Chromecast with Google TV is great —but there's one big problem

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Chromecast with Google TV is bang-up — but there's one large trouble

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When I finally got my easily on the Chromecast with Google Idiot box, I was really excited. I'd long wanted this device to exist — I'thou one of the folks who thought the Chromecast needed apps and a remote — and so to see that come up to fruition felt like a win for logic. Simply I quickly institute an result.

To be fair, we at Tom'due south Guide really like the Chromecast with Google TV overall. It apace earned a spot on our all-time streaming devices page, and my colleague Adam Ismail wrote that it'southward the all-time streaming device he'south ever owned.

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My one complaint, though, is that The home screen is organized in ways that don't really click with me.

The Chromecast with Google Television receiver keeps apps at arm'south length

I get the premise behind the Chromecast with Google TV interface, which puts content first and foremost. People are always looking for something to watch, but in my experience, the apps themselves do a pretty practiced chore of that.

I don't know near you, dear reader, merely when I kickoff using a streaming device, I have a sense of what app I want to use, and I want to get to it ASAP. The Chromecast with Google Telly gets this, partially, with dedicated YouTube and Netflix buttons. Roku, similarly, has four buttons for popular apps. These buttons tin feel like ads, though, if those apps don't affair to y'all (memorably, Roku app buttons have included ESPN+, which always makes me chuckle).

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

The Chromecast with Google Tv set interface, however, makes yous click downwards twice (or right, thrice) to go to your actual apps. In the intervening moments, the interface promotes content you might want to watch. Oh, and when y'all click right, to go over to the apps section, you've got to click down 1 more than time, to curlicue past the promoted app.

How other streaming devices do it

Every bit someone who owns a Fire Television receiver Stick 4K, Apple tree Television receiver 4K and Roku Ultra, I've seen what each of the major streaming platforms wait like, and I know clutter when I see it.

If y'all've ever used a Roku or Apple tree TV, you take experienced what I believe to be the ideal streaming device domicile screen. A grid of app icons, which you can reorganize as yous see fit. Apple tree does it a bit better in my feel, with no ads, just that's a conversation from a unlike article.

(Paradigm credit: Tom'due south Guide)

Amazon's most to roll out a new Burn down TV interface, and while I reserve judgment for it when that arrives, I've always idea less of those devices because — only similar the Chromecast with Google TV — it makes yous click downwards twice to get to your apps, navigating past shows and movies that it thinks you may want (or the visitor was paid to promote, we'll never know).

The home screen doesn't even work correct

I'd probably be less annoyed with the Chromecast with Google Tv habitation screen if it worked a little better. When it suggests something I don't want to see, something I want to remove to get another recommendation — which happened most recently with Zack Snyder'due south terrible adaptation of Watchmen — you can't really get rid of information technology.

(Prototype credit: Tom's Guide)

You hold Select downwards to bring up a secondary window, and when you click the Dislike button, it just signals that it accepts your opinion … and keeps that block on your home screen. If you tell whatever app that you dislike one of its prompts, that particular should go abroad immediately. What, does the Chromecast with Google TV non have any other suggestions?

How I'd gear up it

Since my colleagues like the Chromecast with Google Television set for the same reasons I do — casting, apps and a remote — I think this is an easy set. Only requite this device the standard Android Boob tube interface that had been around forever. A top row of apps, and and then other rows for other content.

But since Google probably won't practice that — they pivoted abroad from the old Android Television receiver interface to this new design — I take a compromise. Bring the apps row up a row, swapping it with the Pinnacle Picks For You lot row. Information technology's super piece of cake, and you can continue to promote content in that meridian row.

In the meantime, I'll get plug my Apple Tv 4K back in, and keep the Chromecast with Google Telly nearby for when I desire to bandage something to it.

Henry is a senior editor at Tom's Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past six-plus years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He'due south also covered the wild world of professional person wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/chromecast-with-google-tv-flaw

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