Google Chromecast

What hackers pick instead

• Google TV StreamerRecommended as an affordable way to add smart TV apps to any display, with an ad-free home screen. Critics cite slow speeds and a recent price rise.19recommend

Every quote

The 40 most detailed of 77 comments. Each links to the original.

1. the Chromecast felt revolutionary to me when it launched, because the TV didn't need to be complicated

   Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs”

2. Android TV works great as well. I have it running on an old Chromecast that cost less than $50 new.

   Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “VPN location claims don't match real traffic exits”

3. the current Chromecast on an HDMI port is far superior than anything the TV vendors offer

   Recommends · Mar 2026 · in “Newly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features”

4. Likely not perfect for privacy, but not pure evil like built-in smart TV firmware

   Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]”

5. The latest chromecast devices have very low latency and have worked well for me.

   Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “Floppy disks turn out to be the greatest TV remote for kids”

6. If my 4k HDMI dongle begins to struggle, I will plug in a new device via HDMI.

   Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “Floppy disks turn out to be the greatest TV remote for kids”

7. Plug a new chromecast into one of the HDMI ports and use that and only that

   Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “Floppy disks turn out to be the greatest TV remote for kids”

8. Both Android Auto and Chromecast are great ideas, but so incredibly flakey.

   Mixed · Jul 2026 · in “My car's OTA update broke Android Auto, and it's a indictment of modern software”

9. I just use a $25 Chromecast and that does the business well-enough.

   Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “Fox to Buy Roku Streaming Service in $22B Deal”

10. streaming devices are still quite terrible unless it's a Chromecast

    Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “PipePipe: NewPipe hard fork implementing SponsorBlock”

11. Connect a Chromecast to any HDMI display. Cast to that display.

    Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “Android's full desktop interface leaks: New status bar, Chrome Extensions”

12. The chromecast is much cheaper, so that's a straight win.

    Recommends · Jan 2026 · in “Floppy disks turn out to be the greatest TV remote for kids”

13. I prefer dummy TV + media server/appleTV or chromecast.

    Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “Samsung Family Hub for 2025 Update Elevates the Smart Home Ecosystem”

14. Works better and faster than most smart TVs.

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Netflix kills casting from its mobile app to most modern TVs”

15. Airplay and Chromecast still work great

    Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “Samsung Family Hub for 2025 Update Elevates the Smart Home Ecosystem”

16. It works, no fuss, glitch free

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Microsoft Copilot AI Comes to LG TVs, and Can't Be Deleted”

17. I can't even count how many times I've had to reset a chromecast because something broke and wasn't fixable.

    Criticizes · Aug 2026 · in “Ten Ways NAS Is Getting Enshitified”

18. a product which has progressively become more and more shitty over the years to the point of being unusable

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “I didn't realize my LG TV was spying on me until I turned off Live Plus”

19. Google (Chromecast) and Amazon (Fire TV) operate on the same business model as the TV manufacturers

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “I didn't realize my LG TV was spying on me until I turned off Live Plus”

20. the YouTube app will play an ad in the middle of a video and never return to the original video

    Criticizes · Nov 2025 · in “Someone at YouTube Needs Glasses: The Prophecy Has Been Fulfilled”

21. was disappointed at the level of hostility toward user control, which only increased over time

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “What tech purchase did you regret even though reviews were great?”

22. hard-coded DNS servers with device (Google Chromecast) refusing to work without

    Criticizes · Sep 2026 · in “Why is Google still serving dodgy ads?”

23. frequently crash (I suspect due to running out of ram when casting contents)

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “Microsoft Copilot AI Comes to LG TVs, and Can't Be Deleted”

24. Google (Chromecast) and Amazon (Fire TV) operate on the same business model

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “Microsoft Copilot AI Comes to LG TVs, and Can't Be Deleted”

25. I had hoped they would have a functional life for a little longer.

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “Ask HN: YouTube Only Showing Ads?”

26. the Chromecast it's close to broken (and feels like abandonware)

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “YouTube's CEO limits his kids' social media use – other tech bosses do the same”

27. These things were/are pretty pricey for being long-outdated SoCs

    Criticizes · Dec 2025 · in “Microsoft Copilot AI Comes to LG TVs, and Can't Be Deleted”

28. WiFi and worsening slowness woes with the Google TV/Chromecast

    Criticizes · Jun 2026 · in “Fox to Buy Roku Streaming Service in $22B Deal”

29. For me, that means a Chromecast; I haven't managed the effort to de-Google, and most of what I watch is Youtube anyway.

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Texas is suing all of the big TV makers for spying on what you watch”

30. my experience making a chromecast custom app though has been painful. It's fine to just send media though.

    Mixed · Oct 2026 · in “Apple HomeView”

31. was able to sideload the open source Moonlight client app to stream 4K HDR10+ / 60fps from my server PC

    Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “My Steam Machine Is a 50ft HDMI Cable”

32. HomeKit integration (Siri turn off tv), Chromecast, Airplay, and other local services all work

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Sick of smart TVs? Here are your best options”

33. just never hook it up to the internet at all and plug an AppleTV or Chromecast on it

    Recommends · Oct 2026 · in “Root shell on Samsung TV”

34. I hate my Chromecasts, but it's the best solution I've found for what I want.

    Mixed · Jun 2026 · in “My Steam Machine Is a 50ft HDMI Cable”

35. can even install LineageOS and their new shiny TV launcher on the thing

    Recommends · Nov 2025 · in “Amazon has launched a major global crackdown on Fire Stick piracy”

36. it's capped by the Android TV CPU and poorly optimized driver stack

    Mixed · Jun 2026 · in “My Steam Machine Is a 50ft HDMI Cable”

37. I enable app-only mode on my chromecast and does not see any ads.

    Recommends · Sep 2026 · in “216M Spy TVs – The LG Smart TV Problem [video]”

38. The Google device can easily do it, the Sony TV can't keep up

    Recommends · Jun 2026 · in “Fox to Buy Roku Streaming Service in $22B Deal”

39. Chromecast does exactly this and has existed since ~2010.

    Recommends · Dec 2025 · in “Sick of smart TVs? Here are your best options”

40. The new Chromecasts and Apple TVs are really pretty good.

    Recommends · Jul 2026 · in “LG to Ban Residential Proxies from Smart TV Apps”