Google TV Streamer (4K) Review – Is It Worth $99?

The Google TV Streamer (4K) has replaced the popular Chromecast with Google TV that’s been in existence since September, 2020.  Here’s my review that covers the good, bad, and everything in between.

If you’re a TROYPOINT Patron be sure to watch my First Impressions Video where I go through setting up and using the new Google TV Streamer.

Google TV Streamer (4K) Features

• Resolution up to 4K
• 32 GB storage
• 4 GB RAM
• Supports HDR 10+, Dolby vision
• Supports Dolby Atmos
• Gigabit Ethernet port
• WiFi 802.11ac
• Bluetooth 5.1
• USB-C power adapter
• Smart home control
• Google Assistant
• Find my remote feature
• Custom remote button

Google TV Streamer (4K) Review

First let me start by say that I’m disappointed that Google will not be offering an upgrade to their line of Chromecast with Google TV.  The Google TV Streamer is replacing it so there is no budget streaming device now being offered by this company.  It’s either $99 or nothing.

The question is whether the Google TV Streamer is worth 99 bucks.  More on that in a bit.

This Google TV Streamer review focuses on what TROYPOINT fans want from a streaming device which you will see outlined below.

Android TV 14

This is one of the few streaming devices that comes equipped with the new Android TV 14 so there may be some applications that don’t work properly.  In my testing I saw some warnings from various apps that all features may not work but never had any problems.

No Bloatware

I love the fact that you can uninstall most applications that you don’t want such as YouTube, Netflix, etc.  In the past, many of these apps were baked into the Android TV operating system and we couldn’t get rid of them.

APK Sideloading

I tested sideloading APKs and it worked as it should which is no surprise since we are using Android TV.  I fired up the TROYPOINT Toolbox on the Google TV Streamer (4K) and I easily sideloaded all of my favorite apps.

Expand Internal Storage

Yes, we can expand internal storage on this device with a USB drive by way of a USB-C OTG cable.  Not sure this is needed now that we have 32GB of internal storage.

3rd Party Launcher Support

I’m happy to report that the Google TV Streamer does support 3rd party launchers so we can get rid of the streaming suggestions and ads!

Smart Home Control

The Google TV Streamer offers the option of controlling our smart home devices from the couch such as dimming lights, etc.  You can control all of your Matter devices and it works with Google Home gadgets as well.

Google TV Streamer 4K Remote Control

The remote control comes with a find my remote feature and custom button.  I like the custom button because we can map it to our favorite application.  The remote also quickly found my TV so I can control the functions of that seamlessly.

Supports Popular Video & Audio Formats

If you’re into the latest and greatest Video/Audio formats then you will be happy with the Google TV Streamer as it supports the most popular ones currently available.

Gigabit Ethernet

This device does come with Gigabit Ethernet which is a surprise considering some other shortcuts that were taken.  To be honest, I would have rather seen a USB-3 port instead.  Do we really need over 100 Mbps when streaming?  Many will definitely like seeing this feature but not sure what benefits will come from it.

Download/Upload Speeds

I used the Analiti Speed test app for testing download & upload speeds on the Google TV Streamer.

I have 1GB Fiber download speed through my ISP so that’s the reason for the fast speeds.

I’m connected to the 5GHz band on my ASUS RT-AX86U Pro WiFi 6 Router. This router resides in the same room as the new Onn 4K Pro (approximately 25 feet away from the wireless router).

I’m using Surfshark VPN as my VPN on Latham Server.

WiFi

Surfshark VPN Off: 420 Mbps Download & 298 Mbps Upload

Surfshark VPN On: 157 Mbps Download & 97 Mbps Upload

Gigabit Ethernet

Surfshark VPN Off: 824 Mbps Download & 624 Mbps Upload

Surfshark VPN On: 196 Mbps Download & 107 Mbps Upload

What I like

• 32 GB storage
• 4GB RAM
• Sideloading works
• Support for 3rd party launchers
• Expanding internal storage works
• Good remote control with nice features
• Snappy and faster than Chromecast with Google TV
• No bloatware
• Updates will be applied to this first more than likely then trickle down to other Android TV/Google TV certified systems
• Support for most video/audio formats

What I Dislike

• High price
• Discontinuation of less expensive Chromecast with Google TV
• No USB port
• No WiFi 6
• Processor could be more powerful, especially for $99

How to Buy Google TV Streamer

You can order this streaming device directly from the Google Website or find in participating stores.

Google TV Streamer (4K) Summary

I’m disappointed that Google didn’t do a better job with this streaming device.  They had 4 years to make this an NVIDIA SHIELD killer and they failed!

I would give this device a better ranking if it sold for the same price as the Chromecast with Google TV ($49).

The only benefit of this device that I see is the fact that you should see Android TV/Google TV updates first on this system.  They have already announced that they will be pushing the same updates down to other certified Android TV/Google TV devices so I suggest saving your money and buying something else such as the Walmart Onn. 4K Pro.

I rank the Google TV Streamer (4K) 3.5 out of 5 stars.

What do you think of this new streaming device?  Tell us in the comments below.