EntertainmentStreamingGoogle’s rumored new cheaper Chromecast sounds like a great TV upgradeYou’ll soon be able to get the same Google Chromecast convenience for even less cashWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
EntertainmentStreamingGoogle’s rumored new cheaper Chromecast sounds like a great TV upgradeYou’ll soon be able to get the same Google Chromecast convenience for even less cashWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
You’ll soon be able to get the same Google Chromecast convenience for even less cash
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
(Image credit: Shutterstock)
In ourChromecast with Google TV reviewwe said that it was one of the bestmedia streamersyou can buy. While thebest TVsoften have Chromecast built in, there’s still plenty of us whose TVs don’t have all ofGoogle’s telly tech. So it’s good to see that Google is about to make Chromecast even cheaper, which should encourage even more people to make their TVs smarter.
The news comes viaThe Verge, whose analysis of a new FCC filing – the regulatory paperwork tech firms file in the US just before they launch new products – says it’s almost certainly a new Chromecast. It’s a TV device that has a single USB connection, transmits HD video and has a remote control. The excitingly named Google G454V has dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE.
While it’s possible that this device isn’t a Chromecast, or that Google might not ship this specific model, it ties in nicely with what we already know about Google’s Chromecast plans.
Why we’re certain a cheaper Chromecast is coming
Google isn’t great at keeping secrets, and we’ve known since January that it was working on a cheaper, HD Chromecast: according to reports inProtocol, the device will deliver 1080p rather than the current model’s 4K and will run the usual Google TV interface. It won’t be as powerful as the 4K model, but then it doesn’t need to be.
One reason Google is planning a cheaper Chromecast is to spur adoption of the AV1 video codec. While AV1 is a 4K codec it also works at lower resolutions, and Google really really really wants hardware firms to support it for both its TV apps and YouTube. While the likes ofMicrosoftandNetflixback the codec, most current-gen streaming sticks and dongles – including the current Chromecast – don’t. As it did with the VP9 codec in YouTube streaming, Google is really pushing firms to use more efficient and less bandwidth-intensive codecs to deliver the same quality with less data transfer.
It’ll be interesting to see how Google prices this new Chromecast:Amazon’sFire TVStick Lite is currently £29.99 / $29.99, and that’s on a rare day when Amazon isn’t having a fire sale on Fire devices. The current Chromecast is £59 / $50 / AU$99, so the HD version could turn out to be quite the bargain buy.
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Today’s best Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite (2020) deals
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We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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