![]() Within each sub-menu, Google Home shows you exactly which apps on your device are cast-compatible. The home page has three options along the top: Watch, Listen, and Discover. ![]() The Google Home app now provides that cohesion. You had to jump from app to app to launch content. I remember that my main gripe (and it was a minor one) with the original Chromecast was that it lacked the cohesion of a dedicated media streamer because there wasn't a unified interface. You can cast directly from any compatible app on your mobile device, or you can stay in Google Home and use it as a central interface. There's no support for the Amazon Video app, though, which eliminates one source of HDR content. The list of compatible services is long ( see it here) and includes Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Google Play, Sling, PlayStation Vue, HBO Now, Showtime Anytime, CBS, ABC, Watch ESPN, Fox Sports Go, Spotify, Pandora, and iHeartRadio. Next it's all about casting content from compatible services on your mobile devices. During the course of my evaluation, I actually moved the Chromecast Ultra three times, to multiple Wi-Fi networks, and had no trouble getting connected each time. I hit Setup and followed the app instructions, which really just involved naming the device and adding it to my Wi-Fi network (if you go the wired route, you don't even have to do this). (You can also set up the Chromecast using a computer by going to /setup.) When I launched the Google Home app, a pop-up window immediately notified me that a new device was found and asked me if I wanted to set it up. I powered up the Ultra and used the Google Home app on my iPhone 6 to walk through the setup process. I began by connecting the Ultra to my 2015 LG 65EF9600 UHD TV, which supports HDR10 but not Dolby Vision. This is a valuable addition, as UHD and HDR streaming can really benefit from the stability of a wired connection. Unlike previous models that could be powered off your TV's USB port, the Ultra's increased processing prowess demands the use of the power adapter.Īnother spec that's new for the Ultra is the inclusion of an Ethernet port, which is actually located on the power adapter-so I didn't even see it at first. On the opposite end is a USB port to connect the supplied power adapter. Sticking out of one end is a flat, black, three-inch-long HDMI cable that supports HDMI 2.0a with HDCP 2.2 for connection to a display or AV processor. ![]() The Ultra is a little black puck measuring 2.25 inches in diameter and about a half-inch high. The Ultra is compatible with Android 4.1 and higher, iOS 8.0 and higher, Mac OS X 10.9 and higher, and Windows 7 and higher. It supports both HDR10 and Dolby Vision HDR, which is a nice perk, and it also allows for playback of multichannel soundtracks (up to Dolby Digital Plus) when connected to your AV processor. The Ultra allows for the streaming of UHD/HDR content from supported services like Netflix, YouTube, and VUDU. It's a bridge, allowing you to stream content from phones, tablets, and computers to your display or AV processor. Like its predecessors, the Ultra is not a media player in and of itself. The Chromecast Ultra ($69) is Google's UHD-friendly media bridge. This begs the question, is there still a reason to buy a standalone Chromecast media bridge? Chromecast built-in is now a common inclusion in many smart TVs, soundbars, media players, and AV receivers. Google's Chromecast technology has pretty much become ubiquitous since we reviewed the original media bridge back in 2013.
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