![]() The primary hardware accepts power from a micro-USB cable, but if you choose a different USB power adapter, the Chromecast Ultra will warn you that you'll be limited to 1080p output. This means the AC adapter's general design has changed and grown, which might require some power-cord shuffling if your power strip is already swamped. Instead, the device's new Ethernet port has been built into the AC adapter. ![]() In an interesting move, Google expanded the Chromecast's functionality by adding one more port, but you won't find it in the puck. The puck design remains easier to stick into a TV's crowded port party than the original stick model, as it again comes with an HDMI "ribbon" of about 3 inches. Setting up the puckĬhances are, the size increase won't disrupt your entertainment center. But if you're only reading this article because you hate your current 4K set's internal apps, I don't have much good news to report. If you still favor the Chromecast line's ties to smartphones, I have tested exactly what you can expect from this new $69 Ultra variant. Unlike smart TVs of old, new sets are more likely to support new app downloads, which potentially undermines one of Chromecast's better selling points-easy app upgradeability. ![]() Chances are, your shiny new 4K set already has "smart" functions built in to support the scant few streaming services that currently support 4K and HDR video. The Ultra is also the first Chromecast model to come with wired Ethernet in the box.īut Chromecast, like most streaming boxes rushing to the 4K market, has an uphill battle to climb. Streaming boxes with support for the rising 4K and HDR standards are still few and far between, and this month's $69 Chromecast Ultra advertises support for both while still being $30 cheaper than the cheapest 4K HDR Roku box. Is there a reason we need a third-gen Chromecast? That device still exists for the same low price of $35. The device changed designs, shrank in size, and drove 1080p video to your TV screen a little faster and more efficiently. Last year's second-gen Chromecast offered decent upgrades over the original, but not much else. Chromecast takes advantage of that: no remote, no separate set-top box app ecosystem, lower cost. Smartphones and tablets can do a lot of the heavy lifting in the TV-watching experience (browsing content, picking through apps, typing keywords). For three years, Google's Chromecast platform has stood out in the streaming-box category for one simple reason: your phone is your remote.
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