The $ 50 Chromecast with Google TV was a great launch vehicle for Google’s latest attempt to provide a streaming platform, but by 2022, more and more people were deficient in affordable devices. I’m feeling it. As we reported last week, Google is working on another Chromecast device, but it’s even lower-end. That’s why you need a “flagship” rather.
A quick look back over the past few days, on Friday I reported that Google is working on a new Chromecast device with the codename “Boreal”. Scheduled to be released this year, this device will be in the same family as the current Chromecast “Sabrina” running Google TV.
today, protocol Added to the photo, “Boreal” reports that it will be a cheaper Chromecast model that removes 4K support and lowers entry costs.
Google TV needs an example …
… And the current Chromecast is not
Google TV is a rapidly expanding platform, and the underlying Android TV OS is 30 million devices within a year, When TCL says it sold over 10 million Unit only last year. Chromecast is the beginning of that trend and has actually been well received. Affordable, but not so cheap hardware was enough to showcase Google TV’s capabilities and be a solid content tool for most people.
However, it is not an ideal showcase as an example that other manufacturers should aim to match or beat. Chromecast has its limitations and cannot be fixed by cheaper products.
The biggest problem, We have been quite vocalIs a severely limited storage that cannot be easily expanded. 8GB of storage isn’t enough for home streamers literally designed to integrate streaming apps, and it’s becoming more and more on the market.And this is the problem cheap The product simply does not solve. It’s not easy to think of more storage for devices that run on low-end hardware and are set to sell at a lower price. Unlike Google, you can easily expand your storage by incorporating something like a microSD card slot. ..
Storage, performance, HDR
The problem is cheap product
Can’t just be solved
Another major issue facing Chromecast with Google TV today is performance in a variety of areas. The onboard chip and 2GB of RAM work fine enough for streaming video, but the home screen is often delayed and slowing down elsewhere is not uncommon. This is another problem that low-end devices cannot solve.according to To the latest report, “Boreal” has the Amlogic S805X2 as opposed to the current model Amlogic S905X3. These chips aren’t much different, but lowering the clock speed from 1.9GHz to 1.2GHz on a less powerful GPU doesn’t seem to be the key to success, even if the 4K output is removed from the image.
Elsewhere in performance, there were numerous issues with how Chromecast handled HDR, Dolby Atmos, and other standards. Even if many others are happy with the product as a whole, you don’t have to go far to find someone with a Chromecast problem with a particular setup.
What does the “flagship” Chromecast look like?
Let’s say Google created the flagship Chromecast, what does it bring to the table? Imagine that it’s not an exorbitantly expensive product ($ 100), and there’s plenty of room for Google to improve the overall product.
First of all, there is a storage issue. If you double the price tag, Google has no reason to include storage less than 16-32GB. If Google further adopts a streaming box form factor such as the Shield TV or Apple TV, an easily expandable spare USB port shouldn’t be a problem.
For additional ports, I would like a device with 2-4 full size USB ports so that this device can act as a “console” for cloud gaming.Most people use a Bluetooth controller anyway, but having some built-in ports opens the door to services like Stadia and the Xbox Game Pass (Microsoft said). Release of appropriate Android TV support) Use a super affordable controller for local multiplayer.
Great to see, and something else you’d expect from a “flagship” Chromecast would be more horsepower. Not only does this help with general UI performance and app performance, but it also gives you a little more room for the standards that current devices are struggling with. However, these actually come down to the work of Google’s software and app developers.
At our imaginary $ 100 price, it’s not feasible for Google to put a Tensor chip on this device, but Google can do much better than it does today. Widely used by Amlogic, the S905X04 chip improves AV1 performance and support not found on current Chromecasts. Alternatively, MediaTek offers a variety of chips used in Android TV, which also fulfill their mission. Google needs to balance on this device. It’s nice to have something that directly competes with the Nvidia Shield TV or Apple TV 4K, but for many it’s an exorbitant cost.
Finally, Google wants to buy a more premium remote control. Today’s Chromecast remotes are easy to use and simple in layout, but the “flagship” version allows you to take advantage of better build materials, perhaps metal remotes, or at least something closer to the reference design. I saw it last year And frankly, it was preferred over Google. This improved remote control may provide some more buttons that can be mapped to smart home controls. Focus on the 2022 platform..
But at the same time, a cheaper Chromecast will also work.
You can keep going on why you want to see Google’s truly high-end Google TV streamers, but in fact, cheaper models will probably be a big hit for Google overall.
If the company can land in the price range of about $ 25-30, it will make a killer impulse buying product and probably kill the old, remoteless Chromecast lineup forever — it’s finally time to say goodbye to that product.
Cheap Google TV devices, if done well, can also make Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks and various super-cheap Roku streamers spend money.
In addition, it is important to explore the market for these ultra-cheap streamers. Almost every new TV sold is a smart TV with access to already built-in apps. many People who buy streaming dongles are buying dongles for older smart TVs that are no longer updated. many Older TVs that don’t have any smart features or replace your existing OS.
Android TV OS products are so popular in some international markets, especially in Asia and India, which could further improve the performance of this product outside the US, but not so many Google TV devices. One of Realme comes to mind..
“Boreal” may not be the new Chromecast we want or the flagship product Google TV needs, but it does sell a large number of units.
Still, you can expect a high-end Chromecast … in the end.
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