[ExDilbert]

Google has just revamped their high end Chromecast with a new model that includes a voice remote. This model appears to be replacing the 4K Chromecast Ultra.

Features:

• Google TV support
• 4K HDR resolution
• 3 colors, red white and blue. (How patriotic?)
• Voice remote with Google Assistant
• Controls Google compatible smart home devices
• Compatible with Nest speakers and displays
• Compatible with casting from Android or iOS devices

In appearance, it is similar to the 4K dongle with a slightly elongated body. The main advantage with this new model is the ability to control it with the voice remote without the need for a phone or computer for casting. As such, it becomes a real media player rather than a simple casting dongle.

The price is $69.99, a nice reduction from the previous 4K Chromecast Ultra (if it's CAD$). Amazon is currently bundling it with 6 months of the Netflix Standard Streaming Plan for $119.99. That appears to be a missed opportunity to showcase the new device's 4K HDR feature but is still a nice saving.

 

[ExDilbert]

Chromecast with Google TV

 

[ExDilbert]

Google Play Movies & TV is now Google TV

 

[17671]

As someone who uses Chromecast often, because I am no longer subscribed to Linear/Conventional TV service, I love this new Chromecast aka Google TV. I can't wait to get my hands on it, well to be quite honest and frank with you guys, I CAN wait, I am NOT one to jump the gun and spend $$$ to get the latest and greatest gadgets right when they come out.
Its very nice, It fills in a void my children can watch some streaming services without the need for a tablet or smartphone, my children are very young, so having to always be around them to use my phone to change the movie or show, can be a Pain, they are fairly familiar with using a remote themselves, so this will be a plus for them. BUT it can wait, its not urgent.

 

[ExDilbert]

I have a Chromecast Ultra but find myself avoiding using it due to the lack of a remote. The picture, sound and responsiveness are way better than a browser on HTPC or BDU hardware. There are some questions I need answered before making the plunge. What services are supported in Canada? The US has a cornucopia of supported services, including Google TV. I haven't been able to find what is supported in Canada. Are Crave, CTV Throwback, CBC Gem and various other services supported? How about Teksavvy TV? I also have some questions about how well the remote works with cast content. The Chromecast Ultra uses CEC to implement remote functions from the TV but it's so limited that it's almost useless. Will the new remote implement skip, FF, REW, etc?

I expect it will go on sale for Black Friday and Boxing Day but the Netflix offer may have expired by then.

 

[Nanuuk]

ExDilbert, I found this online 'leak' about the new Chromecast. Looks like it will come with Prime, Crave, CBC Gem, etc. apps loaded. What I would like to know is how easy will it be to toggle back to Live Tv. Or whether (highly doubtful I am sure) it would mesh your tv service provider's menu with the content of the other apps?

Chromecast with Google TV Leaks Ahead of Launch in Canada [Update]

More leaks of the Google Chromecast have surfaced, this time confirming it’s going to be available in Canada.

www.iphoneincanada.ca

 

[Nanuuk]

Also found this Zdnet review. Pity we don't have You Tube Tv in Canada to pick up Live Tv.

New Google Chromecast gains a remote and Google TV interface | ZDNet

With a brand new interface and a dedicated remote, the latest Chromecast is ready to compete with Amazon, Apple, and Roku.

www.zdnet.com

 

[ExDilbert]

@Nanuuk, Thanks for the link. That looks promising. The decision now is pass, preorder or wait until Good Friday? Google is offering 2 Chromecasts with Google TV plus 6 months of Netflix for $177. That's less than an Apple TV 4 or nVidia Shield. It's tempting.

Rogers and Bell could support Chromecast with Google TV for their Ignite and Fibe TV services. They probably just don't want to due to the extra costs involved and lost income from inflated proprietary hardware rentals. I wouldn't be surprised to see Bell provide some type of Fibe support but not a full, standalone service. I expect Rogers will be mostly MIA, as usual. There is a big opportunity here for a Canadian company to supply an IPTV service using the new Chromecast but they have pretty much ignored Android TV until now, which is what Google TV is based on. Teksavvy TV supports the Xiaomi Mi Box 3 and nVidia Shield but the former is difficult to find and both are too expensive. Their app does not get good reviews either.

Google stands to profit significantly from people using the new Chromecast for Google TV. Plus they stand to profit from tracking people's viewing habits. Consumer stand to gain significantly from just making a one time, sub-$100 purchase for hardware instead of paying inflated proprietary hardware rentals that are often hundreds of dollars a year. The main issue I have is that TV service support seems to be limited to Google TV, even in the US, with little or no support outside the US.

 

[Nanuuk]

In my research I've run across a service called Beast TV that has an android app. When I buy my Chromecast for Google Tv, I may trial the service. I say may, because the Mrs. and I rely heavily on our PVR making it difficult to cut the cord.

 

[chuckchef]

Had it for 4 days now. response is snappy fast. have prime, plex, cbc gem and you tube apps. great improvement over built in roku tv and my old gen 2 chromecast

 

[ExDilbert]

So how did you get it? I ordered from the Google store and it was preorder only with delivery in November. ???

