home hub. For Google-centric users or those seeking an all-in-one entertainment and home control box, it’s an excellent choicetomsguide.com. But casual streamers on a budget might stick with cheaper dongles, and home theater enthusiasts may still lean toward devices with broader codec support. Google has finally delivered the Chromecast’s long-awaited upgrade – and it’s poised to take on Roku, Fire TV, and Apple for the 4K streaming crown theverge.comtomsguide.com.
