Google Chromecast (2015) Review: No 4K Support

Introduction

Google's second generation Chromecast is the successor to the original Chromecast that was released back in 2013. It's being called Chromecast 2015 and comes in three different colors, red, black and yellow. It also comes with a few major hardware improvements that make the Chromecast 2015 easily stand out from the competition.

The new Chromecast 2015 retails for the same low price of $35 which is the same as the original Chromecast and it has the power to transform your TV into a smart TV. It's relatively cheap compared to other streaming devices that are out there and it's geared more toward budget oriented users. When it comes to features, not much has changed so if you are looking for new features, you aren't going to find any.

Google has made the HDMI cable magnetic so you can easily unplug the device and put it into your pocket to bring with you if you are going somewhere where you know there's going to be Wi-Fi. Unlike the original Chromecast where it plugged directly into the HDMI port, Google says that the extra distance between the dongle and TV in Chromecast 2015 will reduce Wi-Fi interference from nearby EMF sources.

The original Chromecast could only be powered from a USB but the new Chromecast can be powered via both AC adapter and USB. Setting it up is quick and easy, download the Chromecast app and use an iPhone or Android and it will show you step by step how to configure it and get it running.

Chromecast 2015's main competetors are the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Roku Streaming Stick. It costs about $10 less and it easily outperforms both competetors thanks to the 802.11ac Wi-Fi. You also need to have an Amazon Prime subsbriction to take full advatange of Amazon Fire TV Stick and Roku Streaming Stick which will end up costing more in the long term.

Google has introduced a new feature that's called Fast Play. This feature will basically cache the next video it thinks you will watch in the background so it will stream much quicker than it did before and according to Google, it will be up to 80% faster.

Design

When it comes to the design, Google has made the Chromecast 2015 with a 4-inch HDMI cable so it's easier to plug into the HDMI port even if you have other devices plugged in which used to be an issue with the original Chromecast. The original came with an HDMI extender but with the new model, the extender is no longer needed. The antennas are wrapped along the interior to make the connection more reliable and maximize reception.

The dimensions for the Chromecast 2015 come in at 2.04 x 2.04 x 0.53 inches versus 2.83 in × 1.38 in × 0.47 inches for the original Chromecast. It's a tiny bit heavier, 39 grams for Chromecast 2015 and 34 grams for the original. There's an LED power indicator as well. Overall, it has a nice slick design that definitely makes it feel like a well made product.

The round casing on the Chromecast 2015 seems sturdier when holding and has a nice premium feel to it. There's now a small reset button along the outer edge and the HDMI cable is magnetic that wraps back into position which makes it easy for transportation.

The original Chromecast used to rest firmly in its port but now with the extra distance space from the dongle to the HDMI, Chromecast 2015 hangs loosely from the back of your TV. The HDMI cable is well attached to the dongle so you don't have to worry about it coming loose and it doesn't have any affect on performance.

Specifications

Let's talk a bit about the hardware improvements that Google has incorporated into the Chromecast 2015. The original Chromecast suffered from slow bufferings and occasional hiccups but Google has taken care of that by adding support for 802.11ac and putting three multidirectional antennas for maximum Wi-Fi streaming. The first Chromecast had one antenna and it only supported 802.11n 2.4Ghz which is why so many users complained about slow bufferings and sometimes random crashes.

Similarly like the original, it's still using 512 MB RAM DDR3L which is plenty for streaming and casting photos on TV. For some strange reason Google has reduced the flash memory from 2GB which used to be on the original to 256MB in the Chromecast 2015.

Some users will be dissapointed with Chromecast 2015 because there's no 4K and remote control support but hopefully Google will change all that with Android TV. It still has a max display output of 1080p which is the same as the original but it runs at 60fps instead of 30ps. The new Roku and Amazon Fire TV Stick have 4K support but they cost more than double the price of Chromecast 2015. Most of the content online is still in 1080p so Chromecast 2015 will be able to handle it just fine.

Google Chromecast Family
Model	Chromecast 1	Chromecast 2
Release Date:	July 24, 2013	September 29, 2015
Price:	$35	$35
SoC:	Marvell Armada 1500 Mini 88DE3005	Marvell Armada 1500 Mini Plus 88DE3006
Memory:	512 MB RAM DDR3L	512 MB RAM DDR3L
Storage:	2GB	256MB
Display:	1080p	1080p
Wi-Fi:	802.11 b/g/n - 2.4GHz	802.11 ac - 2.4/5GHz
Weight:	34g	39g

The original Chromecast was powered by the ARMADA 1500 Mini (88DE3005) which is a single core Cortex-A9 CPU that runs at roughly around 800Mhz. The new Chromecast is sporting the ARMADA 1500 Mini Plus (88DE3006) which is a dual core Cortex-A7 CPU that runs at about 1.3GHz. According to Marvell, the Mini Plus is made specifically for the Chromecast 2015 as it’s geared to be a low-cost solution for simple streaming devices.

The Chromecast 2015 promises faster speeds so I compared both the old and new devices by loading 1080p videos from YouTube. Using the original Chromecast, the videos would take anywhere between 10-14 seconds to fully load and start playing while using the new Chromecast, it took roughly about 3-5 seconds.

Obviously, the speeds will vary depending on your internet connection and video quality but the new Chromecast is indeed way faster. The location of your router might also affect the streaming performance so if the router is in a place in your house where there are a lot of walls, it might impact streaming but the router in my house is close to my TV so I get full 5Ghz connection.

Conclusion

With the improved Wi-Fi performance, the Chromecast 2015 is able to play videos almost instantly without any buffering and slow downs. Marvell's tailor-made Mini Plus dual core Cortex-A7 CPU does an excellent job at minimazing lag and slow downs when switching between videos.

The round design makes the Chromecast 2015 stand out from the competition and easy to carry for transportaion. People who were expecting it to support 4K and remote control will be dissapointed but for the moment, this is the best streaming device your money can buy while being much cheaper than the competition.

If you are thinking about upgrading from the original Chromecast to the new one and you don't have any slow-downs or bufferings, then there's simply no reason to upgrade. In my testing, Chromecast 2015 was able to load videos in less than 3 seconds which would take up to 10 seconds with the original Chromecast. Sometimes my original Chromecast would crash during videos but I haven't experienced any crashes with the newer model so far. Overall, the Chromecast 2015 is the best streaming device on the market and its low price makes it a no brainer.

Pros:
+ Supports dual-band 802.11ac
+ Attractive Design
+ Faster Streaming
+ Inexpensive

Cons:
- No 4K Support
- No Remote Control

Final Score    9.0