r/Android • u/FragmentedChicken Galaxy Z Fold8 • 3d ago
Rumour Next-gen Google TV Streamer in the works with microphones, presence sensing, & new remote
https://9to5google.com/2026/10/09/next-gen-google-tv-streamer/56
u/GoneCollarGone Pixel 2 3d ago
As someone who actually owns the Google TV streamer, hardware actually isn't a problem. The remote is good. It has a remote finder option that works exceptionally well. It's plenty fast and I've never had it get stuck in the year I've used it, certainly compared to the prior Google TV.
The problem is Google has changed the UI from it was when it first launched, a nearly perfect organizer and discovery tool for content across multiple streaming services, to something that just pushes ads, freetv, and YouTube recommendations. There isn't even a movie tab or section anymore.
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u/Wavestormed 3d ago
I slapped projectivy on it and called it a day after getting frustrated with the UI
no ads no fluff no garbage just the 4 apps I need to access
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u/Cesc1972 2d ago
I did the same and it's great, I just want it to work and not get in my way with all that recommended stuff
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u/MeggaMortY 2d ago
Literally took me less than 2 days to go from "nice, this feels modern and polished" to "fucking stop trying to shove ads in my face, this is my media device!"
Went for at4k launcher or whatever it is called instead, but yeah, fuck these ad companies man.
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u/MyOtherSide1984 2d ago
Set it up in about an hour when I bought mine a few weeks ago. Super easy and I was just exhausted from my Amazon fire tv (ad machine) and Google was bad enough as soon as I turned it on. It's an Onn 4k Pro I believe
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u/MeggaMortY 2d ago
Have fun! These custom launchers and some additional side loaded apps really take back the control over your media device.
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u/ChikkaChiChi 2d ago
Care to share the list of other apps or where to find a good list?
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u/MyOtherSide1984 2d ago
This was good for me to remove stuff
https://www.reddit.com/r/AndroidTV/s/iNsyxwXM1i
And then I added some YouTube app that skips ads I guess (idk what it was, Google it). Adb took a bit to setup and then projectify was a lot of configurations but it was worth while.
I didn't uninstall the OG OS, just the launcher and then disabled the OG OS buttons that popped up when hitting certain buttons or whatever. It still runs in the background from what I can tell, which has me worried it's slowing things down, but it's miles better than the TV OS and I was on the verge of getting and apple TV when the onn 4k pro became available for $50 instead of the $120+ used Apple TV or $225 new one
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u/MeggaMortY 2d ago
Cloudstream I believe is side-loaded, streaming service aggregator. There was also something about a youtube alternative without ads. I'm a bit vague but surely you will find this easily online.
I don't remember the rest because I've switched to full consumer mode by now, but some googling might get you stuff you didn't know you'd appreciate
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u/ivanguls 1d ago
You can turn on the app only mode.
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u/MyOtherSide1984 1d ago
Or I can set it so I see the 4 things I use and nothing else. I can't sneeze without seeing an ad, so I'd rather strip them away entirely. Remove all the bloat and have a faster experience
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u/Goku420overlord pixel XL 🇭🇰 🇹🇼 2d ago
This is the way. Fuck ads. I bought this and it should be ad free.
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u/wimpires 3d ago
I couldn't give a crap about "content discovery".
I changed the launcher to (a fork of) Flauncher and never looked back and it's been brilliant.
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u/GoneCollarGone Pixel 2 2d ago
Apple TV is going to be better at that.
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u/MyOtherSide1984 2d ago
At 6x the cost
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u/GoneCollarGone Pixel 2 2d ago
It's 150 vs 250. I can't imagine people who are okay paying 150 for it would have a problem putting in an extra hundred.
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u/MyOtherSide1984 2d ago
An Onn tv is $50
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u/GoneCollarGone Pixel 2 16h ago
I don't think that device is relevant in this conversation, just when factoring performance or features.
