Mainstream alternative
The Google TV Streamer might not be as highly effective because the Protect TV Professional, however it touts appreciable upgrades over the Chromecast Extremely, making it an important alternative in the event you want a brand new streaming field. The interface does not have any lag in common use, it has helpful sensible dwelling controls, and comes with an HDMI 2.1 port on the again. The perfect half is the pricing — at $100, it’s a terrific worth.
For
Interface does not lagBuilt-in sensible dwelling controls and Matter integrationHDMI 2.1 outGreat pricing
In opposition to
Not as highly effective as Protect TV ProDoesn’t have as many ports on the backNo Wi-Fi 6
NVIDIA Protect TV Professional 2019
Nonetheless the very best
I purchased three items of the Protect TV Professional 2019, and use the streaming field completely in my home. It has the very best {hardware} of any streaming gadget, and due to the beneficiant port choice, you may simply connect exterior storage. It additionally has the very best AI-assisted upscaling, and when you’ve got SD or older content material, it appears to be like nice on the Protect TV Professional. Because it launched it 2019, it misses out on AV1 decode, however that is an issue solely with YouTube, and despite the fact that it is considerably costlier, the Protect TV Professional is the one I might decide.
For
Nonetheless the very best total hardwareBest AI-assisted picture upscalingCan simply add storage drivesRegularly will get updates
In opposition to
No HDR in YouTube videosCostlier
Google TV Streamer vs. NVIDIA Protect TV Professional: Design
The Google TV Streamer has a design that integrates properly with the remainder of Google’s sensible dwelling portfolio, and whereas it’s not a dongle — in contrast to the Chromecast Extremely — it is not ungainly within the least.
The distant has a design that is related, and it has the standard buttons — together with a customizable button and a devoted choice to launch sensible dwelling management. There is a button in the back of the Google TV Streamer that permits you to find the distant do you have to lose it.
In contrast, the design of the Protect TV Professional is decidedly gamer-focused, and the black-and-green coloration scheme does not actually mesh into the background almost in addition to Google’s product. That mentioned, I just like the aggressive design of the Protect TV Professional, and it has LED lighting as properly.
I additionally just like the wedge-style Protect TV Professional distant. It has backlit buttons and an important in-hand really feel, and it’s constructed to final — the distant took dozens of tumbles within the final 5 years, and it’s nonetheless going sturdy.
Google TV Streamer vs. NVIDIA Protect TV Professional: Software program
The Google TV Streamer comes with the newest Google TV construct, and also you get helpful extras. There is a devoted sensible dwelling hub — just like the Google House dashboard — that permits you to management sensible dwelling gadgets, and consider footage from any safety cameras.
There aren’t any points in each day use both; the Google TV Streamer has a clean interface with no noticeable lag. That is a giant deal in and of itself, as a result of most streaming containers are usually laggy at occasions. Fortunately, that simply is not a problem right here.
Speaking about no lag, the Protect TV Professional continues to set the usual on this class. Despite the fact that the {hardware} is previous at this level, there’s completely no lag or stutter in common use, and the gadget nonetheless will get common software program updates with system tweaks.
That mentioned, the Protect TV Professional remains to be on Android 11, and it is not prone to change to Android 14-based Google TV. I see this as a very good factor because it means I get the power to disable the Google TV interface fully and use the older Android TV pores and skin, so this is not a problem in my very own use case.
Google TV Streamer vs. NVIDIA Protect TV Professional: Efficiency
The Google TV Streamer is powered by MediaTek’s MT8696 platform, and it comes with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. The elevated reminiscence and storage completely make a distinction, and it is nice to see Google make the good choice on this regard and never shortchange customers.
You additionally get 4K playback with Dolby Imaginative and prescient, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. What I like is that the gadget has an HDMI 2.1 port on the again, and whereas you do not get any extra ports apart from a USB-C energy connector and Ethernet, you may add storage drives by utilizing a USB-C hub.
The Protect TV Professional continues to have the very best {hardware}, with the Tegra platform nonetheless holding its personal. You get two USB-A ports on the again as properly, and an SD card slot on the aspect, so in the event you want a simple method to join exterior storage, the Protect TV Professional is the plain alternative.
Whereas the Google TV Streamer will get so much proper, it does not embrace Wi-Fi 6, and that is annoying. It is not an enormous deal as you continue to get a dependable sign, however Wi-Fi 6 has inherent benefits with latency and gadget congestion, and also you miss out on these advantages.
In the case of each day use, each the Google TV Streamer and Protect TV Professional do an important job. There is not any problem with HDR content material or putting in utilities like Plex, Kodi, and Jellyfin, and I want the Protect TV Professional because it permits me to stream video games with relative ease.
The one quibble with the Protect TV Professional is that it does not have AV1, so you do not get HDR movies in YouTube. This is not a problem with different streaming platforms, and because the Google TV Streamer is newer, it has the codec, so you do not miss out on this regard.
Google TV Streamer vs. NVIDIA Protect TV Professional: Which do you have to purchase?
If you have a look at the $100 value, it is apparent that the Google TV Streamer is a terrific all-round product. It could not have a number of the extra superior choices, however as a mainstream Google TV Streamer, it completely nails the necessities.
The Protect TV Professional could also be older, however it nonetheless prices $199, or twice as a lot because the Google TV Streamer. It has significantly better {hardware}, and if I needed to decide one, I might go together with the Protect TV Professional — it simply does a greater job catering to my utilization wants. However in the event you want the very best worth, the Google TV streamer is nearly pretty much as good, and that is an achievement.
Mainstream alternative
The Google TV Streamer is a superb alternative in the event you want a dependable streaming resolution that does not price loads of money.Â
NVIDIA Protect TV Professional 2019
Nonetheless the very best
The Protect TV Professional remains to be my go-to suggestion in the event you want a strong streaming field. It could not have the newest codecs, however it nonetheless does an excellent job in each day use.Â
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