The Google TV Streamer is a solid 4K streaming device that’s aiming to do more than just stream Netflix or recommend a free movie.
For anyone considering the Google TV Streamer, the decision may come down to a simple choice: do you just want a 4K streaming device, or something that can also serve as a sort of traffic controller for smart home devices around your house?
If the answer is just a streaming device, you are likely better off with Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro, which gives a very similar experience for half the price.
The Google TV Streamer is running on Android 14 and it is slightly faster than the Onn 4K Pro, which was released four months earlier. I noticed the difference when I did side-by-side comparisons of navigating through the two Google TV menus, but you might not notice the speed difference if you only had one of these devices.
Google’s replacement for the Chromecast is a significant improvement, largely because of its Google TV platform. You can find Google TV across various Smart TVs, streaming devices, and even projectors.
Google TV has proven itself as a superior Smart TV interface for accessing the fractured landscape of streaming, YouTube, and over-the-air TV.
Google TV received some upgrades just before the launch of the TV Streamer, including a dedicated Sports Page that tracks upcoming games across streaming platforms. The Live tab now has 157 free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channels built into the device.
You can likewise use the Live tab as a universal channel guide for subscriptions such as Sling TV, Philo, and YouTube TV. This allows you to build a favorites list of channels across your live TV subscriptions and free streaming platforms like Pluto TV and Tubi.
However, the $100 price tag for Google’s follow-up to the Chromecast feels a little high.
Overview & Quick Stats
The Google TV Streamer supports 4K, HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision at 60FPS.
The Streamer has true Dolby Atmos audio instead of Dolby Atmos passthrough. It has 32GB storage and 4GB RAM. The Streamer connects to a TV with a HDMI 2.1 cable, which is not included in the box.
There is still the Chromecast protocol, so you can cast to your heart’s content.
On the back of the Streamer, there is a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port. Wi-Fi is operating on 802.11ac (2.4 GHz / 5GHz). You can connect a gamepad or other hardware via Bluetooth 5.1.
Google hasn’t published the specs of the processor being used on the Google TV Streamer.
There is a “Find My Remote” feature that you can activate by pressing a small button on the back of the device. The remote is very similar to its predecessor found on Chromecast with Google TV. However, it’s slightly longer and has a customizable button at the bottom.
As for its smart home capabilities, the Google TV Streamer is designed to help support smart lights, thermostats and door locks work together – even if they’re made by different manufacturers.
The Google TV Streamer acts as something called a Thread border router. You can think of it as a translator or traffic controller for smart home devices. However, for this to work, your other devices need to support the Matter standard – a common language that lets them communicate.
So, if you use Google Home, Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa, adding the Google TV Streamer could help make your smart home more reliable and connected. But if you own a Ring camera, you’re currently out of luck because it doesn’t support Matter yet.
Design & Setup
The Google TV Streamer is shaped like a flattened oval similar to a Tic Tac. It has smooth edges and a minimalist design.
The Streamer measures 6.4 inches wide and one inch tall. The casing tilts upward slightly on one side, giving it a sleek, futuristic look. The device has a matte surface, and currently comes in two colors: hazel or porcelain.
I’ve never been a fan of hiding TV hardware, so I like that the Google TV Streamer sits out in the open. If your Smart TV is mounted to a bare wall, or above a mantel, the Google TV Streamer is lightweight enough at 5.7 ounces to be mounted behind a TV.
Remote Control & Voice Commands
The remote control for the Google TV Streamer has a rounded back and feels comfortable in the hand.
Its standout feature, which is easy to overlook, is that it can power on your old TV and even control a connected soundbar. I connected the Google TV Streamer to one of the HDMI ports on my 2017 TCL Roku TV. The Samsung sound bar is connected to the TV via optical port and HDMI/eARC.
If you already know the button layout for Chromecast with Google TV, you generally know the layout for this latest remote. There are a couple of exceptions.
The buttons for home and voice commands have traded places. The volume rocker is now on the front of the remote to the right. (I like it better on the side.) You still get a mute button, which is great.
Dedicated Netflix and YouTube buttons haven’t moved. The power button is on the bottom left. To its right is a button you can customize.
The customizable button gives you a shortcut to Google Home, a favorite app or switching to other devices.
Voice commands work well. If you ask your TV Streamer, “Play ESPN on Sling TV,” it will promptly turn on the channel. Saying, “Show me free movies to watch” delivers a satisfying response.
You not only get a queue of movies across your subscriptions and free services. There are subsequent lineups below breaking down free movies by genre.
If you lose the remote (as I often do), you can press a small button on the back of the Google TV Streamer.
This triggers a rapid-fire chiming that you can turn off with any button on the remote. If you have a Google Assistant device speaker nearby, you can just say, “Hey Google, find my remote,” to trigger the same task.
Watching TV
Google TV adds significant value by giving you a bird’s-eye view of what’s available to watch.
It helps me quickly navigate across streaming services, over-the-air TV and YouTube TV with an unbiased approach.
I like how it surfaces recommendations across paid subscription and free streaming services I’ve downloaded. I can dig into a specific genre like thrillers or mysteries easily.
I wish that Google TV streaming devices would incorporate OTA channels into the Live tab, but that’s a minor gripe when compared to the user experience currently offered by Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices.
