Chromecast 4th Generation – Test

A complete TV box at a low price.

June 21 2022, 14:53

Reading time 6 minutes

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Chromecast is Nine years, and for the first time in nine years it was now something completely different. Before, it was a very affordable power plug that you plug into your TV and control with your mobile phone. Without a mobile phone, he was helpless.

But in its fourth generation, the biggest change yet occurs. Chromecast becomes a standalone broadcast medium with its own remote control. Now you no longer need your mobile phone. Although what tradition believes makes everything much easier if you have one.

The price is still in a very acceptable corner. You will have to bring about 800 kroner – which is much more expensive than the 300-400 kroner that the first generation often costs, but not far from the more expensive tops, including the first 4K version of the Chromecast cost. We’re still talking about less than half the price of an Apple TV, for example.

It is worth every penny.

Chromecast’s initial setup is relatively easy. Especially if you already have Google Home-based equipment. For example, if you have one Nest Hub, or similar smart display in the home.

The procedure is carried out in the Google Home application on the phone, as usual – or using the remote control directly on the screen.

Besides the fact that your Google account and WiFi passwords are something you type using a remote control that only has a few buttons, you can do well without your mobile phone. Now it’s enough for most Chromecast buyers not to use it entirely without a mobile phone, but the flexibility is great.

In particular, it’s nice to be able to control it remotely if something causes it to cut itself, as it can sometimes happen with an automatic setup.

The Chromecast itself has grown in size. It’s now the size of a very small prom pad, only with an HDMI connector instead of a balloon spout on the end. Despite its increased size, it’s still small enough to hide behind most TVs and monitors, at least the “need” screens, since flat screens are often smart anyway.

For most of the testing period, I hid the Chromecast in the cable slot on my computer screen that was suddenly a TV for the occasion.

Admittedly, I wasn’t able to watch in 4K on that exact screen, which the new version supports as well as the previous versions, but I did get an HDR picture and 60fps. In terms of quality, there’s nothing to complain about the images Chromecast delivers – not even when I hooked it up to a 4K-capable Samsung TV.

The remote control is a small claw with relatively few buttons. Below are special buttons for Google Assistant, YouTube and Netflix. In addition, there is a circular direction button with a radio button in the middle, a back button, a home button and a mute button.

Also included are buttons that turn on and off the connected TV or gadget, and select the input. This also means that in practice, you’ll rarely need more than just the remote on your TV table to launch Chromecast, start your TV and be instantly able to choose the content you’re looking for.

Finally, the volume buttons are located on the right side of the remote control, which will be able to control the TV speakers or other connected speakers.

The remote control is small and easy to hold in your hand. It’s also easy to get used to, although it’s a bit odd that such a power-oriented product doesn’t have a handy start/pause button.

It appears to be connected via Bluetooth, as is the Apple TV remote control, because although there is an infrared eye on the front, it also works when the Chromecast is locked inside a tray.

I might think it feels a little light and plastic in the hand, but it does exactly what I need it to, and it doesn’t feel “unhealthy” or amazing deals – at least not for the price.

Chromecast has a good selection of apps available to it. But somewhat similar to Google’s investment in cars, Google TV bears the mark of being a solution built for one specific thing; flow.

This is after all about a complete mobile phone, without the screen, but with the remote control. It should be able to do most of what a mobile phone can do, including playing games. Some alternative apps are also available for Chromecast and Google TV, but they are not very many and not easy to find.

While streaming apps are everywhere.

On the plus side of this is that the vast majority of regular services are in place. In addition, there are things like browsers, some games, and more general applications.

But there’s still a long way to go before the Chromecast gets any closer to the Apple TV, which could have a part-time job as a game console with a slew of supported games on the App Store.

Nine years ago, smart TVs were in their infancy. A lot of them still have stupid flat screens. I also suspect some are still stuck in the old fat screens from another ten years. In such a reality, there is a tool that makes it easy to send content from mobile phone to TV instantly.

But this is not quite the reality we live in today. Today, most flat screens are smart, so it can be hard to see why a product like this exists.

However, it is not entirely illogical. Smart TVs are eventually getting old fashioned, and a TV that is five to eight years old might be fine to watch, but it’s not smart by today’s standards. Then it’s good to be able to “update” it by tapping on your Chromecast.

The second point is things like monitors and computer monitors that you want to give a secondary task when your computer is turned off. Be a TV, please.

But the small downside here is that Chromecast, like many power boxes, doesn’t support typical computer screen resolutions, especially 1440p, which many computer monitors still have as a compromise — especially if quick updates and games are on the list. Fortunately, most of these monitors support 4K input, which Chromecast provides.

It’s good for screens that weren’t TVs before that you can send audio via Bluetooth.

Chromecast has finally become a product that makes your TV totally smart. This is at a time when more and more TVs are getting high-end smart systems, but the pictures are still holding up well. This is the next logical step for one of the most popular Google tools next to Android phones.

If you’ve ever met a Google TV, you’ve met everyone on your own. For example, if you’ve used a new brand of Sony TV, you know exactly what you want with this year’s new Chromecast.

But 800 kroner is much cheaper than buying a new TV, when only the processor and software are in the paddles.

In terms of price, it’s a solution in an area where we’re used to feeling like a medium-sized Android TV, but costs about half an Apple TV. With less versatility than the Apple box, it’s naturally cheaper – but it’s a lot cheaper like this, while so good after all, it’s worthy of admiration.

If you want an easy and cheap way to “defend” your TV or computer monitor, this is a great way. It’s also always safer when it’s Google itself that takes action rather than choosing one of the many streaming devices from lesser known players running Google’s software

You who already have an updated TV, game console, or Apple TV that you don’t need. For everyone else, it’s okay to keep them in mind until the day you need them.

June 21 2022, 14:53