Google's first Chromecast was an ugly little stick that nonetheless served an important purpose: At around 2200rs it was about the cheapest way to make a plain old TV "smart, " letting people get Netflix, YouTube and movies from Google Play on their televisions with zero fuss.
But things have changed since the first Chromecast arrived in mid 2013. 4K TVs are becoming more and more commonplace while companies like Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and, yes, Google are battling to bring video to your living room. Also, if nothing else, just about every TV these days has built-in Netflix and YouTube apps. Into this crowded market comes the Chromecast Ultra, an update to the 2015 version that adds support for 4K high dynamic range ( HDR) streaming.
Pros
Simple setup and easy to use
Excellent video quality
4K streaming works great over WiFi and Ethernet
Compatible with most popular streaming services
Cons
Marginal video quality improvement over 1080p streaming devices
Limited 4K content selection at launch
Twice as expensive as the regular Chromecast
No remote
No Amazon Instant Video support
Summary
The Chromecast Ultra does exactly what it promises to do: reliably stream 4K HDR video to compatible TVs. But the marginal increase in quality, coupled with a dearth of 4K content, means the device is hardly a must-buy.
Does this improved video quality warrant a purchase?