The new Sports Page is a welcome addition to Google TV’s For You tab.
You can find it under the queue titled “What do you feel like watching?” This queue is great because it quickly categorizes movies and free ad-supported TV. If I select a movie I like, Google TV takes me directly to the streaming service that offers it.
I would like to see this queue either directly under the “Continue Watching” tab, or higher up on the page. There is no denying the growing popularity of FAST services like Pluto TV and Tubi, and how people are using these services alongside Netflix and Amazon Prime Video subscriptions.
What I Didn’t Like
After using Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro, I got used to having hands-free voice controls without any extra hardware.
Even though my early model of the Onn 4K Pro didn’t have a backlit remote, I know from first-hand experience (owning a NVIDIA Shield) that it’s valuable when watching TV in the dark.
The Google TV Streamer does not have either of these features despite its price.
Google debuted the TV Streamer with several improvements to its platform.
One upgrade is enhanced overviews, but the “What people are saying” tab within it is problematic. For context, the tab aggregates mini-reviews from “Reviews on Google” and from familiar sources such as IMdb and Slate.com.
I don’t like spoilers of any kind, especially for new movies. The “What people are saying” tab isn’t a place that I want to visit for this reason alone.
A bigger problem with the tab is what I call the “Reddification of Google,” or in this case, the lack of screening for what’s being promoted through the “What people are saying” section.
For example, the second Google review for “Top Gun: Maverick” promotes what appears to be either spam or some kind of illegal streaming option.
Another result for “Wolfs,” a new movie starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt, targets apparent “Maga” Clooney critics and “crazy Karens gone Wild!”
Is this supposed to help me decide whether to press the rent or subscribe button?
The Google TV Streamer is such a polished product. A minor flaw like the “What people are saying” tab really stands out. The Rotten Tomatoes score is enough for me.
Competitor Comparison
The biggest competitor to the Google TV Streamer isn’t from Amazon, Apple, or Roku – it’s from Walmart.
The Onn 4K Pro, released back in May, runs Google TV on Android 12. It has hands-free voice commands and a backlit remote control on the latest models. These are two premium features that are missing from the Google TV Streamer.
The Onn 4K Pro is half the price of the Google TV Streamer while carrying very similar specs on storage and RAM. It has 32GB of storage and 3GB of RAM – that’s only 1GB less than the Google TV Streamer.
When you consider the current prices and features of streaming devices, it’s hard to beat what the Onn 4K Pro offers.
The Amazon Fire TV Cube, priced at $139.99, has fast processing power and hands-free voice commands but less storage (16GB) and RAM (2GB) than the Google TV Streamer.
Apple TV ($129, or $149 for Ethernet) is faster than the Google TV Streamer with 128GB storage and 4GB RAM. You can watch YouTube in 4K, but only at 30 frames per second. HDR support is not fully functional yet.
The NVIDIA Shield remains the fastest Google TV hardware on the market, powered by the company’s Tegra X1+ processor. The Shield TV and Shield TV Pro hardware were last updated in 2019, but the company regularly issues software updates.
It remains the best option for home theater enthusiasts. The Shield TV is priced at $149.99. The Shield Pro is priced at $199.99.
The Roku Ultra (2024), costing $99.99, has hands-free voice commands thanks to the latest Roku Voice Remote Pro (2nd edition) and a find-my-remote feature. The new Ultra supports Dolby Vision at 60 frames per second.
Final Thoughts & Rating
So what’s going on with the Google TV Streamer and Walmart’s Onn 4K Pro? These are two very similar Google TV streaming devices at very different price points, released only months apart.
| Category | Rating |
| User Experience | 9 |
| Design | 8 |
| Performance | 9 |
| Value for Money | 6 |
| Ease of use | 8 |
| Total | 8 |
Clearly, Google knew about Walmart’s backlit remote and hands-free voice commands, and yet decided not to include them in its pricier follow-up to the Chromecast.
It’s worth pointing out that you can use one of Google’s smart speakers to add hands-free controls, but should consumers have to buy more Google hardware after paying $100 for a streaming device?
I use the hands-free voice commands on the Onn 4K Pro every day and don’t want to be without this feature.
In the wake of the Onn 4K Pro’s release, I have been questioning how much speed and processing power we need for everyday streaming. Ultimately, those elements are baked into the price.
Google’s bet on the Google TV Streamer seems focused on customers willing to pay more for a slightly faster processor and its smart home capabilities. It makes me wonder whether Google has more plans for its new 4K streamer that haven’t been revealed yet.
If you’re all in on Google TV and want a robust streaming option, the Google TV Streamer has plenty of speed and power to upgrade your 4K Smart TV.
The Google TV experience is still my favorite, but the heir to the Chromecast expects you to pay a premium for it.
Methodology
I spend hundreds of hours throughout the year conducting hands-on testing of streaming services, including Peacock, DIRECTV STREAM, Fubo, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV. I do the same rigorous testing for TV antennas and TV-related hardware. Check out the review policy to see how I compare products and services. The Cord Cutting Report is a reader-supported publication, and may earn affiliate commissions when you pick a streaming service through a recommendation. Read our affiliate policy for more information.
