Google Discontinues Chromecast, Launches New Google TV Streamer

TapTechNews August 7th news, Google announced on Tuesday that it is discontinuing its streaming media device Chromecast. After more than ten years of competing in the market, this series of products will finally bid farewell to the historical stage.

The Chromecast is a small receiver device that can be plugged into the HDMI interface on the back of the TV to wirelessly transmit the streaming media content on a computer or other device to the TV.

Google said that although the Chromecast device will be removed from the shelves after the inventory is sold out, the company will still provide software and security updates for newer products. The specific model has not been announced. The Chromecast with Google TV released in 2022 is the latest product in this series.

Google pointed out that since the first-generation Chromecast was launched in early 2013, technology has made great leaps. The company has deeply embedded the GoogleCast technology into millions of TV devices, including Android TV. Nowadays, Google is exploring new possibilities of streaming media devices based on the same Chromecast technology to further enhance the functions of smart TVs.

As a replacement for Chromecast, Google launched the new streaming media device Google TV Streamer priced at $99.99 (TapTechNews note: currently about 715 RMB), which will go on sale on September 24. Compared to Chromecast with Google TV, this device has a significant improvement in configuration, with the processor speed increased by 22% and supporting the Thread and Matter protocols.

Although the Google TV Streamer is a significant upgrade to Chromecast and even has the potential to challenge the more expensive Apple Apple TV 4K, the discontinuation of Chromecast is still a pity. The Chromecast with Google TV, which costs only $29.99 (currently about 215 RMB), was once an excellent choice for an entry-level all-round streaming media center.