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u/s00pafly 2d ago
AppleTV experience sucked so much the moment we got a $30 xiaomi streamer, it started to collect dust immediately.
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u/BooleanTriplets 2d ago
What is the fork called? I am using Flauncher right now. Was development abandoned or why are you using the fork?
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u/Omen_20 2d ago
My assumption is that this is the fork which was last released July '25: https://github.com/osrosal/flauncher
The Flauncher on the Play Store was last released April '23 and uses this repo: https://gitlab.com/flauncher/flauncher
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u/Orange_Tang 3d ago
The hardware is an issue on mine. It bogs down while using plex pretty regularly and a few times it got so bad the app crashed.
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u/GoneCollarGone Pixel 2 2d ago
On the streamer? The box one, not the one hangs out? I use a Plex a bunch a well and it works great. Maybe cause I have it plugged into Ethernet.
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u/Orange_Tang 2d ago
Yes, the streamer. And no, it's not my wifi, I run it exclusively on ethernet. It's because I am playing 4k dolby vision blueray files. The device cannot handle it. The chipset is too weak and it ends up glitching out and crashing sometimes.
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u/BloomerBoomerDoomer 2d ago
It's due to it running on wifi, I have the same problem he has. I generally just play 1080p shows or movies through it and use HDMI to my computer for the rest at this point.
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u/Orange_Tang 2d ago
It's not the wifi because I don't use the wifi on my streamer. It's using ethernet. It's because I'm playing high bit rate 4k blu-ray rips and the chipset can't handle it. It's barely more powerful than the older chromecast with Google TV, which was a streaming stick.
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u/BloomerBoomerDoomer 1d ago
Ohh, that's awful then. I wish I didn't have to resort to using HDMI to my PC to play movies in 4k but it seems like it's going to be like that for a long time.
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u/arguably-inarguable 2d ago
Jellyfin is the way, my friend
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u/Orange_Tang 2d ago
The issue is the device not being power enough to handle 4k blu-ray playback. Playing it from the jellyfin app won't change that.
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u/arguably-inarguable 2d ago
I'm using the Streamer 4K for 4K Blueray Dolby Vision rips just fine on direct streaming. Never had any issue.
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u/Orange_Tang 2d ago
Well, that has not been my experience. It does work. But it also glitches sometimes and occasionally it will get so bad the whole system crashes.
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u/DaRighDehr 2d ago
Yep, this is a major annoyance for me. I have purchased movies and TV shows for things I regularly rewatch as sort of annual or background noise and the menu for your owned stuff is hidden in your profile drop down lol
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u/CaptainIncredible 2d ago
to something that just pushes ads, freetv, and YouTube recommendations. There isn't even a movie tab or section anymore.
Yeah, fuck that bullshit. They can cram it up their cram hole.
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u/CosmicWy pixel 7 3d ago
I'd say the remote sucks ass. I had multiple chromecats before getting the steamers. the button placement being opposite from the original is realllllly annoying. I still love them, but it's crazy annoying.
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u/junktrunk909 2d ago
I agree completely. I still have one of the older devices and having a nearly identical remote but with different positions for home button for example is maddening.
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u/BcuzRacecar S25+ 3d ago
the new Google TV Streamer will be powered by a faster processor
More important upgrade. Tho not optimistic about it being a big boost
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u/petard Galaxy Z Fold7 + GWU2 3d ago
You aren't happy with the typical 5% performance increase???
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u/Oxylophone 3d ago
Genuinely, why don't they just overclock these chips and make them run at a higher speed since it's using the wall power anyways? If heat is a concern, they could just add a vapour chamber which only costs like 1$for the manufacturer.
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u/PERSONA916 Pixel 9 Pro 3d ago
I feel like its usually the RAM amount they skimp on which used to make no sense, but is most definitely going to be the case now
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u/DarkArmadillo Xiaomi 15 Ultra 2d ago
Overclocking these small A5XX cores is going to so little, they really need at least two mid cores. Even an A78 from 6 years ago would be a 3-4x uplift in general performance. The amount of ram is fine, it just needs to serve as a buffer for content anyway.
