Ultra-defined viewing with this handy gadget
Binge-watch away with Google’s nifty new Chromecast and its cool bonus features
It was only a few years ago that tech firms, big and small, were telling us TV was changing and we’d be watching more of our favourite TV and videos on tablets. Many of us tried it but it soon became clear that the TV was still the king of the sitting room. The battle for how we watch TV, though, is heating up and big names like Microsoft, Amazon and Apple are all vying to be the portal for what you watch on TV with their smart TV boxes.
Also in the race is Google, which has launched a new version of its digital media player, the Chromecast Ultra. The original Chromecast was an ideal way to upgrade your not-sosmart TV with smart functions that let you cast content from your phone, tablet or laptop on to your TV. This latest version has added 4K video and HDR for casting high-quality content or streaming 4K movies from a service such as Netflix.
Unpacking the box reveals the puck-shaped gadget, a power cable and an adapter, with a built-in Ethernet socket. The 1.6oz gizmo’s body is magnetic so after I connected it to one of the HDMI ports on my TV, I was able to position it unseen and out of the way on the back of the TV. The device needs to be connected to your home network – and Wi-Fi is the easiest method, but given that 4K movies can be large, I found the built-in Ethernet port on the power adapter the best option.
I downloaded the Google Home app which puts all the compatible apps in one place and suggests other content to try. Getting the device up and running is a snap – and in five minutes I was ready to start watching. This gadget is compatible with iOS and Android phones and tablets. YouTube was the obvious place to start. Standard and HD content looked good so next I tried Netflix. This looked great with really rich deep colours, and no lagging or sync issues. YouTube and Netflix are the only options for 4K content but there are plenty of other content options with the Ultra. Spotify is there, as is TuneIn Radio, EuroSport, Red Bull TV, Google Play Movies and Music – and there are games like Just Dance Now and Angry Birds Go.
The Chromecast Ultra works brilliantly but so did the last version, which is half the price. The promise of this device is 4K and HDR video but the content is limited to Netflix and YouTube. Given a lot of us have smart TVs with 4K and HDR capabilities that have Netflix and YouTube apps built in, I’m not too sure how popular this gadget will be.