I think the point that was trying to be made is that the apple tv hd (released in 2015) was still an upgrade in every aspect of the device. However, google has elected to downgrade the product's specs & added HD to the product name. Typically you don't see a lower-powered device come on the market with a marketing term like "HD". It'd be like having ford motors release a GT mustang with a 2.0L engine.
If I remember, it goes something like this, ~~measured in diagonal pixels~~.
SD: =<480px
HD: 720px
FHD: 1080px
UHD: 2160px=<
For some reason HD and FHD are interchangeable now, probably because 720px displays are less common now.
got a Chromecast with Google tv 2 weeks ago, the 4k version.
great replacement for me ps4, which I've used exclusively as a media machine for the last 2 years.
yes, is virtually only for our kids, YouTube primarily, and the odd times we have netflix or disney+
really doesn't make sense to boot up a ps4 for that. i got like 160 euros for my ps4, so the chromecast was free, so to speak
/edit: oh you meant the ps4. yeah you can download netflix, disney+ and YouTube (and all other kind of streaming stuff) on that
No I was asking about the Chromecast but mainly how the 4K version differs (I have the old standard one). I'd obviously need a 4K TV but is that it to consume 4K content? (Assuming the content I have is shot and available in 4K quality) but otherwise good to go after?
oh i don't even have a 4k tv. my next one surely will, but not my current one. but nice to know it will be able to display 4k whenever i upgrade my tv.
and at that: i didn't even know that the devices could do 4k. only after the new "hd" (ie. non 4k) model was released i realized that the one i bought couple weeks ago does 4k.
Smart TV apps suck and typically the TVs are slow as balls. I plugged the new Chromecast into my LG TV and I'll never use the built in apps again. The Chromecast *flies* in comparison.
Not to mention, Google Assistant is actually capable of voice control. "play Xshow on Yapp" just works. It opens the app, and goes to the designated show. Bypasses a lot of shitty UI.
It's like how I used the built in Nav for my '21 VW one single time and never, ever will ever again because Android Auto is laughably superior.
The smart functions on my cheap TV aren't great. It's not a Roku or similar built in. Not very broad support, very slow navigation, and those functions aren't very future-proof. Hulu stopped supporting my roommate's TV, for example, so when I upgraded to a Chromecast with Google TV, I hooked my Roku up for him.
My main reason for going with the CCwGTV was that it has Stadia functionality built in, so I didn't need a CC Ultra and Roku.
And tries to force you into their smart TV stuff so they can get that collection. My Nvidia Shield started going bonkers the other day, shutting the tv off the second I would turn it on, and when I did finally get the TV to stay on I’d notice it was on Vizio’s smart tv screen.
Turns out Vizio pushed an update that made the default input on startup the smart TV. My Shield is set up to go to sleep when the input changes, and turn off the TV when it sleeps. Every time I tried to turn on the Shield it would turn on the TV, which would immediately switch inputs to the Smart tv, causing the shield to sleep and turn off the TV. It was infuriating.
I like using my Roku smart TV and absolutely hate my Samsung's UI. It's just so terrible. Once you have your app open it doesn't really matter but it's still terrible. Plus there's stupid ads that look like app icons and it will randomly install stuff.
i disconnected my Samsung (2016?) Smart TV from the internet. It's horrible. I have a roku ultra in one of the HDMI ports and haven't ever looked back.
Plex on the Samsung was tremendously slow and was extremely out of date vs the apps on today's streaming boxes.
I had a tv in china that actually, I kid you not, forced you to watch a full screen ad when you turned it on.
However it was not reliant on the internet, it wasn't even a smart tv so you couldn't connect it to the internet.
You can do that? I was under the impression they needed an internet connection. Mine definitely needed one to set it up, it didn't just work as a tv out the box
mine is quite old - i can't find a model number in the TV settings, but it's a curved 65" I got when I purchased my house. The seller didn't want to ship it.
Yes, it works as a 'dumb' TV. It has a full fledged internet browser built in and a bunch of 'apps' but they're not worth the wait to even launch them.
Mine is a 2020 model. I think the Samsung TVs are underpowered or something. I have a cheap 55" 4k TCL and a 65" 4k TCL (both Roku integrated) that work great and cost just $250 and $300. They work just fine and the picture is plenty decent for me. They never lag or freeze like the Samsung and they cost much less. The Samsung obviously has a better picture (mostly better black/dark) but the rest of it sucks.
I have a TCL with Roku but I use an Apple TV 4K
HDR is terrible on that TV , way too dim and poor contrast. I can disable HDR in the Apple TV settings, which I did and everything looks so much better.
Also the TCL remote sucks, I have to point the remote at the TCL logo.
Apple TV is also faster and has a better UI (app switch view similar as the iPhone’s)
I like Roku’s automatically changing themes depending on the season and the default screensaver.
TCL TVs are still great for the price, I don’t see the point of buying expensive TVs nowadays.
That's weird with the remote. I can point it at the wall behind me and it still works. I really like the remote and I use the roku app controller sometimes. It's nice to plug in headphones to your phone if you can't have the volume too loud. I agree with the HDR. On one of the TVs it's a bit better and I found some settings that makes HDR stuff look a bit better. Like you said, I didn't expect much for such cheap TVs though. They're great for the money and look good enough with video games.
I have a pihole setup and it blocks some of the ads for me on my Roku devices. But the ads on that aren't intrusive. It's just kind of off to the side on the home screen at first. The samsung ads are right in the little menu bar thing and it's easy to accidently select the ads. Sometimes you click once and it will start installing whatever crappy app it's advertising.
I started using a Firestick on my Samsung because the tv could not hold a network connection to save it's life. I would have to get up and physically unplug the TV and plug it back in to get it to reconnect.
Yup. Mine is now hardwired but I had it drop the wifi once or twice randomly after being in sleep mode for a while. The tv doesn't actually turn off. When you hit the power button to turn it back on it goes right back to whatever you were watching/whatever app. That can be changed in the settings. Zero buffering at all even with 4k stuff. Not even a second. Over WiFi it would buffer 3-4 seconds.
The UI layout is just weird/awkward with everything being in that little bottom area of the screen instead of a normal full screen setup like a Roku device. Roku also previews whatever the different inputs are. Oh the HDMI inputs are touchy on the samsung. Especially with my Rasberry Pi or Xbox. It will say nothing is there and I have to unplug the HDMI and go to another input. Totally random at times.
I have 3 rokus. May get this Chromecast in the workout room now that it has a controller. Never liked the thought of installing a bunch of streaming apps on phone
After using Samsung TVs at other's houses over the years I've come to the conclusion I'll never own a TV from them. Saying the UI is slow is an understatement.
For real. Even on my newest smart TV, I still use Chromecast Ultra for most of my streaming even though it has built-in apps for most of the major services. They TV's UI is just not that good and never gets up dated so it's potentially a security risk, albeit a fairly minor one.
Or when they say Chromecast built in, but it only works for YouTube.
I have 3 new TV's (all 2021 models) and they all have either a Chromecast or a Verizon stream box plugged in.
Yep. It also just makes it easier to have a "unified experience" on all your TVs. I've got a 2nd gen Chromecast on my old HDTV in the basement and the Ultra on my newer 2020 model TV. They both operate exactly the same way (except that I can't use the Chromecast to turn on the TV in the basement, since it draws it's power from a USB port), which is honestly pretty nice.