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u/Izacus Android dev / Boatload of crappy devices 2d ago
What would be the point? Those CPUs don't do much, they just need to render some UI and the start video playback.
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u/Oxylophone 2d ago
The system is laggy/ people want performance so I replied with running cpu near max GHz
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u/SqueezyCheez85 OnePlus 3T 3d ago
My Hisense TV has a quicker Google TV implementation than the Streamer 4k.
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u/armando_rod Pixel 10 Pro XL 2d ago
I bet it has less RAM making them about the same at opening apps
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u/Perunov 2d ago
Let's face it, that CPU will probably be used to better "analyze data" aka spying on users, and probably detect if you're sticking around while it's trying to cram ads down your throat. "We've detected that you've walked away and paused the ad we were playing. You're welcome!" :(
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u/junktrunk909 2d ago
Unfortunately this is the truth, the current streamer device is just as occasionally laggy as the previous version. I'm not sure why I bothered upgrading.
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u/Shoddy_Meaning_7654 3d ago
It it could easily be four times more powerful the socs and these Android boxes not made by Apple have not been updated and basically 10 years including Nvidia the thing was that Nvidia was just so far ahead of everybody else that even 10 years later it does not matter cuz nobody else is upgraded their damn box in terms of processing power so that the UI is rendered in 1080P and everything looks terrible
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u/Ok-Variation-4727 3d ago
It's still crazy 10 years later, the GPU on the Shield is like twice as powerful as any other device (sans AppleTV)
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u/Shoddy_Meaning_7654 3d ago
Yeah the Apple TV just absolutely poops on everything that you plug into your TV that's not a game console or a PC it it just poops on and it's not even close like the Apple TV is ridiculously overpowered compared to everything else on the market that's why it stays smooth for years
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u/MeggaMortY 2d ago
Yup, if it wasn't for the closed down ecosystem, I would've considered it. But seeing how quickly I went away from the stock google experience to something that fits my needs is the regular old reminder that I and many others not made for apple devices.
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u/Goku420overlord pixel XL 🇭🇰 🇹🇼 2d ago
Agreed. Hesitant to buy one cause of the locked down ecosystem.
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u/Getafix69 3d ago
How much do you really need I play psx games on my cube upscaled with a crt shader, kinda nostalgia and works very well.
But yeah a phone soc would be nice.
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u/Shoddy_Meaning_7654 3d ago
It's very very very laggy and certain like applications and I prefer the UI to run on my TV's native resolution cuz everything else does and it's just so freaking annoying it looks so bad I hate it it just feels cheap it feels like a cheap little $20 device yet it's almost $100 it doesn't feel like it's worth that much I know it's not worth that much these premium Android streamers cuz they cost nothing
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u/Expensive_Finger_973 3d ago
I'm not holding my breath, but it would be cool if they went all in on it and had a legitimately powerful version to compete with the Shield use case.
But even just a modest spec bump with the other features for $150 is still a really hard deal to beat in a world of $300 Shield Pros using 7 year old hardware and a $250 Apple TV 4K refresh.
Apple TV probably won't feel like it is really anymore powerful than the current 2022 model because tvOS already doesn't come close to taxing what they currently have on its own or really allow the user to use it for things Apple doesn't intend that would tax it, like Android TV lends itself to.
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u/Remote_Fox_8643 3d ago
How can they offer their streaming-device at such a low cost compared to Nvidia and Apple?
Well let’s just say you don’t pay with… money
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u/Algernon_Asimov Razr 2023+ 2d ago
Another new hardware feature is presence sensing.
So... "The TV that watches you back" is no longer just a joke. :(
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u/AccumulatedFilth Pixel 7, latest stable release build. 2d ago
So, double the price for features NOBODY asked for...?