 

[mgut]

Bell Fibe already supports Chromecast and Fire TV so this will likely be supported by them as well. Rogers on the other hand is desperate to squeeze every nickel out of customers and forcing customers to rent an Ignite box for every tv in the house is run of the mill for them even though the software can support this and other android platforms as Comcast supports this and if they took the software blocks off, anyone with Ignite would be able to use this and other hardware options. Fingers crossed that Rogers sees the light soon and allows ignite customers to use Chromecast and other devices soon!

 

[ExDilbert]

Is it because Rogers wants rental income from ignite boxes or is it because Rogers has become so technically incompetent that they are incapable of supporting any other devices?

 

[mgut]

I would say column A. If it's just software, they can control what devices use the software via google play or app store and prevent download to unsupported devices. Anyone who sideloads knows there is no support for it. They just don't want to give up the $8 a month per box when people can but a fire stick or chromecast for $50 or less!

I was talking to a friend of mine at Rogers and he said eventually they would do it when Bell has a large enough market presence in TV in the GTA that they need to do it but until then they won't. Bell's TV market share in the GTA isn't high enough to force their hand.

 

[ExDilbert]

Wow, that's a really forward thinking business plan. Just provide an inferior product and wait until the competition steals enough of your customers to become a threat. Then upgrade your product and try to steal them back. Ted Rogers must be rolling over in his grave. He would never have let Rogers Cable be anything but a market leader. The new leadership has turned Rogers into a slow to catch up 'me too' provider putting profits ahead of innovation and market leadership. It's no wonder we are thinking of dumping Rogers as soon as a TPIA TV product becomes viable. If the OTA here was any good we would have been gone years ago.

 

[57]

Please, let's get back to the topic of this thread. Thanks.

 

[As Is]

Before its too late I want to mention something about the Amazon Fire Cube.

Because it's 3 times the cost of the excellent 4k stick - it usually gets a pass.

Last year on black Friday I bought the cube for $89 which I'm pretty sure was $159 regular. So this year it could be $10 less.

What you get is a combination echo dot speaker ($30), ethernet adapter{$20) , ir blaster and a device comparable to the also too costly Nvidia Shield. More ram and storage than the stick and more horsepower.

I also have a 2nd gen non 4k stick. When it was plugged in to the back of my Denon avr it had to be re-booted a few times when it wouldn't start. Now it's plugged into the t.v. and always works. I'm not sure if it overheated or what.

Check out a comparison

 

[Nanuuk]

I just purchased the Chromecast with Google TV in Calgary for $69.99. Previously I've used the Gen2 Chromecast and the Ultra and apart from having to use multiple apps on my phone or IPad, the experience has been very good. I have also previously dabbled with Android TV (Kodi Box), but soon tired of the relatively high maintenance and difficulty in using.

From reading various reviews out there I desired functionality that users of other streaming devices may already get with their Firestick, Apple TV, Roku, etc. But since I was already familiar the new toy had to come from Google.

I haven't fully tested it yet, but as I do I will report back about my experiences here.

Today, I going to tell you about how easy it was to setup. This means I already had the Google Home App on my phone (I also have numerous Google Assistants, a Nest Thermostat and Net Doorbell) so after I plugged the new Chromecast into my Sony HT-5000 soundbar (it is also an a/v receiver of sorts) I followed first the prompts on my TV screen. First prompt was to open the Home app and initiate the setup from there. The app searched and quickly found the new Chromecast and asked where i was installed (Family Room). The TV screen showed a barcode to scan using my phone and the device was paired. The Chromecast then went through a logon to your wi-fi process.

After that (I should have written this stuff down!), the phone app displayed the main pre-loaded apps of the Chromecast (You Tube, Netflix, Crave, DAZN, Spotify, Prime Video, FibeTv) and then asked for permission to use the downloaded Android apps I use to stream with (Britbox, Filmrise, CTV, Global). Okie-dokie then. Proceed. The Chromecast then loaded the same apps and used my sign-on credentials so that when I pressed on a Disney movie, it came right up.

That's as far as I got. Any further experimentation will occur when the Mrs. isn't home. She doesn't share the same enthusiasm for this kind of stuff. Once I figure it out and demo it, then I turn it over to her.

 

[ExDilbert]

I considered some of the others such as nVidia Shield, Amazon Fire Stick or Cube, Roku and Apple TV as well. Never purchased any of them due to various combinations of high cost, mixed reviews and poor support for some services in Canada. I seriously considered an Apple TV 4K but the price is too high. I like the Chromecast Ultra due to the good video quality and availability of apps but the lack of a TV interface and remote means it doesn't get used much. Now that Google has rebranded Android TV as Google TV and launched the Chromecast with Google TV those issues seem to be mostly resolved. I'm hoping Google's market clout will make it a popular device and generate good support from Canadian broadcasters. It appears to be off to a good start.

 

[Nanuuk]

Well right off the hop it didn't pick up my Britbox app. and I can't find it doing a search of Google Play Store from within the Chromecast. I also note that while the Crave app is there, movie or show suggestions (For you) do not include content from Crave. It is still available from withing the app just not served up for you. A minor inconvenience that I'm sure (hoping) will be fixed with future software upgrades.

I also found this Canadian review in my news feed.

Chromecast with Google TV Review: Smart(er) TV

Google's new Chromecast is out and if you're embedded in Google's ecosytem this is the smart TV device for you.

mobilesyrup.com