Google TV Streamer 4K any good?

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timmmay

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#323076 22-Oct-2025 22:11

Looking to upgrade my Mi Box S 1st gen which is 6-7 years old is skipping while playing some things on Disney. There's the 2nd gen Mi Box which would be fine, but the Google TV Streamer 4K has better specs for slightly more money. Has anyone used one? Are they any good? We just watch Netflix, Disney, and Kodi, usually only 1080p often less.

My wife doesn't want the white model and I haven't found the dark / hazel model in NZ, so I'd possibly have to buy from Amazon US.

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Amanzi
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#3427337 22-Oct-2025 22:20

We use the previous version "Chromecast with Google TV" as the primary interface for our TV, and it works flawlessly for Netflix, TVNZ, Plex, Disney+. We don't use Kodi though, so can't comment on how well that works. I haven't tried the new one though.

freitasm

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#3427340 22-Oct-2025 22:45

It's faster than the previous version. I'd recommend it.

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elpenguino

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#3427343 22-Oct-2025 23:15

Hmm I'm not sure if Kodi is as stable as I would like on that device. Haven't used Kodi very much so can't say anything beyond it was locked up the last time I went to use it.

Everything else is awesome and I want another unit for another 'dumb' TV.

Most of the posters in this thread are just like chimpanzees on MDMA, full of feelings of bonhomie, joy, and optimism. Fred99 8/4/21

Bung

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#3427344 22-Oct-2025 23:20

timmmay:

My wife doesn't want the white model and I haven't found the dark / hazel model in NZ, so I'd possibly have to buy from Amazon US.

There are mounting kits to stick them out of sight behind the tv. I have a hard drive stuck to the tv with command strip velcro and would try that. If your tv doesn’t swing out try to keep the reset button in reach.

timmmay

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#3427350 23-Oct-2025 07:44

Bung:

There are mounting kits to stick them out of sight behind the tv. I have a hard drive stuck to the tv with command strip velcro and would try that. If your tv doesn’t swing out try to keep the reset button in reach.

That's a good idea. Our current TV box sits beside the receiver in the entertainment unit, being white there would really stick out. I could simply attach it to the back of the entertainment unit with double sided tape and we'd never see it. I can't attach it directly to the TV as it needs to plug into receiver HDMI, and with the old receiver I never got ARC or whatever that thingy to send sound from the TV to the receiver to work.

SCUBADOO

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#3427373 23-Oct-2025 09:10

I have more TV boxes than I care to admit. MiBox Gen 1&2, MeCool, Kinhank, previous Google box, a few Dish TV, etc. They all perform OK.

We are full-time motorhome travellers running a 32" Samsung "smart" TV with an optically connected Panasonic soundbar.

Apart from the occasional test and update of the other boxes the Google Streamer became the default box within a week of its release here.

Definitely a step up in performance compared to the others. That 4GB makes all the difference.

An added PD powered hub with a 1TB SSD stores local data, media, TV recordings etc.

We have far too many apps installed and it still all performs perfectly but to be fair our setup necessitates a complete power on reboot for each use.

Kodi with a few streaming TV and utility addons. Thank you MH. No operational issues so far. The biggest bugbear was the random occasional Kodi reset to default settings. Fortunately local backups made for an easy restore. Fingers crossed but the latest Streamer or Kodi daily update appears to have fixed that reset issue.

The PlayStore app icon is missing usually requiring a voice command to activate. Fortunately there are a couple of tiny apps available to add an onscreen icon.

CEC and fancy audio modes untested.

Coloured silicon covers are available for the remote. Ours is bright orange.

I now use one of these remote controls:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005009514261339.html

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MikeB4

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#3427376 23-Oct-2025 09:19

The Google streamer works very well. We have had no issues with it and the remote is orders of magnitude better than the Apple abomination. You maybe able to adapt a Dbrand wrap to fit it if the white does not suit. Our lounge has a lot of white so it sort of hides away.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

freitasm

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#3427379 23-Oct-2025 09:24

MikeB4:

Our lounge has a lot of white so it sort of hides away.

Lucky you can push the button on the back of the streamer box and the remove control will chirp, so you can find it...

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richms

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#3427395 23-Oct-2025 10:27

My issue with my streamer and also my chromecast dongle is the remote batteries will die really quickly in them.

I don't know if this has been solved as currently I am not using the garage where the dongle one lives, and the one in the house in the workroom has been unplugged to make space for an xbox which also plays youtube so the chromecast isn't needed for now. But when I was using both of them I would be changing them out every month or so for another set of batteries. Using the costco alkalines which last fine in everything else and I have seen reports online that others have had them run flat quickly.

Swapped the first one out under warranty and the second one did the same thing.

Richard rich.ms

SCUBADOO

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#3427399 23-Oct-2025 10:44

No battery issues with our now year old Streamer remote. Used multiple times daily.

The original white AAA batteries just now report on the Streamer settings:

"Google TV Remote - Battery level 80%

We do time share it with another remote control.

MikeB4

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#3427400 23-Oct-2025 10:45

richms:

My issue with my streamer and also my chromecast dongle is the remote batteries will die really quickly in them.

I don't know if this has been solved as currently I am not using the garage where the dongle one lives, and the one in the house in the workroom has been unplugged to make space for an xbox which also plays youtube so the chromecast isn't needed for now. But when I was using both of them I would be changing them out every month or so for another set of batteries. Using the costco alkalines which last fine in everything else and I have seen reports online that others have had them run flat quickly.

Swapped the first one out under warranty and the second one did the same thing.

My streamer has been in use for quite a while, exact time I don't know (I'm old) but over a year. It still has its original battery cells in it.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

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Bung

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#3427414 23-Oct-2025 11:13

Our chromecast with Google TV remote batteries are still original & over 2 years old. The unit itself appears to have started dropping wifi despite being <1m away from router.

timmmay

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#3427415 23-Oct-2025 11:23

Based on what everyone has said it seems like it will be a good choice so I'm going to get one. The specification say it has ethernet so I'm going to try to use that.

MikeB4

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#3427417 23-Oct-2025 11:29

It does have ethernet but we use WiFi so the phones can use the remote as well.

Here is a crazy notion, lets give peace a chance.

SCUBADOO

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#3427424 23-Oct-2025 11:54

Kodi settings are now well and truly hidden away in the android/data/org.xbmc.kodi folder making settings backup very difficult.

A useful tip:

Create a file named xbmc_env.properties.txt in the root folder - usually /storage/emulated/0/

Add this text to the empty file:

xbmc.data=/storage/emulated/0/Kodi

Save and rename the file to xbmc_env.properties

Create a folder named Kodi in the root folder

All Kodi data is now stored in that easily accessible Kodi folder making backup copies of your settings easy.

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