Google Chromecast was a surprise addition to the company's range of own-brand hardware, a $35 streaming stick that, wounds licked after the Google TV and Nexus Q fiascos, promises a cheap and simple way to get browser and streaming content on your big-screen TV.

We had hoped to give you our hands-on review of Google Chromecast yesterday seeing as though this was the day the media-streaming device was released in the UK, but we had a few setbacks.

It's been a few weeks now since I picked up a Google Chromecast, at that time the apps Du jour were Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, HBO Go, Pandora, Google Play Movies & TV, Google Play Music and tab cast (Chromecast's method of streaming a browser window).

For $35 and a little practice, this is the best streaming solution available to date.

Streams full-screen videos from Netflix and YouTube; Mirrors Websites; Control videos from computer or mobile device

Must go to Chromecast Website to learn when new apps become compatible; No central control panel or app; Clumsy to pause video streaming from a phone when a call comes in

Tiny, forget-about-me design; Idiot-proof setup and use; Strong audio and video quality;

Few compatible apps; Slightly untidy USB power; Can't cast local videos on smartphones, tablets;

A brilliant, low-cost add-on for Android device users in particular, providing a blissfully simple way to beam video from your device to the big screen. People who want to stream their own media collection should look elsewhere. The Chromecast is cheap and easy to use, but there aren’t many apps that support it yet. This situation is bound to change over the coming months, but for now you might find your existing smart TV offers more.

Tiny, forget-about-me design; Idiot-proof setup and use; Strong audio and video quality;

Few compatible apps; Slightly untidy USB power; Can’t cast local videos on smartphones, tablets;