Best USB-C Hub for Chromecast With Google TV (2023)

FAQs

What USB-C hub works with Chromecast with Google TV? ›

The Nekteck 45W USB C Wall Charger is the lowest priced one we could track down that meets its manufacturer's claims and delivers enough juice to run both the USB-C hub and Google Chromecast with Google TV. The plug folds away for easy storage, and it supports international voltages in case you need to travel with it.

Connect your Chromecast to your TV's HDMI port. Connect the USB-C hub to your Chromecast. Connect the USB-C charger to a power socket and to the power delivery port of the USB-C hub. Connect your USB storage device to the hub.

A usb-c to Gigabit ethernet adapter on the Chromecast with Google TV reports a maximum speed of around ~350Mbps.

If you wish to connect Chromecast Ultra or Chromecast with Google TV without using Wi-Fi, the Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast lets you connect your device directly to your router through your wired Ethernet connection.

If you attempt to use a power supply that isn't up to that standard, the device will boot up with an error message regarding the lack of power. The Chromecast with Google TV (HD) has the same limitation, leaving the device unable to use TV power over USB.

Approx Length - 5 ft (1.5 meters).

It's important to only use the cables that come in the Chromecast Audio box; other cables may not work.

You can use Google Home and the Google Assistant to control connected Chromecast devices and select TVs with Chromecast built in. TVs with Chromecast built in require Cast version 1.21 or higher. Not all TVs with Chromecast built in are compatible with Google Home voice control.

Chromecast with Google TV requires 5 Volt DC, 1.5 amp.

How many watts does Chromecast use? ›

You're not even going to believe how little energy it uses: 1.8 watts. No matter how long it idled or how much video content we threw at it, it stayed steady at 1.8 watts of power consumption with only minor 0.1 fluctuations up or down. What does that mean in real world terms?

All you need to do to enable faster internet on a Chromecast Ultra is run an Ethernet cable from your router to the power adapter. This will afford the fastest network speeds available, potentially in any room in your home.

AV1 is a video codec known to be especially efficient, so the newer 1080p Chromecast might use less bandwidth to stream video. In addition, the 1080p version has less RAM: 1.5GB, whereas the 4K model has 2GB. That sounds like a downgrade, but in our experience, it isn't especially noticeable in normal use.

Ethernet has a lower theoretical max speed but it has a much higher actual minimum speed and doesn't suffer the congestion problem you may have with Wi-Fi. The real benefit of the Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast is being able to side-step the whole Wi-Fi congestion issue.

Cause of Failure. The official reason Google provided for discontinuing the Audio line was that they already had many products for users to enjoy their music and podcasts. They informed customers the Chromecast Audio would still be supported but no longer manufactured.

That's because WiFi is prune to all sorts of interference from walls and your Bluetooth headphones, earbuds, fitness band. This is why, if you really want a smooth internet connection for your Chromecast, then Ethernet is the best option.

Check that your Chromecast with Google TV is plugged into the power adapter that came with it. If it's plugged into your TV's USB port or a different adapter, it might not be getting enough power. Check that the power adapter is plugged into a reliable wall outlet. Check that the cable also came with Chromecast.

USB-C cables can be extended up to a total of 13 feet, but data transfer speeds and power output will be affected. For the fastest transfer speeds, 1 meter, or 3.3 feet, will be the longest that you want to go. For basic data transfer and charging, longer cable extensions will work fine.

Does the length of a USB-C cable affect speed? ›

At long distances, your USB cable may still supply power, but as the distance gets longer, your data transfer rate may get lower and lower - and at really long distances, you may not be able to transfer data at all. Eventually, even power delivery will fail too.

Data Transfer Rates

USB-C comes packed with USB4 support making it the clear winner here as it supports data transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps (gigabits per second) while the Lightning connection only supports up to 480 Mbps (megabits per second) with USB 2.0. That's roughly an 80x faster rate with the USB-C connection.

The Chromecast Ultra uses a micro-USB connector, while the newer Chromecast with Google TV uses the newer USB-C connector.

Play and control TV shows and movies on your Google Nest display or on any TV with Chromecast or Chromecast built-in using only your voice. Currently, you can only use select partners to play shows and movies on Nest displays or TVs using speakers or displays.

Chromecast functionality also comes built into the Google Nest Hub and the Google Nest Hub Max. These smart displays will appear as Chromecasts on your network, letting you cast audio and video over to the device – not all video apps recognize Nest Hubs as displays, but many do.

