Google launches powerful new Fire TV rival in the UK to change the way you watch television

Google has launched its new TV Streamer device in the UK, marking the end of its iconic Chromecast lineup. Priced at £99, the set-top box offers a range of enhanced features and smart home integration capabilities.

Google TV Streamer made its debut in the United States last month, with no word of when viewers in the UK would be able to upgrade to the redesigned set-top box.

Like the latest hardware effort from Roku, the Google TV Streamer is a departure from the Chromecast devices that proceeded it with a bulkier design to house a more powerful processor and enable new smart home experiences. It supports 4K Ultra HD resolution with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos …provided you’re subscribed to the correct tiers with streamers like Netflix and Disney+ to enable these premium experiences.

With double the RAM of previous set-top boxes from Google, TV Streamer promises a 22% boost in performance. It has also increased storage to 32GB to store more applications and games.

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Unlike the flash drive-like Chromecast devices, which Google has confirmed have been discontinued following the launch of this all-new box, TV Streamer doesn’t plug directly into the HDMI port on the back of your flatscreen. Instead, this new gadget is designed to sit beneath the television on a media unit. That brings the latest effort from Google closer to what we’ve seen from the Apple TV 4K, Roku Express box, or Nvidia Shield.

While its predecessor was offered in three colours — Sky (a pale blue), Sunrise (coral), and Snow (white) — the all-new Google TV Streamer will only ship in two options, Porcelain (white) and Hazel (a light sage). The latter will be exclusive to the Google Store too, so don’t expect to see it on store shelves.

The pill-shaped Google TV Streamer has a slanted design that’s reminiscent of the magnetic dock in the box with the Pixel Tablet that transforms Google’s iPad rival into a smart home hub with an 11-inch touchscreen.

As well as a Wi-Fi connection, Google TV Streamer comes equipped with an ethernet port for a more stable wired connection. Google says the change in form-factor was neccessary to include Thread connectivity, which can communicate with smart home gadgets like smart light bulbs or Wi-Fi connected thermostats.

A new panel that slides over whatever you’re watching will let you quickly control smart home gadgets from the big screen — perfect for dimming the lights or turning up the central heating without moving from the sofa. These tweaks under the bonnet makes the Google TV Streamer much closer to the likes of a Nest Hub or Echo Hub smart home control panel.

If you have a Nest video doorbell, you’ll be notified when someone rings in a live preview on-screen. Likewise, footage from any Nest security cameras can be viewed from on the Google TV Streamer too.

It’s worth noting that some of these features are missing at launch, like the ability to trigger Google Home routines — which chain together multiple commands back-to-back with a single, custom command. Google says this functionality, included with devices like the Nest Hub, will be added via a software update soon.

Aside from the smart home capabilities, the Google TV Streamer also lets you binge-watch boxsets and blockbusters from the most popular streaming services. At launch, Google says TV Streamer owners will be able to watch over 700,000 movies and shows from the likes of Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, and Prime Video.

The flagship device supports 4K Ultra HD resolution in HDR10+, with support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, ensuring the highest-quality audio and visual experiences. A new ambient mode transforms idle TVs into digital art displays, with users able to create unique screensavers using generative AI and voice commands.

The Google TV Streamer boasts AI-powered recommendations, leveraging Google’s Gemini technology, the US firm’s answer to the latest ChatGPT model, which that launched in the UK earlier this year, will be used throughout the Google TV Streamer experience. Google will use its most advanced AI model to summarise reviews and the plotlines of seasons of television.

Like the Chromecast with Google TV 4K, this new set-top box supports 4K Ultra HD resolution with Dolby Atmos. For the first time, Spatial Audio is available on supported content when you pair Pixel Buds Pro.

Although the remote control in the box looks largely similar to the one that shipped with the Chromecast with Google TV, the Californian company has made a few tweaks. First up, the newer model is larger to include room for the Back and Home buttons on the first row and brings the volume rocker to the face of the remote rather than the side.

Next, Google has added a textured back for better grip and a new customisable button to immediately open your favourite app, switch HDMI inputs, or launch the Google Home panel with just one click. You can choose what this button does in the Settings menu on the device.

Google says it made all of these changes “based on user feedback” and the resulting redesign should be “more comfortable to hold with improved ergonomics”.

If you misplace your remote, you can now ask your nearest Google Assistant-enabled speaker or Pixel phone for help by saying, “Hey Google, find my remote,” and a small in-built speaker in the remote control will start beeping to help you find it down the back of the sofa. You can also press a new button at the back of your Google TV Streamer or from the Google Home app to sound the chime too.

While the Google TV Streamer has a long list of impressive new features, some core streaming services are missing at launch, including Channel 4’s streaming app. You can still wirelessly beam shows from the Channel 4 app on iPhone or Android using the Chromecast functionality built-in …but it’s a shame to see such a major broadcaster missing at launch on this £99 set-top box.

Unlike viewers in the United States, the Google TV Streamer in the UK misses out on the Google TV Freeplay app, which lets you browse and stream over 800 live television channels — just as you would Freeview.

Announcing the shake-up to its line-up, Google Nest Product Manager, Christina Cao wrote in a blog: “Google TV Streamer is designed to give you the best entertainment and smart home experience possible. It replaces Chromecast, bringing its best features to our next-generation 4K TV streaming device — but as a faster, more premium version.

“Complete with the best of Google TV, Google TV Streamer doubles as a smart home hub for your Google Home and Matter devices. It also has a sleek design that fits right into your home’s decor without standing out.”

Confirming that the launch of the Google TV Streamer marked the end of the road for the Chromecast, Vice President of Engineering, Health & Home, Majd Bakar said: “After 11 years and over 100 million devices sold, we’re ending production of Chromecast, which will now only be available while supplies last.

“The time has now come to evolve the smart TV streaming device category — primed for the new area of AI, entertainment and smart homes. With this, there are no changes to our support policy for existing Chromecast devices, with continued software and security updates to the latest devices.

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“When we launched Chromecast, most TVs had few (if any) apps, streaming was unreliable and complicated and connecting your TV to your phone, tablet or laptop was clunky and hard. Chromecast was our answer to this problem, a simple and affordable way to cast your favourite online content right on your TV screen. It was as easy as plugging in the device and hitting play.

“Chromecast’s small dongle form factor made it easy to hide behind a TV, and the affordable price made it accessible to millions and the perfect gift for many. Since then, technology has evolved dramatically. Streaming and smart TVs abound. We invested heavily in embedding Google Cast technology into millions of TV devices, including Android TV.

“Android TV has expanded to 220 million devices worldwide and we are continuing to bring Google Cast to other TV devices, like LG TVs. Thousands of apps support casting, making it easier than ever to watch your content from your phone and tablet on the big screen. So we are taking the next step in evolving how streaming TV devices can add even more capabilities to your smart TV, built on top of the same Chromecast technology.”