Skip to main content

These three features would make the Chromecast w/Google TV just about perfect!

I've been the happy owner of the Chromecast/Google TV for about two months now and have some thoughts. After using it the first day I knew right away this was the streaming device for me. First I noticed how fast and fluid the UI was. Then the content-based suggestions caught my eye with how well so many movies and tv shows were tailored to what I would enjoy. Once I started downloading apps and found that just about every streaming service is available I was even more excited but will get to that in my final review. These are the features that will make the Chromecast w/Google TV perfect for me. 

Multi-user support

Maybe not in a traditional sense where a user logs in and only see the apps they downloaded. I'm thinking more surface level where content-based suggestions live. Right now only movies and tv shows I'm into are being shown. This would be fine if I lived alone but I'm married and have two children and my interest aren't necessarily theirs. I'm also a Youtube TV subscriber and there are recommendations on the For You tab but again these recommendations are geared to my taste. There appear to be hooks in the OS so we may see this further down the road.

A dismiss button

Often times there are items in my Continue Watching list that stays there for days and I have no intentions of watching and there's no way for me to act on it. My only option is to Open the previously watched content when long pressed. This does me no good because I would have watched it already if I was going to. An option to dismiss the content would clean things up a bit and only the content I plan on watching is visible. 


Device notifications

This one is not a huge deal but in the time of having the Chromecast w/Google TV the batteries have gone out on me and I had to change them. Unfortunately, leading up to the batteries dying there was no warning and it would have been great to get a heads-up to let me know the battery is getting low. The battery is tracked in setting but being notified of the battery going out would have been awesome. There is a Notifications section in the OS so we may see this feature in the future.

My take

The Chromecast w/Google Tv is still a great streamer even without having the features I previously mentioned. Looking forward to the next/first major update where these features can possibly be made part of the OS. 

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Samsung Tab S7 | Long term review (Video)

With the Samsung Tab S8 just around the corner, I thought now would be a good time to share my thoughts and experience with the Samsung Tab S7. Samsung got so much right with the Tab S7 but I do have some nitpicks. Check out the video for more

How to factory reset the Sony WH-CH720N

In this video I quickly show you how to reset the Sony WH-CH720N. Really simple and straightforward. Check out the video for more.

Sticky Google services I actually pay for

  I've been meaning to write about this for some time now and I'm just getting around to it. Google has slowly built an ecosystem of not just devices but services that have become a part of me and my family's everyday life. I find these services to be very reliable, comparable to the competition, and worth the asking price. Youtube Music/Premium - I have a family plan and been a subscriber since Google Play Music. The service was a little rough around the edges, to say the least at first but as Google does they iterated the hell out of the service. I now find it to be better than Google Play Music and see why the change was made. Looking forward to new features and updates in the future. Near future, I hope. Youtube TV -  I've been a subscriber since early on and I love the service. Unlimited DVR is a killer feature along with profiles for each user. Google has added channels over time and lost some, unfortunately. But YTTV is a solid service and the best out of the bu