The streaming device competition gained a new entrant just a few months ago when the Google 4K TV Streamer debuted, replacing the relatively shortlived Chromecast with Google TV dongle. Google pitched the TV Streamer as a big improvement over the Chromecast, and so far that seems to be right on the money. The Google TV Streamer is also right for the money during Amazon’s limited-time 21% off deal that drops the price lower than ever to just $79.
The only discouraging words to greet the Google 4K TV Streamer when it dropped last September were that it was twice the price of the $50 Chromecast dongle. But the superiority of the TV Streamer’s performance and features soon quieted the naysayers, and with this sale the TV Streamer’s price is moving back into the neighborhood of the Chromecast.
See at Amazon
So Long, Streaming Stick
While the Chromecast with Google TV was a decent performer, it was just a no-frills streaming stick, and Google decided it was time to up its streaming game. The TV Streamer is a low-profile oblong box, 6 inches in width by 3 in depth, looking a little bit like a slightly larger Apple Magic Mouse.
Unlike the Chromecast stick, the TV Streamer has an Ethernet port for hardwiring to the internet and an HDMI 2.1 port for connecting to the screen. (Hardwiring via the Ethernet port is optional, since the TV Streamer also has a very capable built-in Wi-Fi connection.)
The upgrade over the Chromecast shows up the most in the speed department — the TV Streamer is 22% faster than the stick, bringing it into the same neck of the streaming woods with the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K. It’s also fast enough for cloud gaming with the Steam Link and GeForce Now apps, and has Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity for wireless headphones and other gaming peripherals.
Apps By the Thousands
Once you’re unboxed and set up, the clean and intuitive Android OS interface screen is your place to find the thousands and thousands of apps that the Google TV Streamer can run. The included voice-accessible remote can also control your TV and many peripherals, and it can also be made to ring if you’ve misplaced it.
Once you pick your first streaming session with the TV Streamer, the 4K HDR picture will really make you happy you upgraded from that streaming stick. Deploy the Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound features and you’ll get the full experience of the Google TV Streamer, and for a price that’s now just slightly higher than the Chromecast stick.
This Amazon limited-time deal offering the all-time low price of just $79 on the Google 4K TV Streamer is a great chance for you to upgrade from the Chromecast or any other no-frills streaming stick. Move up into the 4K HDR streaming world at a great price before this deal ends.
See at Amazon
