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For houses with multiple streaming devices, and those with video game consoles, this helps you avoid the need for your TV's remote control — to try and reduce clutter. Both a Chromecast Audio and a Google Home Mini are an inexpensive way to make it happen, but there are some differences that will make a difference with how each product works for you. Deciding between Chromecast with Google TV vs Fire TV Stick 4K isn't easy — but mostly because they are extremely similar streaming devices. They cost the same, stream at the same video and audio quality and come with voice-enabled remotes. A successor to the company's Streaming Stick Plus, the new Roku Streaming Stick 4K is very similar to that popular and excellent streaming device.
He has been covering consumer technology for over a decade and previously worked as Managing Editor at XDA-Developers. Joe loves all things technology and is also an avid DIYer at heart. He has written thousands of articles, hundreds of tutorials, and dozens of reviews. This brings us to the confusingly named Chromecast with Google TV. It’s not really a Chromecast in the way we described above. Rather, it includes a physical remote and an actual interface on the TV.
Best overall streamer: Roku Streaming Stick 4K
Although the picture quality isn’t as good as some other formats, such as Dolby Vision, it provides more lifelike images than SDR video. You can use your voice to control key functions of the device and you can easily access your device without pushing any button. Use other Google Assistant-enabled devices to control your TV with your voice. See what the world is watching - from the hottest music videos to what’s popular in gaming, fitness, movies, and more. Although it’s double the cost of the standard Chromecast, the Chromecast with Google TV is a big upgrade and worthy investment. You get better visual performance with the adoption of 4K HDR and Dolby Vision/HDR10+.
There is no real need for Google Home to have installed apps, necessarily. It doesn’t have YouTube or Google Play music installed and can begin a casting session just fine. One of the greatest features of Home is the ability to cast content with only your voice, and while there are quite a few things you can do, there are plenty of limitations for the time being. To do this, tap or click the Cast icon in a mobile app or Chrome browser.
Chromecast vs. Fire TV Stick 4K Max: Remote Controls
And this list extends to Google Assistant which is the backbone of the software running on Home. All you have to do is say, “Hey Google, play Uptown Funk from Play Music on (fill in your Chromecast’s name).” That’s it. Additionally, you can tell Google Home to play, pause, stop, turn up or down volume and mute playback.

The height represents the vertical dimension of the product. With more ports you can achieve increased bandwidth across a LAN, or connect to multiple networks. It also has the added benefit of not losing connection to the network if one fails. Wi-Fi 6E was announced in 2020 and has several advantages compared to Wi-Fi 6. In addition to the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, it can operate on the 6GHz band, which provides faster speeds and extremely low latency.
Chromecast vs Chromecast with Google TV — Price
It can handle input, power and volume control for your TV and all the plastic buttons are clicky and responsive with dedicated keys for Netflix and YouTube. It has a mic, and a color-shifted button for summoning Google Assistant. Another reason why this comparison is close in this area is in the track record.
Another anomaly is that the power button is at the bottom of the remote. There are only two direct access buttons—for YouTube and Netflix— and the audio controls are on the side . Anyone with a 4K TV has an easy time making this choice.
In the case of the new Chromecast, it's activated by Google Assistant; for the Fire TV Stick 4K, it's Alexa. But when it comes to the basics, Roku's interface is cleaner, easier and faster. The company's strong reputation for supporting older devices is worth taking into account as you probably will hold on to whichever streamer you buy for at least the next couple of years.

It has the same supersimple interface, has a robust selection of apps and streaming services, supports 4K HDR and does a great job keeping its platform updated. While this new model finally adds support for Dolby Vision, voice support on Roku's platform lags behind rivals. On the other hand, Chromecast is Google’s own media streaming adapter. It's a hardware dongle that can be plugged into any TV’s HDMI port and turn it into a smart, streaming device.
The new HD version also doesn't support Dolby Vision HDR, but it does come with support for HDR10 and HDR10+. You'll have to check which HDR protocols your specific TV supports to see if that matters for you. A 32-bit operating system can only support up to 4GB of RAM.
If you want casting abilities and an on-screen menu you can navigate, you want Google TV. Chromecasts were traditionally much cheaper, hovering around $30 range, while Android TV devices went for $100 or more. When you purchase through our links we may earn a commission. Camera users can now choose to include video clips when submitting feedback on camera events. Safety starts with understanding how developers collect and share your data.
You can simply say "Hey, Google, play The Beatles" and Google Home Mini will be able to find music by the Beatles through whatever streaming service you've set up and play it back. You can also adjust the volume, skip tracks, or tell it to stop without using another device. Chromecasts are also handy for parties or groups because anyone can connect to your Wi-Fi network and cast content to your TV. Many apps also include a queue feature so people can add videos to a list, and then watch them in order. See all the active audio and video streams on your compatible home devices in one place, change the volume, skip to the next track, or quickly change which speakers they’re playing from.
Control your privacy on Google Assistant with your voice. Ask questions like “Where can I change my privacy settings? ” to get answers to the most common privacy and security questions.
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