The emergence of streaming providers such as Netflix and Amazon has certainly changed the way we consume TV. Nowadays, on-demand content is a must-have for most of us, and Smart TVs have grown in popularity as a result. However, the gold standard for Smart TV operating systems has arguably been Android TV—the official version, not the open source Android-based set-top boxes that are also widely available.
The easiest, most affordable way to get Android TV is probably the Mi TV Stick. Much like the Mi Box S, Xiaomi’s dongle allows you to have the entire Android TV experience on any TV—so long as it have a HDMI port, that is. And now, Google looks like it’s wading into the full Android TV dongle discussion. According to Winfuture, the search engine giant is set to announce the Chromecast with Google TV dongle—presumably, an answer to the Mi TV Stick.
Google TV is reportedly the name that the company plans to rebrand Android TV with, and the dongle will have “full-fledged” streaming capabilities with a “revised” Android TV interface. You’ll also have access to the Google Play Store, and a library of apps that are specifically designed for the OS.
Based on the images, you’ll need to have an additional USB port to power the Chromecast with Google TV dongle, while a simple remote will feature a dedicated Google Assistant button, as well as shortcuts to YouTube and Netflix. On the back of the dongle, there is a status LED and a reset button, just like Google’s other Chromecast dongles.
As for internals, the Chromecast with Google TV has a quad-core AMLogic S905X2 chipset, along with 2GB of RAM. The report also refers to a “small” amount of storage space, although a specific capacity isn’t mentioned. In all probability, I expect to see storage space of around 8GB—not enough to really store that much content, but enough for apps and, of course, the OS itself.
There also isn’t any mention of the maximum resolution supported by Google’s upcoming dongle. For example, the Mi TV Stick only supports up to Full HD resolution, although you can get a 4K-ready alternative in the pricier (and bulkier) Mi Box S.
The move shouldn’t come as a surprise. Google’s Android TV OS has long been the platform of choice for many, and it makes sense to release a native-branded dongle for users with non-Smart TVs. Amazon, for example, as released a bunch of Fire TV-compatible devices, while Apple has the Apple TV box.
Much of its success will also depend on the pricing of the Chromecast with Google TV. According to the report, pricing will range from EUR 50 (~RM244) to EUR 100 (~RM488), although this isn’t confirmed news by any means. In any case, a launch is expected towards the tail-end of September 2020, so keep your fingers crossed for an affordable launch price.
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