Set up is simple, with just a few cable connections. It’s a little strange that there’s no HDMI cable in the box, but it’s likely that you’ll have one hanging around the home already. Otherwise, you’ll need to connect this streamer to the mains and connect to your network. I tried both the Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections and found both to be stable, but opting for the wired connection remains my preference.
... I tried both the Ethernet and Wi-Fi connections and found both to be stable
You’ll be invited to sign into your Google account and you’ll have to use the Google Home app to get started. It’s a quick process that will have into the Streamer in no time, but you’ll then have to download and sign-in to any apps you want to use. Google has a slight ecosystem advantage here, because if it recognises that you have passwords saved in your Google account it will let you sign in with just a confirmation for some, without the need to scan QR codes or tap in passwords.
Google TV is a version of Android that’s designed around entertainment, offering access to familiar Android apps. The main home page is a “For You” page that’s centred around recommendations, drawn from all your services, including paid-for content from Google. If you’ve been invested in Google/Android for some time and have existing content, then it’s presented in your Library, although I found my purchases to be presented in a long horizontal line, which doesn’t make for easy navigation.
... I found these often didn’t display the right episode number, but played the right episode when I clicked on them
Further down the For You page you’ll be able to pick up shows you’ve been watching recently, although I found these often didn’t display the right episode number, but played the right episode when I clicked on them.
The operation of Google TV isn’t too dissimilar to Amazon’s Fire TV in terms of navigation. In the same way that Alexa makes the Fire TV Stick operation easier, the same happens here with Google Assistant. That makes it easy to search for content, access the settings, or do anything else that Google Assistant normally offers. That includes playing music, providing information, controlling your smart home devices and everything else.
If you want to access the settings there’s a handy shortcut when you press and hold the home button on the remote, as this opens up the side panel so you can access some of the other features, or just tweak a setting – this also works when playing content, not just from the home pages. This is really useful when you consider that the Google TV Streamer wants to be a smart home hub too.
Google TV Streamer is also a smart home hub
The Google TV Streamer is Matter compatible and can act as a Thread Border Router (TBR). This means that it can connect Thread devices that need a TBR to connect to your network. That’s not so unique: a number of Amazon Echo devices offer this function, as does Apple TV 4K, so if you are thinking of adding Thread devices to your home then it has you covered.
... you can now access those devices through the Google TV interface too, with a neat side panel
Of course, Google Home has long supported diverse smart home devices directly, allowing you to sign into those accounts and have them managed by proxy. If you already have an established smart home, that’s probably the way you set it up (or did the same via Amazon’s Alexa). Once connected, you’ll be able to use devices together and get voice controls via Google Assistant.
Where that’s pertinent to the Google TV Streamer is that you can now access those devices through the Google TV interface too, with a neat side panel. This will show favourite devices, including live video feeds, access to lights to adjust brightness and so on.
While this function made its debut on Google TV Streamer, an update is bringing this to other Google TV environments, so it’s not a unique feature to this device, but it is nice, for example, to be able to start a movie, open the side panel and dim the lights, all on the screen in front of you.