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u/Jaygee133 Nothing 3d ago
It needs to actually support proper audio codecs
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u/armando_rod Pixel 10 Pro XL 2d ago
The only one that doesn't support is dts
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u/Jaygee133 Nothing 2d ago
It doesn't support lossless codecs like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio
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u/theSeanO S26 Ultra | Galaxy Watch 8 3d ago
If it has lossless spatial audio passthrough I might consider it. Otherwise, no.
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u/kindergentler 3d ago
You couldn't pay me to use this, they have burned the decades of (misplaced) goodwill I had for them, at this point (which still stings).
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u/cordyorange 3d ago
As long as they keep that 1gb ethernet port and it can handle remixes, I'm sold.
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u/4d_lulz 2d ago
What's wrong with the current one?
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u/smallcoder Samsung S8+, Android 9 2d ago
Well, you've already bought it. They have to keep selling shit to us and our data to the corporations because, in a finite world, "growth" has ground to a halt.
Better still, "rent" stuff to us, so we have to keep paying and paying yay.
The tech edifice is going to collapse in the next decade - the whole shebang - but we'll still have most of what we have today, except there'll be live streams of something bad happening to techbros every saturday at primetime.
Bring beer and popcorn 😂
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u/Worldly-Schedule-151 2d ago
The problem with the current one is it's $150 and has worse specs than the $60 Onn 4k Pro
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u/nybreath 2d ago
New remote is definitely something to look for, the actual remote has a good feeling, but miss too many buttons
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u/ChampionChoice1864 S25 Ultra, Mi Pad 6, Tab S7+ 2d ago
I'd really appreciate a new remote, the current one is kinda slippery and buttons press too easily. I might just be a doofus though. Thing I yearn the most though is another usb port. Otherwise than that the current device runs more than smoothly for me with a proper launcher. No complaints there. I'd like a nicer timer implementation though. I currently got an app for that.
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u/burnSMACKER Nexus 5 -> 6P -> S8+ -> 3XL -> S20FE -> S21 Ultra -> S23 Ultra 2d ago
Include TrueHD handling or I won't buy it
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u/chromakode 2d ago
The encroachment of ads has ruined Chromecast for me. I acknowledge with Google it's like being surprised the leopard ate my face, but the original Chromecast was such a lovely device. Paying premium hardware prices to pave Google's ad business (and its future revisions whenever they feed like) doesn't make sense any more.
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u/Early_Power_5366 2d ago
I just wanted to run fast, but I don't want a necessary microphones or senses sensors. Whatever the f***, why does he even need that in the first place? What's the point ?
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u/GroundedGeeking 2d ago
It should be the best on the market. At least second after an Apple TV. Instead I'm certain Homatics will be the best for AndroidTV and Ugoos for regular android and OpenELEC. The Android TV UI is trash too. Straight to Projectivity or some other launcher. An Ugoos default TV UI is minimal and not visually polished but it's straight to the point. No advertisements. The no/minimal advertising was Rokus best feature along with that helping it run run very well on TV processors. Google TV boxes should be running the latest Tensor they produce and refresh every few years. Should support all audio and subtitle codecs/formats. Amazing hardware video decode for 4:2:0 to 4:4:4 in h.264, h.265, av1 8/10 bit. Have a 2.5Gbps ethernet port. A great wifi chip
It should be a halo product rather than a salesmans higher margin upsell. Google streamers so far compete at a level well served by ONN, Xiaomi, and others
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u/Goku420overlord pixel XL 🇭🇰 🇹🇼 2d ago
Please make a Nvidia shield replacement type higher end chrome cast
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u/drewfus99 1d ago
The Onn 4K plus box has been perfect. Very pure Google experience and way more powerful than the cable company android box. Only $49 doesn't hurt either.
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u/Newwales2 9h ago
The main issue for me in the colour, it needs to come in a black colour here in the UK no dark colours are available for the current version, only a dark colour like black would not be distracting under a black TV.
