Google discontinued Chromecast, replacing it with the more robust Google TV Streamer. However, despite the upgrades, the new streaming device is more expensive, leaving many users feeling lost and frustrated.
Therefore, many people have been looking for alternative streaming devices to replace Chromecast, with Walmart’s Onn Google TV 4K Plus being one of the favourites. But is the streaming device an adequate Chromecast replacement?
Below is a detailed look at the Onn Google TV 4K Plus, including its features and a comparison with Chromecast.
Features of the Onn 4K Plus streaming device
Walmart’s Onn Google TV 4K Plus is the latest in line of Google TV streaming devices, which comes packed with excellent features to make your streaming session seamless. Below is a look at some of its top features:
1. Google TV streaming platform
The Onn Google TV 4K Plus runs on the Google TV™ streaming platform, which is powered by the Android TV operating system.
The platform provides an all-in-one streaming hub, offering access to thousands of apps, multiple streaming services (including Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and Max), live TV, music, sports, and more, all in one place.
Google TV also comes with the following cool features that make your streaming more enjoyable:
- Personalized content recommendations based on your viewing preferences.
- Content aggregation – it compiles content from different streaming services and apps, making it easy for you to browse and find content.
- Google Assistant support
- Google Photos integration
- Parental controls with the ability to create user profiles for kids.
2. 4K Ultra HD resolution
One of the top features of the Onn 4K Plus streaming device is the 4K Ultra HD resolution.
The 4K resolution ensures that you enjoy sharper and clearer images, especially when watching 4K movies and videos on a large TV screen. It also enhances your viewing experience when streaming live sports events in 4K.
3. Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos
The Onn 4K Plus comes with two more features to enhance your streaming experience: Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos.
The Dolby Vision HDR delivers brighter, more vivid images and a wider range of colours, which, when combined with 4K resolution, delivers a cinematic viewing experience with significantly superior visual quality.
On the other hand, Dolby Atmos provides clearer and more realistic sounds with an immersive soundscape, providing an enhanced audio experience.
4. Impressive performance
The Onn 4K Plus is not the strongest Google TV streaming device on the market, but it is equipped with some impressive performance specs.
It is equipped with a Quad-core processor clocked at 2.5 GHz. The interesting thing about the processor is that it outperforms the CPUs of several other streaming devices, including the more expensive Google Streamer, Onn 4K Pro, and Fire TV 4K stick.
In addition to the impressive processor, the streaming device also features a Mali G310 V2 graphics processing unit, 2GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage space.
5. Voice Remote with Google Assistant
One handy feature of the Onn 4K Plus is the voice remote powered by Google Assistant, which lets you search for content and control the streaming device using voice commands.
You can also use the voice remote to control your TV and other smart devices (such as lights, thermostats, and media devices) connected to your Google Home app on the same network.
Apart from voice control, the remote features some handy shortcuts, including buttons for YouTube, Netflix, Disney, and Paramount. It also comes with a Free TV button, which lets you access Google TV’s Free Play service.
6. Connectivity features
In terms of connectivity, the Onn 4K Plus supports Wi-Fi 6, which enables faster speeds and a smoother streaming experience, particularly when watching 4K content.
The streaming device features an HDMI port for connecting to your TV. It also supports Google Cast, which lets you cast content from your smartphone to your TV.
Onn Google TV 4K Plus pros and cons
There are several things to love about the Onn Google TV 4K Plus, and a few items that you might not like about the streaming device. Below is a look at its pros and cons.
Pros
- A great value for money: At $29.88, this is one of the most affordable Google TV streaming devices.
- Superior streaming quality: Offers 4K Ultra HD resolution with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, which guarantees a superior streaming experience.
- Smooth performance: It boasts impressive technical specifications, delivering a seamless performance.
- Google TV Platform: It runs on the Google TV platform, which offers a streamlined and personalized entertainment experience.
- A cool remote: It comes with a Google Assistant-powered remote that you can use to control your TV and other connected smart devices.
Cons
- Limited RAM and storage space: The RAM and storage space are decent, but somewhat limited compared to other high-end streaming devices.
- Lacks a USB 3.0 port: It lacks a USB 3.0 port for connecting external devices, a feature available in the Onn Google TV 4K Pro.
- No hands-free voice control: The voice control in the remote is a nice touch, but it would have been cool to include hands-free control and a remote finder – features also available on the Onn 4K Pro.
How does the Onn Google TV 4K Plus compare with Chromecast?
When comparing Onn 4K Plus with Google Chromecast (4K), you will be pleased to find that the former outperforms in nearly all aspects.
Starting with performance, the Onn Google TV 4K Plus features a more powerful processor and GPU, ensuring smoother performance. The two devices are similar in terms of RAM, but the Onn 4K Plus has an edge with double the storage space (16 GB).
The Onn 4K Plus also features a better design, with the streaming device sporting a compact box design as opposed to Chromecast’s dongle design.
It also has an edge over Chromecast in terms of connectivity (Wi-Fi 6) and remote control (streaming apps shortcut keys and a Free TV button).
The one area where Onn 4K Plus is most superior is in the pricing. The streaming device is available for $29.98, while the Google Chromecast with 4K was previously available for around $50.
The best part about the Onn Google TV 4K Plus is that it runs on the Google TV interface, which is the same as the one used by Google Chromecast.
Therefore, Chromecast users can enjoy a familiar streaming experience with the bonus of several new cool features.
Our verdict
Walmart’s Onn Google TV 4K Plus is superior in almost every aspect compared to Google Chromecast. It is also available at a more affordable price despite the performance upgrades.
Moreover, Onn 4K Plus offers similar functionality to Chromecast with a Google TV interface and Google Cast. Therefore, the streaming device is a perfect replacement for the discontinued Chromecast.
Of course, if you are considering more options, you can find streaming devices like Google TV Streamer and Onn Google TV 4K Pro that have better features.
However, these other streaming devices come at a higher price tag: the Onn 4K Pro costs $49.88, and the Google TV Streamer is available for $99.99.
Therefore, Onn 4K Plus is a better replacement for Chromecast, as it offers a superior streaming experience while being more affordable.