Not every major streaming service allows its content to be included in Google TV's rows of aggregated recs: Netflix is the big holdout. The company bowed out of Google TV integration very shortly after the release of the 2020 Chromecast, and Google has been unable to bring Netflix back into the fold ever since.

Chromecast Audio is controlled from devices on the same Wi-Fi network, such as mobile devices, tablets or computers, and is powered using the USB cable and provided power supply (#3, #4).

You must use the power supply included in the Chromecast Ultra box. Once your Chromecast Ultra is plugged in, you should see the Chromecast home screen.

What's the minimum speed requirement for Chromecast to work? We recommend a minimum of 5 Mbps speed for good performance.

Why does Chromecast get so hot? ›

Chromecast may get hot to the touch; this is normal. Unplug Chromecast's power source and let it cool before removing it from your television. Use only the cables and plugs provided with your device to plug Chromecast into a power source. Using other cables or plugs may damage Chromecast and/or your television.

Android TVs are compatible with external Hard Disk Drives (HDD) or flash drives formatted in NTFS file system or the FAT32 file system.

Stuttering or poor quality

The Chromecast or TV with Chromecast built-in should be 15 feet (4 meters) away from the router, or less. Make sure both your Chromecast device and Android device are both connected to the same Wi-Fi network channel, either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz.

Use your Chromecast with Google TV (4K) or Chromecast Ultra to watch movies and TV shows in 4K Ultra HD and 4K HDR.

Chromecast (2nd generation) is compatible with both 2.4 GHz WiFi 802.11 b/g/n WiFi networks and 5 GHz networks, so you will see both when setting up the device. If you have a dual band router, you must disable AP isolation.

Both devices still look aesthetically the same, with the small, compact circular design we're familiar with. However, Chromecast Ultra delivers a few new features that Chromecast can't, including faster speeds and the ability to stream in 4K ultra-high-definition (UHD) quality.

Video resolution ranges from 240p to 1080p and can be adjusted manually on each film by clicking the Settings icon. You can stream to Chromecast Ultra from the Google Chrome browser. Chromecast Ultra is 4K-compatible: for the optimal compatible resolution, make sure to select 1080p on the video you're watching.

The Chromecast with Google TV is a great, affordable streamer with some awesome software, but its low-cost nature lends itself well to the device feeling super slow at times. Luckily, there are a couple of easy tweaks you can make to help keep it feeling quick.

Chromecast Ultra is designed to pick the maximum refresh rate (up to 60Hz) and resolution supported by your 4K Ultra HD TV's HDMI connection.

Is Chromecast with Google TV better than smart TV? ›

A Smart TV and Chromecast serve the same function – they load the internet onto your TV screen. But while they both have built-in apps, a Gen#4 Chromecast can use a separate source device like a phone, laptop, tablet, etc. so it can project this external content onto your TV.

This Type-C HUB from UGREEN has 6 ports including HDMI, USB 3.0, and Micro-SD card slots. It works great with Android smartphones such as the Galaxy Note 10 and Samsung Galaxy S8, S9, and S10.

Connection. All three Google TV devices connect to your cable TV service via a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) cable. One end of the HDMI cable goes plugs into the "HDMI Out" of the cable box while the other end connects to the "HDMI In" of the Google TV unit.

Quick and powerful. Connect your USB-C™-enabled gear to transfer data and charge devices¹. This cable comes in two lengths (1 m and 2 m) for the reach that you need.

A USB-C hub expands the number of ports available to connect your devices and peripherals, and options range from hubs that add USB-A ports to multiport USB-C hubs with Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, or SD connections.

The technology for the junction boxes is therefore not yet available. Intel -- the driving force behind USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 -- simply hasn't yet offered a technology solution that would leverage the benefits of USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 across umpteen of the same ports.

USB-C is more compact than its predecessors, reversible in connectivity (vertical orientation doesn't matter for a USB-C connection), and compatible with a number of connection types like USB-A, HDMI, Thunderbolt™ 3, etc. Also, due to power delivery support, charging capabilities and transfer speeds are faster.

Google TV Disadvantages:

Not a lot of internal storage. Doesn't allow 4K playback on all streaming apps. More prone to lagging and slow load times.

If you only judge by the sticker price, the Chromecast with Google TV HD is the best streaming device you can buy for the least amount of money. For $30, you get a streaming dongle with a feature-rich remote, powerful voice controls, and a useful system for figuring out what to watch.