When you think about it, it's not really surprising that media-streaming devices that simply plug-in to your TV have been such a runaway success - what is not to like about this equation? You keep your existing TV, you use the same accounts and services you're already subscribed to, and with a low-cost piece of hardware suddenly merge it all together, viewing all your favourite content on the big screen in your living room.
We heard a while back that Google was hard at work on a second-gen Chromecast device for media streaming, and subsequently reports came into circulation on September 18 confirming the rumour as truth.
Google officially confirmed a follow-up to 2013’s Chromecast during its big Android Marshmallow event on September 29. As expected, it is called Chromecast 2 and, as early rumours pointed out, it features a remarkably different design -- it’s now a circular HDMI dongle. But there was another device too, one called Chromecast Audio, and this one is designed to allow users to stream music to any stereo system -- old or new -- by connecting to it via the auxillary port (more on this later).
Chromecast users have tapped the cast button 650 million times. That’s up from 400 million at the Google I/O in June. Queiroz said there are also currently 6,000 developers working on over 10,000 apps for the Google Cast ecosystem.
This is why Google has completely redefined Chromecast, adding in faster connectivity for better streaming. The Big G has also packed the new streaming device with a bunch of new features, including a new mobile application for iOS and Android. Google describes the Chromecast application as your home for accessing all of Chromecast’s new and innovative content options.
I love Chromecast. Everybody I know has one and they all love it too -- and who wouldn’t!? It’s cheap and possibly the easiest means of turning your boring HDTV into a media-streaming Smart TV complete with support for Netflix, YouTube, BBC iPlayer and a raft of other compatible applications which you run via your phone, web browser or tablet.
Chromecast is VERY popular. Partly because it works cross-platform with Android and iPhone, but mostly because of the price -- at just $30 it is an absolute bargain. It's a similar story in the UK where the dongle costs just £30. The next version of Chromecast is now available and it goes by the name of Chromecast 2 -- see what they did there? The device itself looks A LOT better than its predecessor, costs the same and features a neat selection of improvements.
Is it all too good to be true, or has Google hit the nail on the head once again with the Chromecast 2. Let’s bloody well find out shall we?
Chromecast 2 Review: Design
The old Chromecast was butt-ugly. It looked like a USB stick from 2005 with its chunky, plastic body. Nobody said anything about this though because 1) it was so damn cheap and 2) it spent most of its time hidden away around the back of your HDTV or, in the case of mine, sticking out the side of it.
The BIG idea behind Chromecast was to get people Casting, not to win design contests. With this target now well and truly smashed, Google can now move onto the next phase of Chromecast’s evolution: a big old redesign and lots of improvements to its hardware and functionality.
As you can see below, the new Chromecast is a hell of lot better looking than its predecessor. I mean, it doesn’t even look like the same gizmo with its round chassis and fancy Chromecast logo embellished on the side. Setup is identical to the original Chromecast’s -- you plug it into your HDTV via HDMI, attach the mini-USB cord for power, switch your TV onto the correct channel and configure the device from your phone or tablet.
There’s really nothing else to the design of the Chromecast 2 and what you see is basically what you get. The device functions in exactly the same way as before and features all the same ports and connectivity options. Save for the outer design, the Chromecast 2 is a very familiar beast. That is until you begin using it and you realise just how many improvements Google has implemented...
Chromecast 2 Review: Specs & Performance
For the sake of brevity you can check out the full specs for the Chromecast 2 below:
- dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz support
- 802.11ac support
- triple-adaptive antenna
- HDMI connectivity
- Fast Play and gaming support
- Colors: Black, Coral and Lemonade
The BIG deal here is twofold: 1) Google has dramatically improved the radios inside Chromecast 2, meaning faster and more reliable connectivity, and 2) support for Fast Play and Gaming, which means you get to watch content A LOT quicker than before and, should the mood take you, play mobile games on your HDTV’s big screen.
All of the above is well and good, but what does this feel like in real-world testing? Simple: it feels a lot bloody faster. In our side-by-side tests, the Chromecast 2 loaded 1080p content from Netflix and YouTube in around 2 seconds, while the older model can sometimes take up to 20 seconds. It is A LOT faster and this is palpably obvious from the moment you start using it.
Basically, Chromecast 2 is A LOT faster and A LOT better than the original version. Everything has been improved, both inside and out, and the end result is really very impressive. But the best part for me has to be the price -- it’s the same as before, making this thing an absolute STEAL.
Basically, Chromecast 2 is A LOT faster and A LOT better than the original version. Everything has been improved, both inside and out, and the end result is really very impressive. But the best part for me has to be the price -- it’s the same as before, making this thing an absolute STEAL.
Chromecast 2 Review: New Capabilities
Chromecast 2 has quite a few new tricks up its sleeve. It now does mirroring, just like Apple TV, and the Chromecast App for iPhone and Android has been vastly improved with a new design and a very useful Universal Search function that makes finding pretty much anything really easy.
Mirroring worked great, both on 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks. Ditto Casting video from our web browser on both the iMac, MacBook Air and Chromebook Pixel. I do most of my casting from my phone, so mirroring isn’t something I do a lot, but it is very handy having it around for when you want to pull content from your PC, phone or tablet on the big screen.
Please note, though: mirroring and casting are different. Casting sends the video from your PC, phone or tablet to your HDTV and once the Cast has started you can then begin doing other tasks on your PC, phone or tablet. All mirroring does is send whatever’s on your PC, phone or tablet’s display straight to the HDTV, hence the name: mirroring.
Chromecast 2 Review: There's ALSO Chromecast Audio
Google started something BIG with Chromecast, turning dumb TV sets into wirelessly connected, smart TVs. It was a bold move and plenty of people got onboard with the concept from the get-go; mostly because it was cheap as hell and partly because it was simple to use and supported things like Netflix, iPlayer, YouTube and Hulu at launch. To date The Big G has shipped more than 20 million Chromecast units. Not bad.
Now, though, Google wants to do EXACTLY the same thing with your old, dusty speakers. Chromecast Audio works in exactly the same manner as Chromecast: you plug it into your speakers via the AUX port and then simply fling music from your phone or tablet to the speaker. BOOM, you’re done. This is such a cool idea. I love it. Also, why the hell hasn’t it been done before?
Chromecast Audio costs $35, so it’s cheap as chips. And if you’ve got a set of very good, but rather old speakers knocking about, well, this little beauty will bring them well and truly back into the 21st century.
Chromecast 2 Review: Verdict
Cheap. Easy to use. Useful. The original Chromecast was all of these things and more, so improving on this was always going to be a challenge. Fortunately, Google has absolutely SMASHED it with the Chromecast 2, leaving alone the core experience of Chromecast and simply refining the exterior and adding in A LOT more power under the hood.
The main difference in how it functions, though, is speed: the new Chromecast is rapid compared to its first-generation counterpart and this is down to tri-band antenna and better Wi-Fi connectivity -- it has three antennas versus the original’s Chromecast’s single antenna. Content loads faster, the device itself crashes less and performance, across the board is A LOT more consistent. Basically, everything that needed improving, fixing and/or updating has been. Nothing has been left to chance here.
The Chromecast 2 is perfect in almost every single way. I use it everyday for a myriad of things and couldn’t imagine life without it. Basically, if you don’t have a Smart TV and subscribe to Netflix (or Amazon or any other VOD service) you NEED the Chromecast 2 in your life. Nothing else comes close or is anyway near as good at this price point.
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