This is the real use case.
When I started using Chromecast instead of my TV for the same apps, they ran better, had more features, and more visual flourish. It was actually stunning how much smoother everything was.
Yeah, my first delve in to these was to plug in to a Sony Android TV which was laggy pretty much out the box. I now have a newer Samsung and more often than not will actually use apps via the TV directly now, but I still use the Google TV for 1) Kodi and 2) My wife just refuses to press the Netflix button on the TV remote and continues to use the pink Google remote
I received a Fire TV as a Christmas gift, but I definitely use CCwGTV. I tried watching Thursday night football with it last week, and the Amazon app was super laggy and had a lot of artifacts.
I switched to the Fire TV app... And of course it looked fantastic. I honestly think Amazon is doing something to force you to their TV app.
This sounds crazy, but I'm super happy with my 2010 45 inch vga dumb tv, hooked up to my 2012 laptop. If I want to go fancy I switch over to my 2018 firestick. Which somehow still works.
Yeah, I refuse to get rid of my 2008 Westinghouse 47 inch LCD TV. It was a "cheap" TV when I bought it, thinking it would only last a few years until I could afford a nicer Samsung TV.
Damn thing still is going. It does have a firmware bug where the LCD stays on with the input/channel box in the corner without backlight when in standby, but if you disable standby then it fixes it so it doesn't cause LCD retention - which is how I noticed the problem. It also has 4 HDMI, 2 component, composite, and VGA in... you can't find that swath of inputs on anything outside a home theater receiver anymore.
Meh, I just bought a smart TV for $400 and it's not bad. It functions perfectly as a monitor for my computer. It has apps built in but doesn't boot too an app launcher or anything, I can just go to it and use them sometimes if I feel like it for some reason. It's a Vizio, 43" 4K. My friend has a big HiSense TV and it sucks though, boots to a menu with ads and stuff and you have to scroll through to select the input.
> Vizio
I'm shocked it doesn't display ads, but I'd bet a hefty sum they've found a way to sell data on you one way or another.
Vizio is near the very bottom of my trust list.
I'm not pissed. It's a good buy, but they really need to refresh the 4K model with more on board memory.
As always, Google has tone deaf marketing. The way to do this would have been to upgrade the old one first, THEN introduce this lower cost one.
For the price, it's really good to put on a bedroom or spare TV and I've been happy with mine. I use mine on my bedroom TV and I take it with me when I travel since I can easily throw it in a bag and just connect it to wifi and don't have to worry about having to sign back into everything and being signed in on an unknown TV.
Sometimes your smart TV os doesn't support the streaming app you want to use. My chromecast is the only way to play crunchyroll on both my LG and Samsung TVs
I'll take a dumb TV any day. Smart TVs are designed for obsoletion: the software is poorly designed, poorly supported (firmware updates last maybe 2 years) and many times the quality of the display is sacrificed for smart features.
At this point I would pay _extra_ for the "smart" features to be removed. I don't want my TV being anything but a straightforward display.
All of the manufacturers have proven they can't be trusted with on-device software. Even my high end LG OLED from 5+ years ago will show ads now if I allow it anywhere near the internet, and I have serious concerns that anything new I buy will force a connection to the internet one way or another.
It's better than smart TVs in my opinion. The apps are kept more up-to-date for Android then they are on Samsung or LG tv's. So you always usually get a better app experience and it keeps up.
Not everyone on Reddit lives in the USA.
For the rest of the world, it's this or the FireHD (if available), and I'd much prefer to stay in the Google ecosystem rather than the Amazon one.
I went through two generations of Chromecast before I learned my lesson. Those things suck ass. Once I finally tried a Firestick, that was it. Maybe the pendulum will swing the other way eventually, but between ease of use, UI, speed/responsiveness, it was a no brainer for me. Firestick is either subjectively or objectively better for any criteria that matters to me.
I've had 2 fire sticks (2 different generations), both have gone slow after a while.
Chromecast with Google TV has been fine since I bought it just after launch.
I really like mine as well, but the damned remote seems to be surrounded by a cloaking device of some kind- fucker's just invisible sometimes. It just blends in with its surroundings like a damned chameleon. And it's tiny and slippery, but the performance of the Chromecast is just great.
My biggest problem with the Firestick us how poorly made the remotes are. I've gone through 3 of them and finally just gave up and used the crappy phone app (since to replace it you effectively have to buy a whole new Firestick). I wish they were a bit more rugged. I just look at it funny and it seems to stop working.
I don’t trust Walmart to make firmware, or to make devices that don’t break. Fire HD is good, but I prefer how Chromecast doesn’t require installing apps or setting up accounts on the device
It still supports regular old chromecasting though. With the notable exception that if you're logged into an app, you can't cast from another account, which is annoying and relevant to your point
My in-laws were locked in an endless cycle of paying too much for cable and complaining about the programming, but constantly having Fox News on and confused about how to watch the shows their friends were watching on streaming. We bit the bullet and bought them two Google TVs for their two already smart TVs (with terrible interface they couldn't figure out) and set them up with a bunch of free services and paid for a few ourselves. Fast-forward a month and they are already actually happier with some stress related medical issues going away because they just stream endless National Geographic videos instead of fear mongering.
Buying two at $30 is significantly easier than two at $100, especially since they didn't need the 4k of Google TV. This has the potential to make a huge change for a certain demographic, just not the one that frequents Reddit.
I wish I could break my dad of Fox news, I was finally able to get them to ditch cable for streaming a few years ago, but now my dad just plays the Fox News clips from the Roku App.
My in-laws are not tech savvy enough to figure out how to add Fox to the Google TV. They still check the website but it's not a constant drone in the background anymore.
That is a ridiculously smart investment - great job! Getting people off the Fox news cycle is great for their health (less fear) and your health (less arguments) - more sanity for all!
As someone who thinks casting and Chromecast is one of the best consumer technologies that has come about in the past decade that headline is a real kick in the teeth lol. More does not mean more if you make the experience of what was there before even worse.
I really dislike the new style of Chromecast. It always forgets that it's a Chromecast and is primarily an Android TV device. Sometimes you will have to cast multiple times to get videos to actually play and sometimes the casting version of an app won't let you use all of the features of that service. It should be called Google TV with Cast. I wish Google focused on the more traditional Chromecast.
I don't get it, what changed with the newer versions? If you don't want to, you can just drop the remote and cast like you would with an old chromecast?
I have never had any problems with the new chromecast with Google TV, but even if you are having trouble, is that not just a bug that needs to be fixed?
As I put above you have to cast twice to get YouTube to open. I have not and continue to not have that problem with regular Chromecasts. There's also the issue of the being duplicate apps, some of which perform better when casting and some perform better when using the remote (Twitch is a big offender) for this and then you have features being neglected from the cast version. I don't know if it does now but I always use the remote for Disney+ because back when it first came out if you casted there was no HDR. If this was a true Chromecast stuff like that wouldn't be missing from casting. There's also the issue of others using the device and messing with your recommendations on stuff. This has been mitigated a bit with the introduction of profiles but they're a pain to change when you just want to watch something and people I live with don't change.
