Tech Tools: Chromecast gets a makeover

Google’s revamped device has built-in HDMI cable and improved streaming performance

New Chromecast: built-in HDMI cable allows you to easily plug it into the back of your  TV without using an extension. Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
New Chromecast: built-in HDMI cable allows you to easily plug it into the back of your TV without using an extension. Photograph: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg
Chromecast
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Price: €39
Website: www.chromecast.comOpens in new window
Where To Buy: www.chromecast.com

Google’s Chromecast was a hit when it launched in 2013. Its flexibility and cheap price made it an inexpensive way to turn a TV into a smart set. It used your mobile device to run apps, with Chromecast streaming to your TV. All you needed was decent wifi.

Google has updated the device with a new look and a bit of extra tech. The old version of Chromecast, as a dongle, was difficult to fit into some HDMI ports without an extension.

The new version has a built-in HDMI cable, which allows you to ditch the extras and plug it in to your HDMI port, even if it’s a little crowded back there. (It still requires an external power source.)

Google has also improved its streaming performance. I can’t say I’ve noticed a huge difference, but buffering was never an issue for me with the older device.

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chromecast.com

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Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien

Ciara O'Brien is an Irish Times business and technology journalist