![]() (A full list can be found on Google's Chromecast support site.We suppose at least one of the current players could be replaced (our guess is the Ultra), so we’ve focused this versus between the cheaper Chromecast and the latest model. There are a few caveats that come with each service – Netflix subscribers will need to up their account to the highest paid tier to access 4K content, for example – but it’s nice to have so many options to choose from right out of the gate.įor those inclined to wonder about video and audio codecs, Chromecast Ultra supports H.264 1080p, H.264 720 x 480, MPEG-4, VP8 video and AAC-LC, AC3, eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus), FLAC, MP3, PCM/WAV, Vorbis audio files. In terms of 4K HDR content, you can pick from a few different services, including Netflix, Google Play Movies and TV, Vudu (which also supports Dolby Vision), YouTube, UltraFlix and FandangoNow. With more and more HDR content arriving, you know you'll be covered for some years yet. What makes the Chromecast Ultra a better buy than, say, the Roku Premiere+ which also handles HDR and 4K, is that the Ultra does both versions of HDR – HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The biggest draw to Google's latest Chromecast device, however, is 4K and HDR functionality, both of which you'll be missing out on if you're stuck with a 1080p screen. There was a minor hiccup once where we couldn’t change the video on the Chromecast Ultra despite closing and re-opening the YouTube app, but there's no evidence to suggest that will be a common problem everyone will encounter. The Chromecast Ultra isn’t built to upscale content in any way, so there’s no real tangible benefit for buying one if you own a 1080p TV, save for the slightly better internals.įor testing, we watched shows like Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown on Netflix and a dozen YouTube videos, none of which suffered from buffering issues for more than a few seconds. ![]() If you're using an HD screen you can expect slightly faster load times and slightly less buffering than if you were to use the older, 2nd-gen Chromecast. Let’s start, though, with 1080p performance. Not to mention the fact that Chromecast Ultra is probably the cheapest – and arguably one of the best – ways to watch 4K content. Doesn't drop out, especially when wired to your routerīy and large, performance across the board is excellent on the Chromecast Ultra, especially when compared with the Chromecast that came before it.ġ080p videos load up in a snap and rarely crash in apps like Netflix and YouTube, while songs switch with less dead air while using Deezer, Pandora and Spotify.So how does the Chromecast Ultra perform in the living room? We're glad you asked. It's a sore point, but one we're ultimately able to forgive, thanks to Google doing so much else right on the product. Heavy gaming fans should also consider the Nvidia Shield console for its on-demand game-streaming service, GeForce Now. If you're looking for a casual gaming experience like the one you'll find on your phone, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV offer that in spades. However, while Google has certainly figured out how to make the Chromecast Ultra an appealing destination for video lovers, it hasn't found out how to embrace gaming in the same way its competition has: Chromecast games are few and far between, and generally feel like shovelware put out by third-party developers. The Chromecast Ultra really isn't great for gamers.Video quality using the Chrome browser on Netflix is better than average, and for the most part looked quite good to us, minus the one or two times it needed to stop and buffer. Install Google Chrome on any PC or Mac, and you can send any web page to the streaming dongle. ![]() If you’re browsing Netflix, for instance, it might pre-load the first few seconds of the show you’ve been bingeing all week.Īll the talk of apps aside, the true beauty of the device is that it’s not limited strictly to your phone or tablet. The feature then starts to pre-buffer the video before you start it, eliminating the loading time before each video. Also interesting is "fast play," a sort of prediction algorithm in the Chromecast app that determines what you might watch next based on your previous choices. When the Cast button is pressed, the Chromecast Ultra takes the location of the video’s URL and plays it on your TV, leaving you mobile device free to browse the web, check emails and use data without affecting the on-screen content’s performance. You can also pause and stop playback of course.īut that's not the only trick Google’s taught its dinky streamer. Anytime you want to take content from your phone or tablet and send it to the big screen, press the button and select your Chromecast from the dropdown list. The Cast button is the rectangle with broadcasting bars (it looks like the Wi-Fi symbol) in the corner of most mobile apps. Chromecast Ultra review Chromecast Ultra: the Cast button
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