Google Chromecast 4K Ultra
DOES ADDING ETHERNET MAKE IT A CHROME ‘HALF-CAST’?
GOOGLE’S ORIGINAL CHROMECAST was the gateway drug into the addictive world of streaming TV for many and, considering it’s price and user friendliness, it was just about the best deal for turning your existing TV into a smart TV. Sadly, these golden years have all but gone with the blossoming of the local 4K TV market, since streaming in 4K puts a much heavier burden on your Wi-Fi network and many new TVs will come with their own streaming and catch-up service apps built in, there’s much less demand for a higher specced Chromecast. This dwindling intrigue is compounded by the addition of an Ethernet port in the base of the power cable that will give you the stable internet connection needed to get consistent 4K speeds. While we understand the need for it, it hardly says much for the ‘cast’ element of Chromecast and can be a difficult thing to set up if you’re not using a cookie cutter local Wi-Fi network setup at home. Continuing with the theme that you are the UI, navigating and casting from all your connected apps, it’s also not the most intuitive system for when you just want to vege out on the couch. The price is good enough that a few concessions are acceptable and Google has already done the legwork connecting plenty of streaming apps and catch-up services, but on the whole, the budget bonuses of the Chromecast don’t really line up with the premium experience, 4K TV consumers are looking for.