The main thing to know about Chromecast is that you'll either love it or hate it. Unlike every other media streamer in our buying guide, Google's $35...

Fast and easy phone- or tablet-based navigation; Automatic TV controls are a brilliant touch; Unbeatable price at $35 (frequently available for less...

Unusable without a phone; tablet; or PC; No universal search or on-screen menu system; Chrome tab mirroring still doesn't work that well

Bought this for my other half so he could put guitar lessons from utube on the box he loves it. he is a complete technophobe so has to be good!!!!!!!!!!!

Terrible product. I have tried to connect to my network multiple ways. Second one that I have had. First one was completely unreliable, connects and then does not connect, requiring constant resetting. This second one just won't connect. Tried everything.

Was a present for my 13 year old daughter. I did not know what it really does do but she certainly did. Now I have to get her off it..... So guess it was a great buy

Streaming media is nothing new. We have been watching YouTube and IPTV for years now, but over the

– Easy to set up; – Inexpensive; – Lot's of supported apps; – Can cast any open Chrome tab

– Requires another device to work; cannot load apps on it

For my money, there's no better way to consume media on a TV than by hooking up a PC directly, but that's not practical in all cases. But at the same price point of just $35, Google is taking the best parts of the Chromecast and expanding on them.

Google wowed us with the Chromecast when it launched two years ago. At the time, the idea of a $35 device you could plug into your HDTV to watch streaming media was remarkable. It no longer seems as novel, with other inexpensive solutions on the market, even still the Chromecast remains a top-notch...

Inexpensive; Easy to set up; Compatible with many apps and services; Responsive

No major new features over the original Chromecast; Requires a smartphone, tablet, or PC to control

The original Chromecast is a nifty little device that let you wirelessly 'cast' what's on the screen of your smartphone, tablet or laptop to your monitor or TV. You simply connect the HDMI dongle to your TV and pair it with your portable device via a Wi-Fi connection.

Reliable streaming; Easy setup and operation; Greatly improved app

No separate interface; No 4K streaming

When Google created the Chromecast, they took a little bit of a different tack on a streaming media device. Instead of trying to build in services and platforms, the Chromecast is focused solely on providing a wireless connection between a user's devices and their television.

There's this thing Netflix does after you've watched three episodes of something in a row. You might have seen it before. You're just finally settled in, a you-shaped dent is forming in the couch, and a little message pops up: "Are you still watching? Press play if so.

Chromecast is just absurdly easy to set up; There's a lot of stuff to watch here; The new app makes finding all that stuff much, much easier

Your phone isn't always a very good remote; No 4K, no Amazon