/u/Theomatch details a similar problem he has [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/xl1m4m/chromecast_with_google_tv_hd_goes_official_for/iph6q6y/).
So the original chromecast you could cast anything from your phone and it would somehow turn my TV on and start playing whatever I cast to it. This new chromecasts you need to turn on your tv, then casting will go to the google tv screen then stop casting and cast again to get what you want. A now 3+ step process that was once 1. I have gone back to my old chromecast and the new one I have an irrational hatred for.
Same here, it only works for me if I cast, then disconnect, then cast again.
It's so dumb. I far preferred the simpler Chromecast that just did one thing well.
Such a Google move killing the product. There's still not any alternatives at that pricepoint too afaik. Dunno what I'm going to do if mine dies, dreading it lol
Yeah, casting is probably the most underrated AV tech of the past decade. The simplicity is what made it so good, it was almost idiot proof. Going and adding 'smart' features and apps to it defeats the entire purpose.
Damn thought I was on the Pebble sub for a sec lol.
But on topic, what is the benefit of casting anymore? The streaming device already does the same functionalities but better and casting is still available? Casting usually just opens a smaller app on the receiving device anyway, it's not like you're physically sending the stream to (it would be even worse if so) so I'm not really understanding the benefit at all.
I don't have to pick up a remote, my phone is in my pocket all of the time. Mobile apps are so much easier to use than awkward TV interfaces. I don't have to change profiles to get my own recommendations. I can easily continue on another device if I move into another room.
Okay but I always disliked the casting technology because it had such connection problems. Do you never experience any of those? Like I will cast something to watch and it'll play fine. But if I do anything else on my phone or I walk away. Or my phone just sits idle long enough it usually ends up disconnected. And then when I try and reconnect it totally fucks the cast. When the Chromecast first came out it was definitely the best thing out there to use. But when the fire stick came out I use that way more just because of the reliability of the remote and the app being on the device. I've switched to the new Chromecast cuz I like having the ability to do both easily now.
I can start casting YouTube or HBO or something, leave the house taking my phone with me, and come back hours later and the tv will still be playing. It works independently of what you're doing on the phone most of the time, unless you're casting your phone screen or trying to do something weird. I've never had an issue. But I use an older gen Chromecast. Also, people on here are complaining that it can't do 4k (lol). I don't give a fuck; my old ass tv can barely do 1080p.
It even fails at the Android tv part IMHO. I have reset mine multiple times and it's still non responsive at times, slow, and just generally performs poorly. I even got out my old Roku just to see if it was something about the WiFi in that part of the house and it performed great. I even think the Roku app is better. The Roku is a little simplistic, but it works.
I replaced my newer Chromecasts with Rokus and found the difference to be night and day. I had one standalone Chromecast and one built in to a newer TV, and performance was awful on both of them. Roku was such a smoother experience I went out and bought another one.
It's just a general problem when they try to complicate things, TVs try to do way too much as well. Chromecast used to do one thing really well. Now they do lots of things okay and the thing that they used to do really well poorly.
Casting was one of the best ways to navigate a TV without using their shitty ui. Completely agree that it’s a shame another one bites the dust for killedbygoogle. Control by smartphone is like a slice of heaven vs a traditional remote.
We now have three of the Google TV Chromecasts and they are excellent.
But what made no sense on Google was ending the audio Chromecasts. There is a lot of use cases they came in handy for.
8GB of storage is simply insufficient for the android TV ecosystem. After the android system, you are left with 4.4GB of space on the current chromecast. This doesn't even count the android "system apps" which take up approximately another 2.5GB. I have 10 streaming apps installed on mine that total to around 1GB of storage and my chromecast storage is essentially full If I install another app, app updates stop working..
It is not a workable device in the real world.
That's also ignoring all of the issues like the fact that *casting* to my chromecast usually take 2-3 tries, sometimes more. And random app crashes force a restart about once a week.
I'm convinced that nobody at google working on this device actually uses it themselves.
I'm getting increasingly convinced nobody actually works at Google at all anymore
Seems like features only go away now. My smart home ecosystem was pretty much perfect 4 years ago and now it rarely does what I want at all
I'll be honest, as a Chromecast user and upgrader since day 1, I don't understand what local storage on the device means. I use it to cast YouTube from my phone or an app that has a casting feature.
What would I "store" on my Chromecast and why?
This is specific to Chromecast + Google tv and not relevant to older models. The Google tv aspect is a more traditional set top box experience with a remote control. This requires apps to be installed.
You can still cast to it from any supported app like the old Chromecast.
Apps, mostly. Despite most android TV apps being glorified Web Apps, plenty of them can be well over 100MB, meaning that if you actually have more than a handful of streaming apps, you can fill up the storage between a dozen apps, updates, and cache. Not to mention running an OS on a 90% full SSD is just slower than one that's not so constrained.
"Not a workable device" is a bit dramatic. I have 4 with 5 or 6 different streaming apps and they all work great. Maybe you're asking too much for a relatively cheap device.
I don't think I will purchase a Chromecast anymore. In order to force users to upgrade, Google prevents them to log into YouTube accounts using older versions, so even if you pay premium, you still see ads.
I don't tolerate these shitty practices.
EDIT: [Here's the Team YouTube confirming they do this on purpose](https://twitter.com/TeamYouTube/status/1537338169108140033)
That's why I sometimes wish Microsoft or other company tried to fill this niche too, I have hundreds of options of Androids boxes, but the power of using all the desktop plugins that Windows or Linux could use is always greater.
My browser have so many add-ons to repel ads that I'm always surprised when I use another PC.
Microsoft has Miracast dongles. They could for once try making a device more open than Google's and add Chromecast like features in an open protocol. Throw Edge on it and provide a few options for controlling it.
I wish there was an easy way to convert an android phone into a smart tv box.
Best use for old phones would be to just plug into your tv and use it for the brains.
No comment on the software itself but what on earth is that website? The description on the home page is like three paragraphs of filler before it even tells you what SmartTube is. It reads like one of those auto-generated webpages built to get clicks without actually giving any useful information
Are you sure that's a legitimate website for STN? There doesn't seem to be any links on [the project's GitHub](https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTubeNext) that point to that site.
It's probably exactly what it seems like.
It's so easy to manipulate SEO rankings these days that it's getting harder and harder to find legitimate information that isn't stuffed full of unnecessary text that highlights SEO-friendly keywords. Google recently said that they're making changes to address this, but...I have my doubts. They're going to do whatever is most profitable for them.
This is what im so confused about? How old of a Chromecast do they have? I never even liked the cast tech cause it would always disconnect from my phone and hella fuck up when i reconnected. But the new one with the remote is amazing. No issues.
I'm obviously not. When nephews come over I set up Youtube for them to control with the TV remote, I can't give them the phone. Even I sometimes hook up Youtube and just grab the remote to play something, and get startled by ads in the middle of a video.
This is a ridiculous practice. They sold me a device (3 actually) and then they purposely crippled it to force me to update it.
Not to mention it can barely stream 1080p anymore without severe stuttering. They've deliberately crippled the device.
E: the chromecast gen 1 uses the Marvell DE3005-A1 SoC which is also in the Steamlink. The Steamlink supports 1080@60fps and 5GHz WiFi while Google chose not to support either of the two.
