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Google’s long-awaited “Chromecast with Google TV” with Android TV is almost here. While it won’t be formally announced until next Wednesday, basically everything about the dongle has already been leaked. From specs to pricing to even verbatim how-to videos, we’ve seen pretty much everything there is to watch, minus a full and detailed review.
What will it look like?
In June, our friends at XDA Developers were able to unearth a pre-release firmware version for the dongle and got our first look from it. Since then, the Chromecast and Google TV branding has been leaked along with the new name, and we’ve seen renders and even actual photos showing the dongle, its included Chromecast Voice Remote, and even the product packaging with lots of detail:
When it comes to hardware, the Chromecast with Google TV is a small, not quite oval drive with a USB Type-C port for power and a pendant cable for HDMI output – a fairly familiar layout overall if you’ve used one of the latter. . Chromecasts model. The front has Google “G” branding embossed, and the back has your usual regulatory information, other required labels, an indicator light, and a button (probably to reset).
Based on what we’ve seen most recently, the dongle will come in four colors: Cosmo Blue, Summer Melon, Rock Candy, and Snow.
The included Chromecast Voice Remote, in addition to its own weird brand name, includes a directional navigation pad, back button, Assistant button, home button, mute button, YouTube and Netflix branded app buttons, a TV power button, a button to switch TV inputs, microphone, LED to indicate when it is on and volume controls.
Also included in the box is a power cord (type C to type A), a power adapter and two AAA batteries for the remote control, as well as the expected manual.
Scroll through the Chromecast UI for those who were interested in googlehome
Regardless of the hardware itself, we even have photos and videos of the Chromecast with Google TV in action. Bottom line: it’s Android TV, running Android 10 (not the latest Android 11), and it should support the same apps and services you’d expect, but with a slightly redesigned interface that was leaked earlier this year.
Some of the details have changed since that original leak, but the general design tweaks are still present, with this interface promoting a “content first” mentality (which most people probably see as advertising). At the top center of the “for you” section is a large carousel of promoted content that tries to force you specific streaming services, much more prominent than single tile advertising.
The improved YouTube TV integration was also revealed in a previous leak as part of a “Live” tab, although we haven’t seen it in action; So far, people who have hooked on a software are not YouTube TV subscribers, and that tab is not present for them.
Other changes spotted earlier in the year included smart screen-like Nest alert overlays for people with smart home hardware to take advantage of, plus a new Assistant interface, though we haven’t seen any of that in action yet either.
specs
The detailed specifications for the upcoming Android TV dongle have been guessed from the leaked XDA software images. While it doesn’t compete with more powerful hardware like the Nvidia Shield, it should hold its own when it comes to basic tasks like streaming.
Some of these specifications are based on information dating back to the end of last year and the details may have changed since then.
This chipset has appeared in several other Android TVs and set-top boxes, with the ability to decode H.265 10-bit content up to 4Kp75, output up to 4Kp60 via HDMI2.1, and support for various HDR standards. So far, the leaks haven’t tested which HDR standards the dongle will support, but the hardware itself can do HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Vision.
The chipset also supports HDMI 2.1’s automatic low latency mode, which could allow the Chromecast with Google TV to tell compatible TVs to switch to gaming mode for specific activities. probably hinting at official support for Stadia, Google’s cloud game streaming service, although Google could use it for something else, or it can ignore that hardware support entirely. Keep in mind: initial tests of units already in customer hands indicate that there is no Stadia support beyond existing workarounds so far, although it could be dependent on updates not yet released.
How much will it cost?
50 dollars. While previous Protocol leaks claimed that the dongle should cost around $ 80, the most recent leaks directly from retailers indicate a price tag of $ 50. In fact, some folks already have their hands on the hardware, as some stores like Walmart they missed Google’s September 30 launch date.
That price puts it on equal footing with competitors like the Amazon Fire TV 4K and the Roku Streaming Stick +, though it’s still a lot cheaper than the new (and much more powerful). Pancho Android TV Nvidia Shield shaped like a tube.
When will it come out?
September 30th. That’s when the Google event is, and that’s when the retailers who have the product in stock have told customers that sales will open. Simple as that.
