The Chromecast is one of Google’s longest-running and most-loved hardware products, having launched all the way back in 2013. Over a decade, it became one of the simplest and best media streamers you could get, capped off with the well-received Chromecast with Google TV (and later an HD-only model). I say “capped off” because, earlier this year, the company unceremoniously announced the end of the Chromecast line. “But don’t worry,” Google figuratively said to the haters, “We’ve got an even better streaming device now.” That better device is the brand new Google TV Streamer.
The Google TV Streamer is very different from a Chromecast. It’s larger, more powerful, and comes with a slew of features the company never could have provided in a tiny dongle. It’s also a lot more expensive. The question then becomes: was the death of the Chromecast worth it? In my opinion, the answer is a resounding “yes.”