TECHWEEK
Google has introduced a new Google TV Streamer set-top box , which will replace the Chromecast model. There is less and less time left before the new product goes on sale, and technical details are starting to appear. Google TV Streamer will be the first TV device based on the Android 14 operating system. It is reported that the new product will run on a MediaTek chipset and will not have wireless integration with Nest speakers.
When Google announced the Google TV Streamer, it didn’t specify what version of Android TV the new device would ship with, but Android Authority reports that it will be Android 14, not Android 12, which is what Chromecast runs on. This information is based on the leaked “kirkwood” firmware intended for the Google TV Streamer. It is based on Android 14 and is still a 32-bit version of Android, despite the Google TV Streamer’s updated hardware platform.
Android TV 14 includes new features like more efficient power modes, support for the Matter/Thread home hub, Picture-in-Picture for home cameras, Find My Remote, and more. Google skipped Android 13 for TV devices. There’s no word yet on when existing Chromecast boxes with Google TV will be able to update to Android 14.
Android Authority also reported that the Google TV Streamer will use a MediaTek MT8696 processor instead of the Amlogic chipset that powers the Chromecast. According to Google, this chipset is 22% faster than the processor in the 2020 4K version of the Chromecast with Google TV. The MediaTek MT8696 is the same chipset that powers Amazon’s FireTV Stick 4K Max from 2021, though Google’s device will have more RAM and storage. The MediaTek chipset supports AV1 video decoding in addition to HEVC (H.265), VP9, and MPEG4 (H.264).
Following Google’s announcement, 9to5Google reported that the Google TV Streamer will support external USB drives in the form of a dongle, and likely a USB hub as well. The dongle or hub should support USB power, as the Google TV Streamer draws power from its single USB-C port. Other external USB devices, such as game controllers, keyboards, and mice, should also work.
On the downside, Google TV Streamer still doesn’t support using Nest wireless speakers to output audio as an alternative to a wired HDMI soundbar or receiver. Amazon FireTV and Apple TV 4K can do the same with Alexa and HomePod wireless speakers, respectively, even receiving TV audio via HDMI eARC from HDMI-connected devices like gaming consoles. The lack of Nest integration is a strange omission, considering that Google TV Streamer can be added to speaker groups in Google Home. Google promised to add wireless “home theater” pairing to its Nest speakers along with Chromecast in 2020, but the feature never materialized for unknown reasons.
The Google TV Streamer will go on sale on September 24, 2024, for $100 .