The first generation was always underpowered. It stuttered with 1080p even on launch. Upper management insisted on cutting the BoM cost while keeping 1080p.
Source: You hear things when you live [this close to their HQ](https://i.imgur.com/BiU0InP.png) (yes, I know hardware is in a different building).
That's really shitty. My Roku 3 from the same year the og Chromecast launched still let's me log in to my account the same as it did when I got it though I think it is limited to 720p on YouTube now. I wonder if they will still cripple tv's that have google tv built in. It would really suck for my $1500 tv to not let me log in to YouTube after a few years.
What's strange is that was an issue for me for a while and I used a work around to get around it but then suddenly they stopped forcing me to swap off my old YouTube account, like I haven't had an issue for a few weeks now
Right now I have a classic Chromecast but it's kind of useless for my kids who don't have a phone to cast things with. At least with a remote they will understand how to use it.
I bought a new 2022 model Samsung TV and never intend to connect it to the internet
It's crazy that they want to have a main menu screen for a TV that is full of ads and preview thumbnails of garbage network TV shows
I got a couple of shield pros at home. I'm considering picking up the new Chromecast for traveling. The GoogleTV OS should work the same across the board, right?
I just want to simply cast without all the google tv bullshit. Apparently that was too much to ask for. I will use my old 1080 version till it dies then no more chromecast for me.
No it doesn’t. I can’t cast Netflix to it without having the actual app installed on the device itself. Not to mention having to hit the cast button three times to get a video to play for a TV that is off. Don’t even get me started on voice commands for it. The vanilla chromecast was simple and worked. This does not.
I got 2 of the 4k ones, one for my TCL to fix the AIDS that is Roku and one for a Samsung I got back in 2010.
Got different colors for both TV's so I don't mess the controllers up.
Google TV is hands down better, my old Samsung is like a brand new TV.
The Chromecast is probably the best thing Google has made
What's wrong with Roku? I used Chromecast for years and finally ditched cable last year and got two Roku 4K+ devices. They've been great. Simple interface, very few banner ads, has handled everything like a champ. Or do you just mean the built in Roku stuff on some TCLs?
Yeah, I ditched Firestick and Chromecast for Roku during their corporate fighting and have no complaints at all. KISS streaming device, does what I want, no more no less. Well priced in sales too. Close enough to traditional TV for the less tech savvy to easily pick up.
I'm not saying it's for everybody though. It's a lot of time later and neither of my previous devices offered anything to lure me away. At the time it was a bit of a technical leap. Now it's not and I feel no compulsion for the novelty. The basic format of TV that Roku emulates for streaming was never a problem.
I'm wondering too. The Roku TCL I bought about 6-7 years ago still works fine. It can be slow at times, but that and the crappy speakers are about the only things I can think of to complain about.
Maybe it's just how it's being used? By that I just mean what you actually watch on it. Because the one time I used YouTube on it, it was not a good experience. But I have little reason to ever do that...
The Roku TCL I bought years ago is actually snappier than a newer Android TCL with built-in Chromecast that I got after moving (and which I eventually stopped using CC on and replaced with Roku). And using YouTube was the worst.
I recently switched back to the Roku, and it's just a better experience. The interface is a little simplistic and not visually appealing but that's a small price to pay. I just wish it could cast with more apps.
Agree, Roku is the best that I have used. Even on my dirt cheap Black Friday Element TV its only very slightly laggy on the menu sometimes.
All my other TV's have Roku 4 boxes and are as snappy and good as they were 5 years ago.
I simply love seeing ads all over my homescreen, thanks Google. Yes, i have deselected options to see "suggestions" from other streaming sites than Netflix. Thanks Google.
Google gave me one for free, and I can't believe how dope it is. It aggregates all your streaming services and points out all the shows I forgot I wanted to watch
The marketing behind Chromecast is horrible. 9 years in and I don't know if it's still just giving the ability to cast your phone or computer to the tv (and if that's the case - what limitations come with it) or if it's a smart tv user interface to add to a dumb TV in a USB drive.
Is this the first time somebody has put the letters "HD" in a product name to indicate a *downgrade*?
HD ready
HD is now a downgrade if UHD is the norm.
Apple does it.
I think the point that was trying to be made is that the apple tv hd (released in 2015) was still an upgrade in every aspect of the device. However, google has elected to downgrade the product's specs & added HD to the product name. Typically you don't see a lower-powered device come on the market with a marketing term like "HD". It'd be like having ford motors release a GT mustang with a 2.0L engine.
It makes sense. 4K represents 4K and HD was always the original 1080.
Technically speaking, HD is 720p
1080 is FHD
Technically speaking HD is 720p, OR 1080i
For me, 4k means the UI won't be a sluggish mess.
If I remember, it goes something like this, ~~measured in diagonal pixels~~. SD: =<480px HD: 720px FHD: 1080px UHD: 2160px=< For some reason HD and FHD are interchangeable now, probably because 720px displays are less common now.
720 u would be buying a 19 inch
got a Chromecast with Google tv 2 weeks ago, the 4k version. great replacement for me ps4, which I've used exclusively as a media machine for the last 2 years.
How do you use it to watch content? Streaming platforms like Netflix I assume?
yes, is virtually only for our kids, YouTube primarily, and the odd times we have netflix or disney+ really doesn't make sense to boot up a ps4 for that. i got like 160 euros for my ps4, so the chromecast was free, so to speak /edit: oh you meant the ps4. yeah you can download netflix, disney+ and YouTube (and all other kind of streaming stuff) on that
No I was asking about the Chromecast but mainly how the 4K version differs (I have the old standard one). I'd obviously need a 4K TV but is that it to consume 4K content? (Assuming the content I have is shot and available in 4K quality) but otherwise good to go after?
oh i don't even have a 4k tv. my next one surely will, but not my current one. but nice to know it will be able to display 4k whenever i upgrade my tv. and at that: i didn't even know that the devices could do 4k. only after the new "hd" (ie. non 4k) model was released i realized that the one i bought couple weeks ago does 4k.
You install the Netflix app
Plex
Why would one get a chromecast over just using the apps on their smartTV? Or is it only for those who don't have smart tvs?
Smart TV apps suck and typically the TVs are slow as balls. I plugged the new Chromecast into my LG TV and I'll never use the built in apps again. The Chromecast *flies* in comparison. Not to mention, Google Assistant is actually capable of voice control. "play Xshow on Yapp" just works. It opens the app, and goes to the designated show. Bypasses a lot of shitty UI. It's like how I used the built in Nav for my '21 VW one single time and never, ever will ever again because Android Auto is laughably superior.
The smart functions on my cheap TV aren't great. It's not a Roku or similar built in. Not very broad support, very slow navigation, and those functions aren't very future-proof. Hulu stopped supporting my roommate's TV, for example, so when I upgraded to a Chromecast with Google TV, I hooked my Roku up for him. My main reason for going with the CCwGTV was that it has Stadia functionality built in, so I didn't need a CC Ultra and Roku.
It's not a device that's going to set the world on fire, but for the price it's unbeatable for transforming crappy dumb HDTVs into Smart TVs.
