He Google Chromecast with Google TV It's the top pick in our guide to the best streaming devices as it provides an attractive and detailed interface for browsing apps at an affordable price. If you find the smart platform built into your TV slow or unwieldy and are looking to make a change, Google has started a new sale that drops the 4K streamer to $40.
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This is a 20 percent discount for the first choice in our streaming device buying guide.
Google has applied this discount several times in the past—it's a few dollars more than the lowest price we've seen, but it's still $10 off the device's regular rate. It's also the first major discount Chromecast has received in the new year. The offer is available at several retailers including Amazon, Best Buy, B&H and the Google Store. According to Google listwill last until February 11.
The Chromecast 4K was released back in 2020 and doesn't support Wi-Fi 6 (or 6E), so we wouldn't be surprised to see an update at some point. That said, the existing model is still agile. enough to navigate applications and load content. It supports major streaming services and the most used HDR formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+), as well as Dolby Atmos audio via HDMI pass-through. The dongle plugs directly into a TV's HDMI port and comes with a simple remote that can also control your TV's volume and power (although it lacks a dedicated play/pause button).
But you would buy the Chromecast mainly for its user interface. Instead of presenting a grid of apps like a Roku device, Google TV takes a more content-centric approach, proactively recommending shows and movies you might like based on your viewing history. This works well: recommendations are pulled from a wide range of services, and series you've been watching recently usually rank at the top, making it easy to skip to the next episode. It can also integrate with certain live TV services like YouTube TV and Sling TV to show what's on right from the menu. You can create separate custom profiles for different people, and contextual searches through Google Assistant usually work very well. You'll still see sponsored content, as you do with most streamers, but the advertising here generally isn't egregious as it is on, say, Amazon's Fire TV Sticks.
He Roku 4K streaming device It is another affordable option that we recommend in our buying guide; It's also currently available for $39, although that deal has been around for most of the last two months. Its app-based interface is more basic than Google TV's and generally isn't as accurate as the Chromecast when searching for content. But if you want a transmitter that only shows you apps and doesn't get in the way, it might be a better option. The Roku streamer also supports Apple AirPlay, so you can stream content to it directly from an iPhone. Meanwhile, if you have a lot more money to spend, the $129 Apple TV 4K is faster and less ad-filled than either device, but That It is not significantly discounted at this time.
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