Low-cost Chromecast with Google TV (HD) goes official (and up for grabs) at last
We may earn a commission if you make a purchase from the links on this page.
Google is taking the wraps off a very familiar-looking new Chromecast with 1080p video streaming capabilities and a bundled voice remote, which is by no means unexpected after a steady stream of recent leaks that essentially revealed everything we needed to know about this cool little dongle.
What's a tad surprising is that the search giant did not end up waiting until October 6 for an announcement alongside the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro handsets and the Pixel Watch, substantially boosting our excitement levels for whatever new devices will be added to the "Nest smart home portfolio" instead.
The somewhat contentious US retail pricing matter has ultimately been settled in a most fortunate way too, as the aptly named Chromecast with Google TV (HD) will only set you back $29.99. That's 20 bucks cheaper than the first Google TV-powered version, released a couple of years ago with 4K Ultra HD support, while incredibly undercutting the original $35 price of 2018's "standard" third-gen streamer.
The included remote is obviously the biggest upgrade over said Chromecast (3rd generation) model, and impressively, Google doesn't appear to have downgraded this product in any way compared to the 4K variant... apart from reducing the actual video streaming quality.
Not only does the new Chromecast with Google TV (HD) look virtually identical to its Ultra HD-capable ancestor, also borrowing all of the latter's neat Google Assistant voice tricks and Google TV content-organizing skills. In essence, this thing does everything the higher-end dongle can do... just at $20 less.
You also get only one "classic" Snow color option, at least for the time being, compared to Snow, Sky, and Sunrise flavors for the 4K model, but on the decidedly bright side of things, the freshly unveiled 1080p-supporting streaming device is already up for sale (not just pre-order, mind you) in the US and 18 other countries, with additional regions set to join the availability party at some point in the near future.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: