Google announces box-based streaming device

Google has unveiled Google TV Streamer, a new streaming hardware device.

Priced at $99.99, the device builds upon the company’s existing Google TV and Chromecast hardware and features. It will hit the market in September 2024, but preorders are being accepted immediately. 

The device comes with 4K compatibility, a feature that its immediate predecessor Chromecast with Google TV had (as of now, it appears this $49.99 device will remain on sale).

Google added an ethernet port to the device, which also still has wifi compatibility. It comes with a redesigned voice remote with a customizable button and “find my remote” feature. The device is also Matter and Thread compatible. 

TV Streamer also includes tighter Google Home smart home integration, introducing a easy-to-access panel within the UI.

Both TV Streamer and Apple TV 4K offer Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos compatibility and voice remote functionality. 

Apple TV 4K starts at $129 for a wifi-only model, with a $149 ethernet model featuring double the storage (Google TV Streamer has 32 GB of storage compared to Apple TV 4K’s base of 64GB, though not all users will find a need for significant local disk space).

Apple TV comes with a remote finding feature as well, but requires using another Apple iPhone device with FindMy. 

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Neither device includes the required HDMI cable.

Google TV Streamer notably is the first in its family to not be offered as a dongle-style device with a built-in HDMI connector.

Google is using its generative AI offering Gemini for some parts of Google TV Streamer. Apple TV already integrates with Siri, and more AI updates are expected in the coming months as the company rolls out its Apple Intelligence offering.