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u/ZeusiQ 3d ago
Save the trouble and grab an Apple TV.
Signed by a previous Google lover.
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u/MeggaMortY 2d ago
Enjoy ads or paying to not have ads.
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u/ZeusiQ 2d ago
Neither of those happen and we’re really going to talk about ads from a Google device? C’mon son
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u/MeggaMortY 2d ago
Father, you know you can block basically all ads on Android right? That's the point, besides most things you can stream for free that you can't on apple.
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u/ZeusiQ 2d ago
Son, literally anything you can do on that slow-ass Chromecast. I can do on a much faster and more responsive Apple TV
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u/MeggaMortY 2d ago
It's not slow once you remove the ads bloat launcher anyway. Made it look like the apple launcher for 4 bucks, runs quick, no ads, all tvs and shows for free if you want. Like I said, have fun paying for all that. Call me poor next, that will be on point for the apple crowd.
It's obvious you were never really taking advantage of Android, so you belong just at home there.
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u/ZeusiQ 2d ago
> Made it look like the apple launcher for 4 bucks, runs quick, no ads,
The fucking irony here.
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u/MeggaMortY 2d ago
Again, you demonstrate complete failure in understanding what Android does better. It is simply a 20 minute thing I did and moved on to other stuff like watching YouTube without ads. Get it? Idiot
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u/blackvariant galaxy s22 3d ago
Why? As a previous Apple TV user, with up to 3 in my household at its peak, the OS doesn't look much different than it did, almost 20 years ago.
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u/ZeusiQ 3d ago
There’s a reason for the saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. I’ve had every chrome cast device from Gen 1 until the latest iteration of Google tv device. They all sucked, constant disconnects even with a wired connection. After a few months to a year they’re going to be so fucking laggy you’d rather pay for DISH.
I switched over to Apple TV 4K last year and I’ll never go back, it’s night and day difference in response times, quality and connectivity.
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u/etherspin 3d ago
Just guessing that it doesn't have any way to put files into a cloud service like google drive, Dropbox etc and load them from there? I use Kodi like this on google TV but can't allow the app to update as the Gdrive extension is expired
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u/GalagaWarVeteran 3d ago
My Google TV Streamer has been treating me well so I don't see any reason to upgrade. It took care of the one big problem with the Chromecast by increasing the storage so I don't see what feature a new one could possibly have that would make me spend my money.
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u/CosmicWy pixel 7 3d ago
I got my two streamers for $50ea on eBay. bets purchase since my shield 6 years ago
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u/altandthrowitaway 3d ago
Proper Dolby Atmos passthrough support.
Auracast / LC3 / Bluetooth 6 support.
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u/armando_rod Pixel 10 Pro XL 2d ago
Mine does proper DA passthrough to my JBL soundbar connected through ARC to the TV, we have an LG G5 and does passthrough correctly too
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u/TightlyWhitey 2d ago
Does the current hardware possibly support Auracast? It's not even out of beta on their phones/buds yet I don't think.
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u/mightypea 2d ago
Just wait until they 'accidentally' brick a feature with a firmware update and take ages to fix it, if at all. Google is becoming increasingly good at a very clownesque, unsubtle version of planned obsolescence. Hey Google, fix the Google TV remote issue yet? No? Just a few more months of rebooting the device 10 times a day then? Cool. Glad you fixed the Chromecast Audio you fully fucked up, I guess.
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u/No_Afternoon4587 1d ago
Does anyone have trouble with the remote regularly disconnecting and you need to take the batteries out to re-set it
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u/Militantnegro_5 1d ago
That, I've never experienced. What I do get is constant dropped WiFi and occasionally it doesn't play well with my soundbar and I have to switch to mono to get any sound.
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u/JDGumby Google Pixel 10a, Lenovo Tab M9 3d ago
So, everything we DON'T want in a streaming box...