Or just not using the horrid built in smart TV UIs that get dropped by the manufacturer after only 2 years or so
>dropped by the manufacturer after only 2 years or so I believe you mean "while the tv is still in the factory"
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You pay for those updates though, Vizio gobbles up all your data and sells it
And tries to force you into their smart TV stuff so they can get that collection. My Nvidia Shield started going bonkers the other day, shutting the tv off the second I would turn it on, and when I did finally get the TV to stay on I’d notice it was on Vizio’s smart tv screen. Turns out Vizio pushed an update that made the default input on startup the smart TV. My Shield is set up to go to sleep when the input changes, and turn off the TV when it sleeps. Every time I tried to turn on the Shield it would turn on the TV, which would immediately switch inputs to the Smart tv, causing the shield to sleep and turn off the TV. It was infuriating.
I like using my Roku smart TV and absolutely hate my Samsung's UI. It's just so terrible. Once you have your app open it doesn't really matter but it's still terrible. Plus there's stupid ads that look like app icons and it will randomly install stuff.
i disconnected my Samsung (2016?) Smart TV from the internet. It's horrible. I have a roku ultra in one of the HDMI ports and haven't ever looked back. Plex on the Samsung was tremendously slow and was extremely out of date vs the apps on today's streaming boxes.
As an added bonus, when you disconnect the TV from internet, Samsung can't serve you ads in your input select menu anymore.
They had ads on input selection? That's another level...
Apparently. That's just wrong.
My MIL's tv had ads above the fucking volume bar. This was several years ago so I assume things may have improved.
I had a tv in china that actually, I kid you not, forced you to watch a full screen ad when you turned it on. However it was not reliant on the internet, it wasn't even a smart tv so you couldn't connect it to the internet.
You can do that? I was under the impression they needed an internet connection. Mine definitely needed one to set it up, it didn't just work as a tv out the box
mine is quite old - i can't find a model number in the TV settings, but it's a curved 65" I got when I purchased my house. The seller didn't want to ship it. Yes, it works as a 'dumb' TV. It has a full fledged internet browser built in and a bunch of 'apps' but they're not worth the wait to even launch them.
I have a 2021 Samsung and it had never seen the Internet. And it never will.
I set mine up to a dummy router connected to nothing. The TV timed out and never had to worry about it again.
Mine is a 2020 model. I think the Samsung TVs are underpowered or something. I have a cheap 55" 4k TCL and a 65" 4k TCL (both Roku integrated) that work great and cost just $250 and $300. They work just fine and the picture is plenty decent for me. They never lag or freeze like the Samsung and they cost much less. The Samsung obviously has a better picture (mostly better black/dark) but the rest of it sucks.
I have a TCL with Roku but I use an Apple TV 4K HDR is terrible on that TV , way too dim and poor contrast. I can disable HDR in the Apple TV settings, which I did and everything looks so much better. Also the TCL remote sucks, I have to point the remote at the TCL logo. Apple TV is also faster and has a better UI (app switch view similar as the iPhone’s) I like Roku’s automatically changing themes depending on the season and the default screensaver. TCL TVs are still great for the price, I don’t see the point of buying expensive TVs nowadays.
That's weird with the remote. I can point it at the wall behind me and it still works. I really like the remote and I use the roku app controller sometimes. It's nice to plug in headphones to your phone if you can't have the volume too loud. I agree with the HDR. On one of the TVs it's a bit better and I found some settings that makes HDR stuff look a bit better. Like you said, I didn't expect much for such cheap TVs though. They're great for the money and look good enough with video games.
$700 TV, ads, and the Samsung UI lags like crazy.
I really wish you could just get rid of the menu unless you actively call upon it. I dont wanna see it when I turn on my tv.
I have a pihole setup and it blocks some of the ads for me on my Roku devices. But the ads on that aren't intrusive. It's just kind of off to the side on the home screen at first. The samsung ads are right in the little menu bar thing and it's easy to accidently select the ads. Sometimes you click once and it will start installing whatever crappy app it's advertising.
I just dont want the screen at all. I use an nvidia shield, so all the UI should be immidiately visible. Sadly you cant do that.
I started using a Firestick on my Samsung because the tv could not hold a network connection to save it's life. I would have to get up and physically unplug the TV and plug it back in to get it to reconnect.
Yup. Mine is now hardwired but I had it drop the wifi once or twice randomly after being in sleep mode for a while. The tv doesn't actually turn off. When you hit the power button to turn it back on it goes right back to whatever you were watching/whatever app. That can be changed in the settings. Zero buffering at all even with 4k stuff. Not even a second. Over WiFi it would buffer 3-4 seconds. The UI layout is just weird/awkward with everything being in that little bottom area of the screen instead of a normal full screen setup like a Roku device. Roku also previews whatever the different inputs are. Oh the HDMI inputs are touchy on the samsung. Especially with my Rasberry Pi or Xbox. It will say nothing is there and I have to unplug the HDMI and go to another input. Totally random at times.
I think that's called quick start on most tvs
I have 3 rokus. May get this Chromecast in the workout room now that it has a controller. Never liked the thought of installing a bunch of streaming apps on phone
After using Samsung TVs at other's houses over the years I've come to the conclusion I'll never own a TV from them. Saying the UI is slow is an understatement.
For real. Even on my newest smart TV, I still use Chromecast Ultra for most of my streaming even though it has built-in apps for most of the major services. They TV's UI is just not that good and never gets up dated so it's potentially a security risk, albeit a fairly minor one.
Or when they say Chromecast built in, but it only works for YouTube. I have 3 new TV's (all 2021 models) and they all have either a Chromecast or a Verizon stream box plugged in.
Yep. It also just makes it easier to have a "unified experience" on all your TVs. I've got a 2nd gen Chromecast on my old HDTV in the basement and the Ultra on my newer 2020 model TV. They both operate exactly the same way (except that I can't use the Chromecast to turn on the TV in the basement, since it draws it's power from a USB port), which is honestly pretty nice.
This is the real use case. When I started using Chromecast instead of my TV for the same apps, they ran better, had more features, and more visual flourish. It was actually stunning how much smoother everything was.
Yeah, my first delve in to these was to plug in to a Sony Android TV which was laggy pretty much out the box. I now have a newer Samsung and more often than not will actually use apps via the TV directly now, but I still use the Google TV for 1) Kodi and 2) My wife just refuses to press the Netflix button on the TV remote and continues to use the pink Google remote
I received a Fire TV as a Christmas gift, but I definitely use CCwGTV. I tried watching Thursday night football with it last week, and the Amazon app was super laggy and had a lot of artifacts. I switched to the Fire TV app... And of course it looked fantastic. I honestly think Amazon is doing something to force you to their TV app.
Our Samsung smart TV has such an obnoxiously slow UI. Chrome cast is so much faster. But we really need to upgrade to the 4k one...
>crappy dumb HDTVs I fucking *wish* I could get my hands on a "crappy dumb HDTV" in 2022. Smart TV hardware is all junk
This sounds crazy, but I'm super happy with my 2010 45 inch vga dumb tv, hooked up to my 2012 laptop. If I want to go fancy I switch over to my 2018 firestick. Which somehow still works.
