After six months of virtually nothing, Chromecast with Google TV owners have finally been treated to a new update, and it's a pretty good one. The update adds better Dolby Vision playback on some apps, as well as storage and security improvements for the streaming device.
As reported by Android Community, the update clocks in at around 158MB, which doesn't sound like much until you remember Chromecast with Google TV's paltry 8GB of total storage. However, one big improvement the update brings is better storage optimization, and users have reported getting an extra 200-300MB to play with after updating.
The update also brings some much-needed quality-of-life changes to Chromecast with Google TV, including better DRM video encoding as well as a dedicated "uninstall apps" menu, something we're genuinely surprised the streaming device didn't have until now.
It's not all roses, though. The update makes no changes to Chromecast with Google TV's operating system. Instead, it still runs on the rather outdated Android 10, which is a little disappointing considering the streaming stick isn't all that old. However, the security patch has at least been updated to the October 2021 version, thankfully making the device more secure than ever.
If you own a Chromecast with Google TV, the update may not have installed itself. Make sure you've got the latest update by heading to the Settings menu on your device, followed by System, About, and finally System Update. And of course, make sure you've got that 158MB of space needed to install the update.
Analysis: Better late than never?
After roughly six months of radio silence, we were beginning to worry Google had left Chromecast with Google TV owners in the lurch, which would've been a little odd considering it's still the latest model in the company's roster of streaming sticks. Despite half a year of inactivity, though, we're happy to finally see an update, however small.
There's still room for improvement, of course. It's utterly baffling that Chromecast with Google TV still runs on Android 10. That's two versions out of date. Here's hoping that the rumored Chromecast Ultra 2 arrives with the more up to date and secure Android 12 operating system. Not to mention a good deal more storage space.
Credit where it's due, we love to see improvements to Chromecast with Google TV's Dolby Vision playback, making it available on more apps and at a better quality overall. This could help bring the device in line with ultra high quality devices like the Nvidia Shield TV or Apple TV 4K.
