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

Waiting on Google: Why My Next Laptop Won't Be a Mac or PC (The "Googlebook" Era)

The release of the newly announced Googlebook cannot come fast enough for me. I am in the market for a new laptop and have my sights set on a Googlebook with the hope Google is making one. So far there are about five laptop manufacturers that are slated to be producing and releasing one this calendar year. Although, details are sparse surrounding the Googlebook I've seen just enough to know that I want this device to be a part of my tech ecosystem.  My current tech ecosystem Admittedly, I've been holding out for a minute to get a new laptop. Fortunately, my current device is still meeting my needs but barely. Right now, I am rocking a Pixelbook Go from 2019 and using a Pixel 10 Pro with a Pixel Tablet. I'm fine with this setup but my needs for more capable and powerful computing is getting harder to ignore. My Pixelbook Go does not seem as connected to my other devices as I would like which would explain why I don't use it as much. ChromeOS has not progressed much over ...

Comparing the JBL Live 770NCs to the Sony XM4s in 2025 | There's a clear winner (video)

 

Thoughts on moving to the Pixel 10 Pro from the 9 Pro XL (video)