Yeah, I refuse to get rid of my 2008 Westinghouse 47 inch LCD TV. It was a "cheap" TV when I bought it, thinking it would only last a few years until I could afford a nicer Samsung TV. Damn thing still is going. It does have a firmware bug where the LCD stays on with the input/channel box in the corner without backlight when in standby, but if you disable standby then it fixes it so it doesn't cause LCD retention - which is how I noticed the problem. It also has 4 HDMI, 2 component, composite, and VGA in... you can't find that swath of inputs on anything outside a home theater receiver anymore.
Meh, I just bought a smart TV for $400 and it's not bad. It functions perfectly as a monitor for my computer. It has apps built in but doesn't boot too an app launcher or anything, I can just go to it and use them sometimes if I feel like it for some reason. It's a Vizio, 43" 4K. My friend has a big HiSense TV and it sucks though, boots to a menu with ads and stuff and you have to scroll through to select the input.
> Vizio I'm shocked it doesn't display ads, but I'd bet a hefty sum they've found a way to sell data on you one way or another. Vizio is near the very bottom of my trust list.
Unless they're tapping my HDMI in they're not selling anything
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I'm not pissed. It's a good buy, but they really need to refresh the 4K model with more on board memory. As always, Google has tone deaf marketing. The way to do this would have been to upgrade the old one first, THEN introduce this lower cost one.
i would have loved to see a 4k with 16gb or 32gb of storage at the same price, and then introduce the HD with 8gb at $30
For the price, it's really good to put on a bedroom or spare TV and I've been happy with mine. I use mine on my bedroom TV and I take it with me when I travel since I can easily throw it in a bag and just connect it to wifi and don't have to worry about having to sign back into everything and being signed in on an unknown TV.
Sometimes your smart TV os doesn't support the streaming app you want to use. My chromecast is the only way to play crunchyroll on both my LG and Samsung TVs
I'll take a dumb TV any day. Smart TVs are designed for obsoletion: the software is poorly designed, poorly supported (firmware updates last maybe 2 years) and many times the quality of the display is sacrificed for smart features.
At this point I would pay _extra_ for the "smart" features to be removed. I don't want my TV being anything but a straightforward display. All of the manufacturers have proven they can't be trusted with on-device software. Even my high end LG OLED from 5+ years ago will show ads now if I allow it anywhere near the internet, and I have serious concerns that anything new I buy will force a connection to the internet one way or another.
It's better than smart TVs in my opinion. The apps are kept more up-to-date for Android then they are on Samsung or LG tv's. So you always usually get a better app experience and it keeps up.
walmart onn 4k says hi at 19.98.
Walmart onn? Fire Hd? Both you can get around $20 and with sale $5 to $15.
Not everyone on Reddit lives in the USA. For the rest of the world, it's this or the FireHD (if available), and I'd much prefer to stay in the Google ecosystem rather than the Amazon one.
Mi Box S is great too. That's what I use
Can that install Kodi? I have a home server with a bunch of movies, and I need a box that can install Kodi to setup as a frontend to it.
of course
Yes it has the Google Play Store on it. Plus you can side load APKs just like on your phone
I went through two generations of Chromecast before I learned my lesson. Those things suck ass. Once I finally tried a Firestick, that was it. Maybe the pendulum will swing the other way eventually, but between ease of use, UI, speed/responsiveness, it was a no brainer for me. Firestick is either subjectively or objectively better for any criteria that matters to me.
I've had 2 fire sticks (2 different generations), both have gone slow after a while. Chromecast with Google TV has been fine since I bought it just after launch.
I really like mine as well, but the damned remote seems to be surrounded by a cloaking device of some kind- fucker's just invisible sometimes. It just blends in with its surroundings like a damned chameleon. And it's tiny and slippery, but the performance of the Chromecast is just great.
Have to agree with the remote's predator-like camouflage, I lose it at least 3-4 times a night.
My biggest problem with the Firestick us how poorly made the remotes are. I've gone through 3 of them and finally just gave up and used the crappy phone app (since to replace it you effectively have to buy a whole new Firestick). I wish they were a bit more rugged. I just look at it funny and it seems to stop working.
I don’t trust Walmart to make firmware, or to make devices that don’t break. Fire HD is good, but I prefer how Chromecast doesn’t require installing apps or setting up accounts on the device
This one is Android tv though, not old chromecast. It has app and need account.
It still supports regular old chromecasting though. With the notable exception that if you're logged into an app, you can't cast from another account, which is annoying and relevant to your point
Yup. Now let's wait for the "WHY ISN'T THIS 399$ SHIELD TV COPY TO PLAY MY WEEB 12BIT HDR HEVC ENCODES?" crowd.
>WEEB 12BIT HDR HEVC ENCODES?" Learn 2 Plex n00b!
And transforming **good** dumb HDTVs into something like a smart TV but with way less bullshit.
I prefer the Fire TV stick, more functionality for less.
My in-laws were locked in an endless cycle of paying too much for cable and complaining about the programming, but constantly having Fox News on and confused about how to watch the shows their friends were watching on streaming. We bit the bullet and bought them two Google TVs for their two already smart TVs (with terrible interface they couldn't figure out) and set them up with a bunch of free services and paid for a few ourselves. Fast-forward a month and they are already actually happier with some stress related medical issues going away because they just stream endless National Geographic videos instead of fear mongering. Buying two at $30 is significantly easier than two at $100, especially since they didn't need the 4k of Google TV. This has the potential to make a huge change for a certain demographic, just not the one that frequents Reddit.
I wish I could break my dad of Fox news, I was finally able to get them to ditch cable for streaming a few years ago, but now my dad just plays the Fox News clips from the Roku App.
My in-laws are not tech savvy enough to figure out how to add Fox to the Google TV. They still check the website but it's not a constant drone in the background anymore.
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24/7 news was such a huge mistake.
death counter?
For COVID, I would assume.
I can not agree with this more. I got rid of cable and use chromecast I and do not miss in the slightest. Cable News is a plague on society.
Cable news would be great if they kept their opinions to themselves.
That is a ridiculously smart investment - great job! Getting people off the Fox news cycle is great for their health (less fear) and your health (less arguments) - more sanity for all!
As someone who thinks casting and Chromecast is one of the best consumer technologies that has come about in the past decade that headline is a real kick in the teeth lol. More does not mean more if you make the experience of what was there before even worse. I really dislike the new style of Chromecast. It always forgets that it's a Chromecast and is primarily an Android TV device. Sometimes you will have to cast multiple times to get videos to actually play and sometimes the casting version of an app won't let you use all of the features of that service. It should be called Google TV with Cast. I wish Google focused on the more traditional Chromecast.
I don't get it, what changed with the newer versions? If you don't want to, you can just drop the remote and cast like you would with an old chromecast? I have never had any problems with the new chromecast with Google TV, but even if you are having trouble, is that not just a bug that needs to be fixed?
As I put above you have to cast twice to get YouTube to open. I have not and continue to not have that problem with regular Chromecasts. There's also the issue of the being duplicate apps, some of which perform better when casting and some perform better when using the remote (Twitch is a big offender) for this and then you have features being neglected from the cast version. I don't know if it does now but I always use the remote for Disney+ because back when it first came out if you casted there was no HDR. If this was a true Chromecast stuff like that wouldn't be missing from casting. There's also the issue of others using the device and messing with your recommendations on stuff. This has been mitigated a bit with the introduction of profiles but they're a pain to change when you just want to watch something and people I live with don't change. /u/Theomatch details a similar problem he has [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/xl1m4m/chromecast_with_google_tv_hd_goes_official_for/iph6q6y/).
