Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
Tomorrow morning, we should be unboxing our shiny new Chromecast w/ Google TV. We have yet to lay hands on the new streamer but we all agree that this will be the greatest thing to happen to the Chromecast since, well, it came into existence. I mean, what’s not to love? We’re going to get everything we love about the 4K Chromecast Ultra with the addition of a remote control and a bona fide on-screen UI that features a one-stop-shop for all your favorite streaming services. The only thing missing at this point is Stadia but Google has confirmed that it is in the works. The icing on the cake is the fact that Google finally has a true competitor for Apple TV and Roku devices and it only costs $49.99! Did I mention that we’re excited?
We are still a bit in the dark about how Google will market the new “Google TV” platform while making it clear that it is nothing like the company’s streaming service YouTube TV. I can already see how many consumers may get confused by thinking that Google is now offering two, separate streaming services but that’s not what Google TV is about. Instead, it is the hub for all of your streaming content. Like the Roku app that is built into countless televisions, you’ll be able to link all of your services inside the Google TV UI and the interface will offer you up content based on the shows you watch and services you use. Love it.
However Google plans on spinning “Google TV,” the company is already touting the new hardware in hopes of grabbing some new subscribers to YouTube TV. New YouTube TV subscribers can soon grab a new Chromecast w/Google TV after they pay for their first month of the streaming TV service that offers more than 85 channels, live local television, and unlimited cloud DVR storage. Watch on your TV, smart display, phone, Chromebook, or wherever.
There are some caveats to the deal. You do have to be a new, first-time subscriber and the promotion is only available to users in the United States. The promotion starts on October 15th so don’t go signing up just yet. It will run until December 31, 2020, and users will receive a promo code from YouTube TV to redeem their Snow Chromecast in the Google Store before February 28, 2021. To read all the fine print, check out the YouTube TV promotion page here. You can check out YouTube TV at the link below but remember, you’ll have to wait until October 15th if you want to score the free Chromecast. Make sure you check back with us tomorrow. We’ll have our new Chromecast in the house and ready to unbox. Looking forward to seeing it in action.
SUBSCRIBE TO UPSTREAM
Get Chrome Unboxed delivered straight to your inbox
Upstream is our flagship, curated newsletter with the top stories, most click-worthy deals, giveaways, and trending articles from Chrome Unboxed sent directly to your inbox a few times a week. Join 31,000+ subscribers.
