Google TV Streamer ZDNET's key takeaways The Google TV Streamer is a streaming device that typically sells for $100.
The Google TV Streamer offers beautiful image, fast performance, and the best smart home integrations of any Google streaming device.
It's built for Android users but can work with iOS, with some compromise, and there are only a few audio customization options. View now at Best Buy View now at Google View now at Amazon more buying choices
I've been a cord cutter for over a decade and have cycled through all the major streaming device brands available, from the Google Chromecast to the Roku Streaming Stick to the Fire Stick. As someone with an Apple TV 4K, an unhealthy amount of Fire TVs, a Roku TV, and Roku Ultra, and now a Google TV Streamer running at home, it's safe to say I'm not married to a single smart TV operating system.
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Testing the Google TV Streamer took me back to my Chromecast days in my Android era (shoutout to the Samsung Note 4, forever in my heart). Casting content with Chromecast became second nature back then, so I was excited to try the Google TV Streamer.
I've used Google TV on other devices recently and found the platform lacking, so I was curious to see how the new Google device would perform.
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I was pleasantly surprised to find that the launch of the Google TV Streamer (let's call it the Streamer) coincided with a revamp of the Google TV user experience. If you're unfamiliar with Google TV, its interface is more similar to FireOS than Roku or Apple's tvOS. It features categories arranged in horizontal rows where you can resume watching content, browse apps, or explore recommendations.
Google hasn't done much to declutter the screen of suggested and sponsored content, but it has simplified navigation, made it easier to rearrange apps, and improved the search feature -- especially with voice control through Google.
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