It took a while, but the latest Chromecast is finally officially available in the Netherlands. The Google Chromecast with Google TV was already for sale via detours, but with the official Dutch version, Dutch apps and services are also supported. Is the Chromecast with Google TV a worthy successor to the Chromecast Ultra? You can read it in this review.
Google Chromecast with Google TV
Recommended retail price €69.99
Colour White
OS Google TV
Connections USB-c (Chromecast), HDMI (television)
Image quality 4K Ultra HD, 60 fps
Format 2.4 x 16.2 x 0.5cm 9 Score 90 
- Pros
- Affordable
- Simple installation
- Works with all major streaming services
- Negatives
- Volume buttons on the remote control
Let’s face it: if you already own a Chromecast Ultra and a television with a decent operating system, the new Chromecast isn’t a must-have gadget. For people with an older television, the Chromecast is extremely suitable: as the name suggests, the device comes with a pre-installed version of Google TV, a special version of Android TV. This makes the Chromecast the workhorse, and your TV only needs to be a screen.
Installation
Google is known for its fast, simple integrations with other tools, and the Chromecast with Google TV is the perfect example. After you have plugged the Chromecast into the HDMI port of your television, the installation is one of a kind: connecting to the WiFi network is a breeze and logging into your Google account is almost automatic. Once you have arrived at the hardware part, you only have to select the brand of your television and soundbar from a list. After that, you don’t really need your old remotes anymore. You can walk through the entire installation process in a few minutes.
Installing apps is also simple: you can indicate in a list in advance which apps you want to download. You can also determine the order of apps on your home screen, and remove unused apps.
apps
The Chromecast with Google TV works with all standard streaming apps: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+ and HBO Max, as well as Google’s own services such as YouTube and Stadia. Music apps such as Spotify, Deezer, Tidal and Apple Music are also available.
Now that the new Chromecast has also officially appeared on the Dutch market, services such as NPO Start, NLZiet, Ziggo Go, RTL XL and Videoland are also supported, a major improvement over the unofficial version. Sports enthusiasts can have fun with F1 TV, Viaplay and Eurosport Player. The full list of apps can be found on the Google’s website†
The ease of logging in to the apps varies a bit. Sometimes scanning a QR code is enough, sometimes you have to manually enter your login details, which is a bit inconvenient. Once logged in, this is no longer a problem.
Assistant and Google Home
If you have a Nest Home speaker, the Chromecast is also easy to integrate into your smart home. It is a piece of cake to add the Chromecast via the Google Home app on your smartphone. You can then play music, watch videos, search for series or turn your TV on and off via the app or with voice commands.
The Assistant button on the remote also works properly, although it feels a bit useless to have a hardware button for that, especially if you already have a smart speaker. However, the option does not get in the way, and if you prefer not to have your speaker listen in all day, a physical button is a handy alternative.
Remote control
The Chromecast with Google TV is the first Chromecast with its own remote control – or remote control, because it is not big. On it you will find an on/off button, navigation buttons, volume control, a button for the Google Assistant and shortcuts for YouTube and Netflix. It would have been nice if you could adjust the last two to your liking, but unfortunately that option is not available.
The volume buttons are on the side of the device, which is a bit of an odd choice: you have to grip the remote differently to control the volume. Incidentally, you can of course also do this with the remote control of your television or soundbar. The remote control works on two included AAA batteries.
Image quality and speed
Just like the Ultra, the Chromecast with Google TV supports 4K Ultra HD quality, although your television must of course be able to handle that. HDR is also supported. In terms of audio, the Chromecast works with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital.
During the test period, we did not see a stuttering stream or lower image quality at any time. Even after installing a new modem, the Chromecast was still connected to the network. The interface itself is significantly faster than many television operating systems.
Conclusion
The Chromecast with Google TV is the perfect solution for people with a slightly less smart television. The installation is simple, the interface is fast and logical, and the picture quality is good. It helps if you already use some Google hardware and software, but that is not an absolute must. The remote control is a nice addition compared to the Chromecast Ultra, although the volume buttons could have been in a more logical place.
If you want to turn your television into a really smart TV that supports all known streaming apps for not too much money, then the Google Chromecast with Google TV is the ideal device.
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