Your Google TV Streamer questions, answered

29 Sep 2024, 14:00 by Taylor Kerns · Android Police

The Google TV Streamer is now available. We've published our review, and the long and the short of it is that the TV Streamer is a pretty good little streaming box, but not a radical departure from the Google TV experience we've gotten used to over the past few years. A couple weeks ago, we asked what you wanted to know about the Google TV Streamer, and you had plenty of questions. Here, we're answering 10 of them. These are your Google TV Streamer questions, answered.

Review: The Google TV Streamer is a better Chromecast, but not much more

At twice the price of Google's last 4K streamer, I expected better

10 Is the Google TV Streamer's UI smooth and lag-free?

Asked by Luke

The Google TV Streamer's interface has felt fluid and smooth for me most of the time, though there is occasionally minor input lag in certain situations (strangely, the accessibility settings menu is particularly sluggish). So far, I haven't experienced the frequent hangs that have come to characterize the Chromecast with Google TV experience, but the Google TV Streamer isn't aggressively fast the way modern flagship phones and tablets are.

9 Does the Google TV Streamer support frame-rate matching?

Asked by Luke, Paul, and Ruben

The Google TV Streamer does support frame rate matching, but your mileage may vary. In the device's settings, you can go to Display & Sound → Match content frame rate to choose between Seamless-only, Always, and Never options.

Frame-rate matching requires both an app and a TV that can support it. Netflix seems to be the only major Google TV app with frame-rate matching support. On my Vizio TV, enabling frame-rate matching causes playback issues that make content look weird and smeary, but that seems like an issue specific to my own setup.

8 Can the Google TV Streamer's volume be controlled independently of your TV's?

Asked by Timothy

By default, the Google TV Streamer will try to control your TV's volume directly, either using HDMI-CEC or the Streamer remote's IR blaster. But you do have the option to disable that functionality if you'd prefer to use the Streamer remote's volume buttons to adjust Google TV's volume on a software level instead.

In the Streamer's settings, navigate to Remotes & Accessories. Then, under Google TV Remote, select Set up remote buttons. Navigate to Volume control and select Google TV Streamer. Now, when adjusting volume, you'll see a familiar Android-style slider that offers 15 discrete volume levels.

7 Which audio formats does the Google TV Streamer support?

Asked by Lookie and Ross

Google says that the Google TV Streamer supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus, and Dolby Atmos. Formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA are not supported.

For more to this end, Reddit user ZoftOS did some in-depth audio format testing that you can read in their post here.

6 How is the Google TV Streamer different from the Chromecast with Google TV?

Asked by BC

Aside from the obvious physical differences, the Google TV Streamer is different from the Chromecast with Google TV in a handful of important ways.

The Google TV Streamer offers better performance, with a faster chipset and double the RAM of the Chromecast with Google TV.
While the Chromecast with Google TV offers eight gigabytes of storage, the Google TV Streamer comes with 32 gigs.
Matter compatibility means the Google TV Streamer can directly control many smart home devices.
There's an Ethernet port on the back of the Google TV Streamer for wired internet connections.
The bundled remote is better, with a customizable button and a built-in speaker to help locate it if it's lost.

Performance gains aside, the overall Google TV Streamer experience isn't much different moment-to-moment than what you're used to on the Chromecast with Google TV, though. You can also buy the new remote separately and pair it with existing Chromecast devices, and the TV Streamer's Google Home software integration will eventually roll out to other Google TV devices.

5 Which chipset does the Google TV Streamer run on?

Asked by Ionut

When I asked directly, a Google representative told me they couldn't confirm which chipset powers the Google TV Streamer — essentially, Google declined to answer. Google's said that the TV Streamer offers 22 percent faster CPU performance than the Chromecast with Google TV, but hasn't publicly specified which SoC the device is using.

Reporting for Android Authority in August, Mishaal Rahman presented evidence that the Google TV Streamer is powered by the MediaTek MT8696. That's the same chipset as the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max from 2021.

4 Is the Google TV Streamer worth buying if my TV has slow, unresponsive Google TV software built-in?

Asked by Darius

If your TV's got Google TV built in, but it's laggy and frustrating to use, the Google TV Streamer is a fine option to revitalize it. Except for newer, high-end models, the Google TV Streamer is considerably snappier than the built-in streaming software you'll find on most TVs. You'll lose an HDMI port in the process, but your streaming experience will improve.

3 Can the Google TV Streamer connect to multiple pairs of headphones simultaneously?

Asked by David

Google TV lets you pair Bluetooth headphones and earbuds for private listening, but you can't listen on two pairs simultaneously. The Streamer can remember multiple sets, but only one can be active at any given time.

2 Does the Google TV Streamer support AV1 decoding?

Ruben

AV1 is a relatively new video codec that can accommodate high-fidelity HDR video at lower bitrates. Essentially, it's a more economical way to encode video, meaning that applicable video content in certain apps like YouTube requires less bandwidth to stream.

Google doesn't advertise AV1 compatibility, but according to the company's support documentation, the Google TV Streamer does support AV1 decoding.

(As an aside: the 4K Chromecast with Google TV does not support AV1, but the newer, less expensive 1080p model does.)

1 Will the Google TV Streamer's remote still work if the unit is behind my TV?

Asked by Justin

The Google TV Streamer's remote connects to the Streamer over Bluetooth, so you can still control the Google TV Streamer using its remote if it's behind your TV or other obstacles. Mine sits behind a sound bar and works fine.

The remote does also have an IR blaster, but that's used for controlling your TV or sound system when HDMI-CEC isn't an option. The connection between the Google TV Streamer and its remote does not require an unobstructed line of sight.

Google TV Streamer

7.5 / 10

The Google TV Streamer is Google's latest video streaming device. With a set-top box format rather than the dongle form factor of the Chromecast with Google TV, the new Streamer offers better performance and a handful of new features for $100.

$100 at Amazon $100 at Best Buy $100 at Google Store

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