The successor to Chromecast, Google TV Streamer, will be the first TV device to run Android 14. It will reportedly also switch to a MediaTek chip but lack wireless integration with Nest speakers.
The Google TV Streamer will not be available until next month but we are already learning more details about it from various sources.
You can read our original article on the Google TV Streamer here. Google will also stop making Chromecasts.
Android 14 for TV
At the announcement, Google did not specify the version of the Android TV operating system that the new device will ship with, but Android Authority reports that it will be Android 14 rather than Android 12, which the Chromecast is still running.
The report’s information is based on leaked “kirkwood” firmware intended for the Google TV Streamer. It is based on Android 14 and is still a 32-bit version of Android, despite the Google TV Streamer’s upgraded hardware.
Android TV 14 includes new features such as Energy Modes, Matter/Thread home hub support, Picture-in-Picture for home cameras, a 'Find My Remote' feature, and more.
Google skipped Android 13 for TV devices. There is still no word about when the existing Chromecasts with Google TV will receive Android 14.
MediaTek inside
A more surprising revelation is that the Google TV Streamer will reportedly switch from an Amlogic chipset to a MediaTek chipset, specifically the MT8696, according to Android Authority.
The CPU in the MediaTek MT8696 is 22% faster than the CPU in the 4K version of Chromecast with Google TV from 2020, according to Google.
MT8696 is the same chipset used in Amazon's FireTV Stick 4K Max from 2021, although Google's device will have more RAM and storage capacity. It supports AV1 video decoding in addition to HEVC (H.265), VP9 and MPEG4 (H.264).
The Google TV Streamer has USB-C, Ethernet and HDMI ports. Photo: Google
More tidbits
Since the announcement, Google has also confirmed to 9to5Google that the Google TV Streamer supports external USB storage devices with a dongle and likely also a USB hub.
The dongle or hub must support power-over-USB as Google TV Streamer draws power via its sole USB-C port. Other external USB devices such as game controllers, keyboards and mice should also work.
On the other hand, the Google TV Streamer still does not support using Nest wireless speakers for audio output as an alternative to an HDMI-wired soundbar or receiver. This is something that both Amazon FireTV and Apple TV 4K can do with the Alexa and HomePod speakers, respectively, even pulling TV audio via HDMI eARC from devices connected to the TV via HDMI, such as game consoles.
The missing Nest integration is a strange omission considering that the Google TV Streamer can be added to speaker groups in Google Home. In 2020, Google promised to bring wireless 'home theater' pairing to its Nest speakers together with Chromecast, but the feature has yet to arrive for unknown reasons.
The Google TV Streamer will be available starting September 24 for $100.
- Source: Android Authority (2), 9to5Google (2)
