The Chromecasts version of the Google Assistant combines the convenience of voice commands with the skill of Googles search performance on your Television screen.Don t get me wrong; having a Chromecast isnt a one-stop-shop for getting both a Smart TV and a house voice assistant. Because you have to push a button and talk into the remote, Chromecast naturally lacks some of the most useful “always on” features of a Google Nest Mini or Google Nest Hub like voice command activation (” hey Google”), setting timers and alarms, and a motion-activated display.But Chromecast with Google Television still is, by far, the closest Ive seen a clever Television come to an all-in-one voice assistant.
Screenshot by Brian Rosenzweig/ CNET
Find television shows or movies when you cant remember their names Wait, whats that Air Force film with Tom Cruise called? Combining Googles mighty search functionality with your at home streaming stick, you can utilize your Google Assistant not just to browse your preferred titles but movies you may not remember the precise name of.I attempted searching numerous movies by plot point or lead roles, and was amazed by how often Google pointed me in exactly the best instructions. Searching “motion picture about pet dogs and racing” (The Art of Racing in the Rain), “Anne Hathaway fashion film” (The Devil Wears Prada), and “Lady Gaga Shallow motion picture” (A Star Is Born) all yielded the appropriate outcomes quickly, with alternatives to see, trailers and even YouTube clips.Play specific tracks, albums and podcasts directlyPlay Up First by NPR Not just can you introduce specific tracks, albums and artists on your music streaming service, you can even introduce your preferred podcast.Also, you can leave the app and keep your music or podcast playing instantly as you navigate the house screen.Turn your television on and off with another deviceHey Google, turn off the television This one needs you to have at least another gadget in the Google community (which could even just be a phone with the Google Home app), however it can be found in incredibly handy. Weve all had that moment where were minutes from falling asleep and remember we left the television on. Rather than going through the process of getting up and stumbling through the dark to discover your remote, you can simply open your phones Google Home app (or perhaps just trigger your Nest Mini) and inform it to shut your screen off.Schedule a time for your TV to shut down Turn off the TV off in 5 minutes While you might have thought you can utilize your remotes functionality to control the TV itself, its especially practical that you can set times for your TV to shut down, either through setting a particular time or telling it to shut off when an amount of time is up. One disadvantage: I havent been able to find a voice command to keep the television on after youve already set a time.
Screenshot by Brian Rosenzweig/ CNET
Show hyper-specific Google Photos on your TV Show me my pictures of the New York City skylineAnyone whos used Google Photos in the previous few years understands how good the platform has actually gotten at classifying your photos. Googles AI can not only detect (and with your assistance, name) individuals but can also categorize family pets, occasions, weather, locations and more with ease. Checking Out Google Photos with my Chromecast, I was shocked by how particular I could get. “Show me my images from Christmas Day,” “photos of coffee from Washington, DC” and even “images of myself from 2014” all show on the app with ease.Rewind to a particular timeWait, rewind 10 seconds! Rewinding can be a trouble, particularly when youre seeing a film and have to parse through an hour or two of material. More often than not, we just default to a developed in 30-second rewind feature, even if we actually just missed out on the last line of discussion. Googles voice command can assist you to rewind by a particular variety of seconds or perhaps an offered timestamp in a TV or film.
Screenshot by Brian Rosenzweig/ CNET
Get non-TV suggestions on your screenIm kinda starving. Whats the finest Korean BBQ near me?On one hand, it seems obvious that your Google-search allowed device can address concerns beyond the streaming world, but its easy to forget. And while its a somewhat more cleaned-up variation of a Google search, showing a carousel of just a couple of choices, your Chromecast is simply as capable as your phone of advising you regional dining establishments, bars, parks, stores and more.
The Chromecasts variation of the Google Assistant combines the convenience of voice commands with the skill of Googles search functionality on your TV screen.Don t get me wrong; having a Chromecast isnt a one-stop-shop for getting both a Smart TV and a house voice assistant. Because you have to push a button and talk into the remote, Chromecast inherently lacks some of the most useful “always on” functions of a Google Nest Mini or Google Nest Hub like voice command activation (” hi Google”), setting alarms and timers, and a motion-activated display.But Chromecast with Google Television still is, by far, the closest Ive seen a smart Television come to an all-in-one voice assistant. Combining Googles magnificent search performance with your at house streaming stick, you can use your Google Assistant not only to search your preferred titles however movies you might not remember the specific name of.I tried searching a number of movies by plot point or lead roles, and was amazed by how typically Google pointed me in precisely the ideal instructions. Searching “motion picture about dogs and racing” (The Art of Racing in the Rain), “Anne Hathaway style movie” (The Devil Wears Prada), and “Lady Gaga Shallow motion picture” (A Star Is Born) all yielded the right outcomes quickly, with alternatives to view, trailers and even YouTube clips.Play specific tracks, podcasts and albums directlyPlay Up First by NPR Not only can you introduce specific tracks, albums and artists on your music streaming service, you can even introduce your preferred podcast.Also, you can leave the app and keep your music or podcast playing automatically as you navigate the house screen.Turn your Television on and off with another deviceHey Google, turn off the TV This one requires you to have at least one other gadget in the Google environment (which might even just be a phone with the Google Home app), however it comes in incredibly helpful.