Recently, some new information was leaked about the upcoming Chromecast HD with Google TV. We still don’t know everything. However, we know much more than the information we published at the end of January 2022. First of all, our earlier assumptions have been confirmed. The S805X2 chipset supporting AV1 decoding will power the upcoming “Chromecast HD”. In addition, the device will run on Android 12 OS with Google TV software.
What do we know about the upcoming Chromecast HD with Google TV?
First of all, as the name suggests, “Chromecast HD” with Google TV is the opposite of the current streamer that supports 4K resolution. Although Google’s upcoming streaming device (G454V model) only supports Full HD (1080p) content, it also supports AV1 decoding (1080p @60fps). As already mentioned, it will be powered by the Amlogic S805X2 SoC with a Mali-G31 GPU.
Also Read: MECOOL KD5 Review: Certified Full HD HDR AV1 Android TV Stick
Through Kuba Wojciechowski, in whose hands the firmware of the new “Chromecast HD” fell, we can get to know the key features of the device. Among other things, the device is to come with 1.5GB of RAM. Besides, is to have 8GB eMMC storage with support for virtual A/B seamless updates with compression. As you know, the original Chromecast has just 8GB of storage and no A/B partition scheme.
In addition, the upcoming Chromecast HD with Google TV will support dual-band 802.11ac WiFi 5 and BT 5.2 (NXP 88W8987 chip). In addition, the voice remote is similar to the original model. The other major detail here is that the software will be based on Android 12, making this the first Google TV 12 streamer. The original Chromecast is still based on Android 10.
Interestingly, 1.5GB of RAM is sure to be a bottleneck for future Android versions. Android 13 raises the memory requirement for many devices to 2GB.
Price and availability
“Chromecast HD” is expected to cost around $30. Most likely, the HD Google TV streaming device will be presented on October 6 at the presentation of Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro smartphones, and Pixel Watch smartwatch.
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