Similar product that costs 4 times as much and has AI features…
Comment on Google is discontinuing the Chromecast line
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 3 months ago
In place of the Chromecast, the company will offer the newly announced $99.99 Google TV Streamer,
They’re replacing it with a very similar product. Nothing to see here.
Thann@lemmy.ml 3 months ago
Telodzrum@lemmy.world 3 months ago
The low-power streaming box is dying. It’s not completely without reason, 4k playback is actually a bit demanding.
We are in a place where the 2017 nVidia Shield is beginning to show its age and that leaves the AppleTV as the only powerful and capable consumer set top box on the market. This new option from Google will at least provide some competition and an option outside of Apple’s ecosystem.
DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 months ago
I cannot believe NVIDIA has essentially abandoned its SHIELD micro console line. My Shield Pro has been an amazing sideloading fiend.
Telodzrum@lemmy.world 3 months ago
I absolutely love mine, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t stutter sometimes when asked to perform more demanding tasks. The chip is also going to start having issues with formats in the coming years. I’d love for nVidia to put out something that used a rival to the A15 in Apple’s box. Native M1 decoding and just raw speed is really needed to catch up to use cases in 2024 compared to 7 years earlier.
Evilcoleslaw@lemmy.world 3 months ago
This $100 box from Google runs on the same SoC as the $50 streaming box from Onn (Walmart). The only major differences are the Google box as 4GB of RAM vs 3GB, a 1Gb Ethernet port instead of 100Mb (both have WiFi 6), and the Google box has a USB Type C port for power/data and would need an OTG adapter/hub while the Onn box has a Type A and a barrel plug for power.
Telodzrum@lemmy.world 3 months ago
TBH, the biggest issue there is the 100Mb port on the cheaper box. That is actually too low to stream a quality high-bitrate video file.
balder1991@lemmy.world 3 months ago
woelkchen@lemmy.world 3 months ago
They’re replacing it with a very similar product. Nothing to see here.
Like they do with messengers every couple of years.
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 3 months ago
Or music streaming apps.
lemming741@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Seemed monthly at one point 🤣
cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 months ago
and before that they already replaced it with google tv with chromecast
avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 3 months ago
Caught on the clickbait, hook, line and sinker.
LaggyKar@programming.dev 3 months ago
A more expensive, clunkier product, with a bunch nog needless fluff in it.
DampSquid@feddit.uk 3 months ago
Enshitification 101
NegativeInf@lemmy.world 3 months ago
You mean twice the ram (1 gig more than the shield), 4 times the storage (32 gigs), and a better remote (chirping find my remote feature, programmable button, and less shitty volume buttons)?
Yep. Sure sounds worse considering it also supports all the same features of the chromecast 4k and AV1 decoding.
wewbull@feddit.uk 3 months ago
My Chromecast has no storage and no remote. It’s fine.
NegativeInf@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Cool. Keep using it.
LaggyKar@programming.dev 3 months ago
None of which changes the fact that it’s more expensive and clunkier, and none of which feels necessary.
variants@possumpat.io 3 months ago
I don’t need any of that. I just need a cheap dongle that can run one app
MeatsOfRage@lemmy.world 3 months ago
The dongle still works. They reached market saturation with people who just want a dongle. They can’t realistically be expected to produce these forever.
moody@lemmings.world 3 months ago
Most of the appeal of the Chromecast is that it’s a dongle you plug in once and never have to see again. It doesn’t need high performance and 32 gigs of RAM. It needs to play video. That’s its entire purpose. It’s controlled by any phone on your wifi, it doesn’t need a remote.
For most users, this is an expensive downgrade.
jeena@piefed.jeena.net 3 months ago
The remote was the biggest upgrade for me on the Ultra though. I always struggled to find my phone and do stuff on it just to watch some YouTube or Netflix videos. And the Kids don't even have a phone and they want to watch on the TV in the livingroom too sometimes. With the remote it's easy for everyone to use it without fiddling with the Phone.
My parents have the one without the remote and they basically never use it because my mom doesn't have a mobile phone and my dad newer has it with him, it's always not charged or in some other room.
kent_eh@lemmy.ca 3 months ago
Or you can use it’s remote and not need to use your phone for absolutely every little thing.
Tanoh@lemmy.world 3 months ago
And ethernet port!
NegativeInf@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Yes! I hadn’t seen that highlighted anywhere in articles really, only saw it on the damn Google Store after looking just now.
Seems an all around solid update on the previous device.
LaggyKar@programming.dev 3 months ago
You can get an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast
woelkchen@lemmy.world 3 months ago
Regular Chromecast work perfectly as YouTube jukebox.
NegativeInf@lemmy.world 3 months ago
What do you mean regular Chromecast?
Evilcoleslaw@lemmy.world 3 months ago
It’s also twice the price of the Onn 4k Pro (Walmart house brand) that’s built on the same chip and has the same features running the stock Google TV experience.
sanpo@sopuli.xyz 3 months ago
They’re supposedly using pretty much the same chipset. So the most important part is still underpowered, these Android boxes generally work fine even with 2-3GBs of RAM.
NegativeInf@lemmy.world 3 months ago
From OP article
fraksken@infosec.pub 3 months ago
For which they will be able to offer subscriptions in a year or 2.
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 3 months ago
Now with AI!
I’m not sure why they didn’t just call it the chrome cast gen whatever though.
MagicShel@programming.dev 3 months ago
So you could just ask it for anything and it could make it up?
“Google, show ‘Ow! My Balls!’”
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 3 months ago
I wonder how far away we are from AI being able to create video on demand like that?
Natanael@slrpnk.net 3 months ago
Or literally just reuse the Android TV name