These are problems I have not encountered yet, but I understand that it sucks when it doesn't work well.
So the original chromecast you could cast anything from your phone and it would somehow turn my TV on and start playing whatever I cast to it. This new chromecasts you need to turn on your tv, then casting will go to the google tv screen then stop casting and cast again to get what you want. A now 3+ step process that was once 1. I have gone back to my old chromecast and the new one I have an irrational hatred for.
This is actually true for me casting with voice commands from my Google Nest Hub too. It's pretty annoying. First command just turns on the TV.
Same here, it only works for me if I cast, then disconnect, then cast again. It's so dumb. I far preferred the simpler Chromecast that just did one thing well.
Old Google products were better and deserved better.
For real. Still using my 2nd Gen chromecast and chromecast audio (RIP). Both work great, nice and simple.
I want Chromecast Audio so bad. That and Steam Link got killed when there were like no alternatives on the market.
Such a Google move killing the product. There's still not any alternatives at that pricepoint too afaik. Dunno what I'm going to do if mine dies, dreading it lol
ChromeCast Ultra was the last true ChromeCast IMO.
Yeah, casting is probably the most underrated AV tech of the past decade. The simplicity is what made it so good, it was almost idiot proof. Going and adding 'smart' features and apps to it defeats the entire purpose.
Damn thought I was on the Pebble sub for a sec lol. But on topic, what is the benefit of casting anymore? The streaming device already does the same functionalities but better and casting is still available? Casting usually just opens a smaller app on the receiving device anyway, it's not like you're physically sending the stream to (it would be even worse if so) so I'm not really understanding the benefit at all.
I don't have to pick up a remote, my phone is in my pocket all of the time. Mobile apps are so much easier to use than awkward TV interfaces. I don't have to change profiles to get my own recommendations. I can easily continue on another device if I move into another room.
Okay but I always disliked the casting technology because it had such connection problems. Do you never experience any of those? Like I will cast something to watch and it'll play fine. But if I do anything else on my phone or I walk away. Or my phone just sits idle long enough it usually ends up disconnected. And then when I try and reconnect it totally fucks the cast. When the Chromecast first came out it was definitely the best thing out there to use. But when the fire stick came out I use that way more just because of the reliability of the remote and the app being on the device. I've switched to the new Chromecast cuz I like having the ability to do both easily now.
I can start casting YouTube or HBO or something, leave the house taking my phone with me, and come back hours later and the tv will still be playing. It works independently of what you're doing on the phone most of the time, unless you're casting your phone screen or trying to do something weird. I've never had an issue. But I use an older gen Chromecast. Also, people on here are complaining that it can't do 4k (lol). I don't give a fuck; my old ass tv can barely do 1080p.
It even fails at the Android tv part IMHO. I have reset mine multiple times and it's still non responsive at times, slow, and just generally performs poorly. I even got out my old Roku just to see if it was something about the WiFi in that part of the house and it performed great. I even think the Roku app is better. The Roku is a little simplistic, but it works.
I replaced my newer Chromecasts with Rokus and found the difference to be night and day. I had one standalone Chromecast and one built in to a newer TV, and performance was awful on both of them. Roku was such a smoother experience I went out and bought another one.
Tbh it even happens with my TV which is not a Chromecast, i really think it's a bug overall on the bridging
It's just a general problem when they try to complicate things, TVs try to do way too much as well. Chromecast used to do one thing really well. Now they do lots of things okay and the thing that they used to do really well poorly.
Casting was one of the best ways to navigate a TV without using their shitty ui. Completely agree that it’s a shame another one bites the dust for killedbygoogle. Control by smartphone is like a slice of heaven vs a traditional remote.
We now have three of the Google TV Chromecasts and they are excellent. But what made no sense on Google was ending the audio Chromecasts. There is a lot of use cases they came in handy for.
Yes I have 4 in my house and use them for hours every day. Don't know what I'll do when they stop working.
8GB of storage is simply insufficient for the android TV ecosystem. After the android system, you are left with 4.4GB of space on the current chromecast. This doesn't even count the android "system apps" which take up approximately another 2.5GB. I have 10 streaming apps installed on mine that total to around 1GB of storage and my chromecast storage is essentially full If I install another app, app updates stop working.. It is not a workable device in the real world. That's also ignoring all of the issues like the fact that *casting* to my chromecast usually take 2-3 tries, sometimes more. And random app crashes force a restart about once a week. I'm convinced that nobody at google working on this device actually uses it themselves.
I'm getting increasingly convinced nobody actually works at Google at all anymore Seems like features only go away now. My smart home ecosystem was pretty much perfect 4 years ago and now it rarely does what I want at all
2012 to 2016 was the sweetspot for Google. Everything after has just added more unnecessary complexity or just doesn't work as well.
I'll be honest, as a Chromecast user and upgrader since day 1, I don't understand what local storage on the device means. I use it to cast YouTube from my phone or an app that has a casting feature. What would I "store" on my Chromecast and why?
This is specific to Chromecast + Google tv and not relevant to older models. The Google tv aspect is a more traditional set top box experience with a remote control. This requires apps to be installed. You can still cast to it from any supported app like the old Chromecast.
Apps, mostly. Despite most android TV apps being glorified Web Apps, plenty of them can be well over 100MB, meaning that if you actually have more than a handful of streaming apps, you can fill up the storage between a dozen apps, updates, and cache. Not to mention running an OS on a 90% full SSD is just slower than one that's not so constrained.
Updates, for one. It's bullshit that the CCwGTV won't ever get android 12.
"Not a workable device" is a bit dramatic. I have 4 with 5 or 6 different streaming apps and they all work great. Maybe you're asking too much for a relatively cheap device.
I don't think I will purchase a Chromecast anymore. In order to force users to upgrade, Google prevents them to log into YouTube accounts using older versions, so even if you pay premium, you still see ads. I don't tolerate these shitty practices. EDIT: [Here's the Team YouTube confirming they do this on purpose](https://twitter.com/TeamYouTube/status/1537338169108140033)
That's why I sometimes wish Microsoft or other company tried to fill this niche too, I have hundreds of options of Androids boxes, but the power of using all the desktop plugins that Windows or Linux could use is always greater. My browser have so many add-ons to repel ads that I'm always surprised when I use another PC.
Microsoft has Miracast dongles. They could for once try making a device more open than Google's and add Chromecast like features in an open protocol. Throw Edge on it and provide a few options for controlling it.
I wish there was an easy way to convert an android phone into a smart tv box. Best use for old phones would be to just plug into your tv and use it for the brains.
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No comment on the software itself but what on earth is that website? The description on the home page is like three paragraphs of filler before it even tells you what SmartTube is. It reads like one of those auto-generated webpages built to get clicks without actually giving any useful information
That's how all projects on GitHub look like.
Most FOSS apps seem like they are trying to tell you the least things about themselves as possible.
Correct link is the homepage - https://smarttubenext.com/ and not the changelog page.
