12/30/2023 0 Comments Purchase chromecast dongle![]() ![]() It's a dongle that plugs into your TV's HDMI port and delivers HDR10, HDR10+, 4K and Dolby Vision HDR, and Dolby Atmos sound. Google's new Chromecast with Google TV - which was released September 2020 - is the updated streaming device that replaces the original Chromecast. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Sometimes slow when changing apps or using voice control.The new Chromecast is available to purchase online now for $35 (or your local currency equivalent). But for now, there’s no immediate rush to upgrade. Looking to the future, the benefits of the upgraded hardware should become apparent, with “Fast Play” and better support for games added to the mix. The only real difference from a feature point of view, for now, is that Chromecast 2 works with Spotify, but, as noted, this compatibility will be extended to the first version too in a matter of weeks. Of course, if you have issues with buffering on your current Chromecast, and have 802.11ac Wi-Fi in your home, that alone may make an upgrade worthwhile. However, I’ve not identified any real discernible difference from a usability or functionality perspective. If you don’t already have a Chromecast, then it’s a no-brainer that you’d want to procure the second version of the device - it’s the same price and generally slicker than its predecessor. Time will only tell whether the new Chromecast can deliver as a serious gaming platform. There are functional trade-offs, for sure, between the Chromecast and Apple TV, but money certainly talks. Apple too is targeting gamers, but the Chromecast costs $35 and the cheapest new Apple TV is $149. GamingĪt its big launch event last week, Google revealed that gaming will become a bigger part of the Chromecast experience - you will be able to beam games such as Angry Birds from your phone to the big screen and use your phone as a controller, with live split-screen racing available for you and your buddies to compete. However, it’s worth noting here that support will soon be added for the old Chromecast, too. Though Google also launched a new standalone Chromecast device specifically for your home music system, the main Chromecast unit itself already supported a number of audio-streaming services and apps, including TuneIn, Deezer, and Rdio.Īs of last week, Spotify has jumped onboard, too - though this only works on the new version of the Chromecast, for now, which will be a big selling-point for those considering an upgrade. ![]() With more content coming out at 4K quality, this could be a deal-breaker for some. It’s also worth noting that the new Chromecast still only supports 1080p video, not 4K such as the new Roku or Amazon Fire TV devices. But I’ve never noticed any real issue on that front anyway, so this fixes a problem that simply didn’t exist for me. So if buffering is a big problem for you, then this may fix it. It also supports dual-band 802.11ac wireless networking standard, which should make it more reliable if you live in a congested area with lots of people battling for bandwidth, as the Chromecast 2 can switch between the 2.4GHz and 5Ghz frequency. The first such integrations are expected to arrive in 2016. The new version of Chromecast supports a feature called “Fast Play” which will be opened to developers like Netflix imminently, offering content-caching to preload programs it thinks you may wish to view next. But this is something that will likely change over time. Certainly, I did a straight swap from version 1 to version 2, and I’ve not observed any real difference in performance, with apps and programs taking exactly the same amount of time to load and play. But is there actually anything different going on under the hood of the new Chromecast? Yes, there is - but you may not notice the change. With your Chromecast “on,” launch a compatible video or audio app, tap the little cast icon on the top right, and you should be good to go. ![]()
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