Google Chromecast may earn your trust as your favorite low budget streaming device, as it did on our list of the best streaming device. It may be simple, but it competes with the other high quality streaming options out there like the Amazon Fire TV Stick, Roku Streaming Stick, and the TiVo Bolt OTA Streaming Device.
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Why We Like It – Google Chromecast 3rd Gen Review
Sometimes simplicity is best, and the third generation Chromecast definitely supports that. The plug-and-play Google Chromecast was one of the leaders in turning TVs into a smart TV, and this third generation continues to work its magic as an effective and low budget way of accessing your favorite streaming services on any TV.
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- Simple, plug-and-play design
- Access to thousands of streaming apps
- Great for YouTube and social watching
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- Cast controls and connection can be finicky
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Performance
This generation Chromecast performs much like its predecessors, in that you can either cast what you want to watch from your favorite streaming services directly or control your viewing experience through the Google Home app. The Google Home app is convenient for utilizing Google content and not much else.
Luckily, anyone with Amazon Prime can now also access Prime Video through the Chromecast, which wasn’t possible for awhile because of a dispute between Google and Amazon Video.
Overall, the Chromecast gets the job done for the most part. Control of playback can be finicky at times, but for the most part it performs as expected.
Design
When using the Chromecast, your phone, computer, or tablet effectively becomes your remote control. This is because you cast everything onto your TV through the Chromecast. It’s a pretty straightforward process, though can be less than ideal if you’re one who likes scrolling through the options on your TV. It can also be distracting to always have to have a device with you while watching.
Basically any TV with an HDMI port will support Chromecast. The Chromecast is powered by USB, so if your TV has a USB port you can also power it through the TV, which is a smart design. It can also work with a micro USB and micro USB port.
Value
As far as streaming devices go, the Google Chromecast 3rd Gen is one of the lowest priced options out there, so it’s a great value. However, as other competitors like Roku and Amazon come out with a wider range of devices (checkout the streaming stick options from both), their prices are also decreasing. If you prefer to have a streaming device that operates on your TV and is controlled by a separate remote, you should look at one of those. The Chromecast, though, is a versatile way to stream content from your devices to your TV.
Google Chromecast 3rd Gen Review Wrap Up
With just an internet connection, you can set up your new Chromecast in minutes and be streaming all the content you want from Google Play, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and more. It’s a great low budget option to turn your TV into a smart TV. And, if you like the experience, you can always upgrade to the Google Chromecast Ultra, which supports higher resolution (up to 4K) and faster processing.