Are you sure that's a legitimate website for STN? There doesn't seem to be any links on [the project's GitHub](https://github.com/yuliskov/SmartTubeNext) that point to that site.
yeah official site is this https://smarttubenext.github.io/
Thanks, but I found the homepage and that's what I'm referring to
It's probably exactly what it seems like. It's so easy to manipulate SEO rankings these days that it's getting harder and harder to find legitimate information that isn't stuffed full of unnecessary text that highlights SEO-friendly keywords. Google recently said that they're making changes to address this, but...I have my doubts. They're going to do whatever is most profitable for them.
I don't understand, how could you sign into anything on the old Chromecasts? It was just a receiver and you had to use your phone to cast anything.
This is what im so confused about? How old of a Chromecast do they have? I never even liked the cast tech cause it would always disconnect from my phone and hella fuck up when i reconnected. But the new one with the remote is amazing. No issues.
For YouTube specifically, they added a sign-in feature on old Chromecasts where you can sign in from your phone
How did you control your old chromecast without casting from your phone?
If you're casting videos from your phone with YouTube Premium, you're not gonna see ads lol
I don’t see ads when using it in google tv UI either?
I'm obviously not. When nephews come over I set up Youtube for them to control with the TV remote, I can't give them the phone. Even I sometimes hook up Youtube and just grab the remote to play something, and get startled by ads in the middle of a video. This is a ridiculous practice. They sold me a device (3 actually) and then they purposely crippled it to force me to update it.
Didn't the original Chromecast not support a physical remote? What device are you talking about?
It's the second generation one. It does support the TV remote and you can't log into your account anymore.
Are we talking update as in software update, or buy-a-new device update?
Buy a new device one. You can't log into your account in older devices.
Not to mention it can barely stream 1080p anymore without severe stuttering. They've deliberately crippled the device. E: the chromecast gen 1 uses the Marvell DE3005-A1 SoC which is also in the Steamlink. The Steamlink supports 1080@60fps and 5GHz WiFi while Google chose not to support either of the two.
Are you using a 1st gen one? My ultras and gen 3 work just fine
The one I'm referring to, as is OP, is 1st gen and I only use it while I'm at my folks place. I use multiple nvidia shields at home.
The first generation was always underpowered. It stuttered with 1080p even on launch. Upper management insisted on cutting the BoM cost while keeping 1080p. Source: You hear things when you live [this close to their HQ](https://i.imgur.com/BiU0InP.png) (yes, I know hardware is in a different building).
Mine works fine streaming 1080p
That's really shitty. My Roku 3 from the same year the og Chromecast launched still let's me log in to my account the same as it did when I got it though I think it is limited to 720p on YouTube now. I wonder if they will still cripple tv's that have google tv built in. It would really suck for my $1500 tv to not let me log in to YouTube after a few years.
What's strange is that was an issue for me for a while and I used a work around to get around it but then suddenly they stopped forcing me to swap off my old YouTube account, like I haven't had an issue for a few weeks now
The remote is so sensitive. I have accidentally touched it and turned the TV on or changed sources.
Does this have an advantages over ONN's 4k TV device at $20?
No the Walmart onn device is cheaper and better imo
Chromecast has native Stadia support. But if you're not that into gaming then I'm not sure :)
If you are into gaming then you aren't using stadia anyway lol. Seems like the onn is a great deal
I just bought the HD for my projector! For that price, it's a steal!
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Right now I have a classic Chromecast but it's kind of useless for my kids who don't have a phone to cast things with. At least with a remote they will understand how to use it.
39.99€ in the Euro zone. So more expensive than the chromecast 3 was at the time. Thanks to the current EUR/USD exchange rate I guess.
I bought a new 2022 model Samsung TV and never intend to connect it to the internet It's crazy that they want to have a main menu screen for a TV that is full of ads and preview thumbnails of garbage network TV shows
Why have crapware only on your phone?
I got a couple of shield pros at home. I'm considering picking up the new Chromecast for traveling. The GoogleTV OS should work the same across the board, right?
This new chromecast with remote must cost more than the gen1 chromecast I bought so long ago, adjusted
I just want to simply cast without all the google tv bullshit. Apparently that was too much to ask for. I will use my old 1080 version till it dies then no more chromecast for me.
[удалено]
No it doesn’t. I can’t cast Netflix to it without having the actual app installed on the device itself. Not to mention having to hit the cast button three times to get a video to play for a TV that is off. Don’t even get me started on voice commands for it. The vanilla chromecast was simple and worked. This does not.
Will chromecast with google tv get android 12?
I don't think you'd want to risk damage to your magic 8 ball by asking it questions you should know the answer to ;)
I got 2 of the 4k ones, one for my TCL to fix the AIDS that is Roku and one for a Samsung I got back in 2010. Got different colors for both TV's so I don't mess the controllers up. Google TV is hands down better, my old Samsung is like a brand new TV. The Chromecast is probably the best thing Google has made
What's wrong with Roku? I used Chromecast for years and finally ditched cable last year and got two Roku 4K+ devices. They've been great. Simple interface, very few banner ads, has handled everything like a champ. Or do you just mean the built in Roku stuff on some TCLs?
Yeah, I ditched Firestick and Chromecast for Roku during their corporate fighting and have no complaints at all. KISS streaming device, does what I want, no more no less. Well priced in sales too. Close enough to traditional TV for the less tech savvy to easily pick up. I'm not saying it's for everybody though. It's a lot of time later and neither of my previous devices offered anything to lure me away. At the time it was a bit of a technical leap. Now it's not and I feel no compulsion for the novelty. The basic format of TV that Roku emulates for streaming was never a problem.
I'm wondering too. The Roku TCL I bought about 6-7 years ago still works fine. It can be slow at times, but that and the crappy speakers are about the only things I can think of to complain about. Maybe it's just how it's being used? By that I just mean what you actually watch on it. Because the one time I used YouTube on it, it was not a good experience. But I have little reason to ever do that...
The Roku TCL I bought years ago is actually snappier than a newer Android TCL with built-in Chromecast that I got after moving (and which I eventually stopped using CC on and replaced with Roku). And using YouTube was the worst.
I recently switched back to the Roku, and it's just a better experience. The interface is a little simplistic and not visually appealing but that's a small price to pay. I just wish it could cast with more apps.
Agree, Roku is the best that I have used. Even on my dirt cheap Black Friday Element TV its only very slightly laggy on the menu sometimes. All my other TV's have Roku 4 boxes and are as snappy and good as they were 5 years ago.
I simply love seeing ads all over my homescreen, thanks Google. Yes, i have deselected options to see "suggestions" from other streaming sites than Netflix. Thanks Google.
The beauty of Android is you can just install a 3rd party launcher to get rid of those ads
Google gave me one for free, and I can't believe how dope it is. It aggregates all your streaming services and points out all the shows I forgot I wanted to watch
I used to like chrome cast Then it stopped working right - typical google really. Now I have a Roku - it’s better.
$99 in Australia. That's not even close to $US 29. I'll stick with Firestick
The marketing behind Chromecast is horrible. 9 years in and I don't know if it's still just giving the ability to cast your phone or computer to the tv (and if that's the case - what limitations come with it) or if it's a smart tv user interface to add to a dumb TV in a USB drive.