Is Boreal a new Google TV? What kind of google cast it is going to be?

Google announced the Chromecast with Google TV alongside the Pixel 5 in September 2020, but the company is already reportedly working on a new streaming dongle due to launch later this year. Code-named Boreal, the device has been confirmed to exist in teardowns and could be a higher-end model for the company’s streaming hardware lineup — though precise specs are unknown.

Google is working on a new Chromecast with Google TV, code-named Boreal

Both documentation and teardowns performed by 9to5Google confirm that Google is actively working on the new streaming device and that it’s part of the same family as Sabrina — the code name for the current model. The publication has also “heard” that it may launch this year, powered by the same software that the existing model enjoys. Other key details like specs and pricing remain a mystery, but native AV1 hardware playback should be supported, as that’s apparently a requirement for Android TV now. That sort of functionality is limited to newer chipsets, so we could see a hardware upgrade inside Boreal.

If you aren’t familiar, AV1 codec support should lead to lower bandwidth usage when streaming content encoded with it, and its compression gets better at higher resolutions — important with the rise of 4K and 8K TVs.

When the prior Chromecast with Google TV made its debut, it replaced the $69 Chromecast Ultra. Though it was much-loved, it’s not perfect — the paltry 8GB built-in storage is an issue for some. Still, at only a year and a half old, it would be a little unusual for Google to already be looking to replace it. Customers have also been clamoring for higher-end set-top devices more like Nvidia’s Shield series, which remain very popular even with their older hardware.

This is speculative, but Boreal could be a higher-end device that would sit above its existing offering with a more recent chipset and hopefully more storage, processing power, and maybe other features. Outside the Shield, third-party Android TV streaming devices with superior specs are hard to find in the market, and the selection of Google TV models (there’s a difference) is even smaller — there’s one from Realme, but it is riddled with bugs and has the same paltry 8GB storage. Until specs are confirmed, there’s no way to know, but Google could take matters into its own hands to fill this void.

This new Chromecast device powered by Google TV Kyle Bradshaw

Boreal is directly connected to the same Google TV Chromecast software for Android that powers the Chromecast with Google TV. The codename Boreal was found in the same family as Sabrina, which refers to the current Chromecast with Google TV.

Unfortunately, no specs or other clues are currently available for Boreal, leaving us largely in the dark about the hardware of this next first-party Google TV device. Though one improvement that is almost certainly arriving is hardware decoding support for the AV1 format, a spec that was missing from the Chromecast with Google TV that Android TV now reportedly requires.

As for timing, we’ve heard that Google currently intends for the company’s second Google TV powered device to launch this year.

Chromecast with google tv tips

So where could Boreal fit into the Made by Google lineup? For one thing, given that Chromecast with Google TV is only just over a year into its life, we don’t believe Google would be launching a formal replacement for it so soon. Beyond that, if Google wanted to simply re-release 2020’s Chromecast, but with additional storage, this wouldn’t require a new device with a new codename.

Part of the charm of the Chromecast with Google TV is the simplicity of the dongle form factor, but demand has been rising for a higher-end device to compete with the Nvidia Shield TV series. In that vein, perhaps Boreal could be a more premium Google TV box. Google has pursued this model in the past with the $69 Chromecast Ultra and $99 Nexus Player.

Google TV integrates with over 30 streaming services and apps, here’s the full list [U]

Perhaps the most useful thing about the new Google TV platform is the ability to aggregate and organize content from a variety of different sources. Which ones, though? Here’s a full list of streaming services and apps that Google TV supports.

Of course, Google can pull content from its own services such as YouTube TV and also Google TV (formerly Play Movies). Beyond that, however, are quite a few third-party services. Major players like Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max are included, and NBC’s Peacock. The full list of services and apps supported by Google TV in the United States can be found below.

Google TV streaming services and apps — USA

• ABC
• Amazon Prime Video
• AMC
• Apple TV+
• A&E
• BET+
• Comedy Central
• Crackle
• Crunchyroll/Funimation
• DC Universe
• Disney NOW
• Disney+
• Epix Now
• Fox Now
• FuboTV
• NEW: Globoplay
• Google Play Movies (now Google TV)
• Hulu
• HBO Go
• HBO Max
• History
• Kocowa
• Lifetime
• MTV
• NBC
• Pantaya
• Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access)
• Peacock
• Philo
• Pluto TV
• Showtime
• Showtime Anytime
• Sling TV
• Starz
• TBS
• The CW
• TNT
• Tubi TV
• Viki/Rakuten
• VH1
• YouTube
• YouTube TV

This list of supported streaming services will likely expand over time, so we’ll keep an eye out for changes on Google TV and update this article accordingly.

Update 1/19: Google TV has rolled out support for Globoplay, a Brazilian streaming service. The service’s integration appears to have been rolled out to all Google TV users, including in the United States. The service requires account linking for recommendations, but shows up in search results as a directory option regardless.

This comes after Google TV recently added BET+, RaiPlay in Italy, and Pluto TV on the platform’s Live tab as a free streaming option.

Apps that support Google TV’s Live tab

Some services, too, can integrate with the “Live” tab on the Google TV homescreen. Currently, though, there are only three apps that support this functionality.

Why isn’t Netflix on Google TV?

Netflix is a bit of an outlier on Google TV. The biggest streaming service in the world, unfortunately, doesn’t play nice with the platform. You can see Netflix content using Google TV’s directory lookup feature, but Netflix blocks its original content from being used in the watchlist feature. Netflix ripped this support from the platform in late 2020, including support for account linking. That means that Google TV won’t offer any recommendations for Netflix content. However, we have seen Netflix run ads on Google TV in recent months.

The stalemate on Netflix and Google TV support has been ongoing for roughly a year at this point, and shows no signs of getting better.

Where is the Play Movies app and the Play Store on Google TV?

The Google Play Movies & TV app that this new platform replaces had a similar function to Google TV by finding content on a variety of different services, but it wasn’t very widely used. By integrating with your account-wide Google watchlist and being placed directly on your TV, Google TV has a much better chance to support this function.

Meanwhile, the Play Store also doesn’t show up as an app on Google TV either. The only easy way to open it is to ask Assistant to “open the Play Store.”

Also read: 

• What is NCT Crypto? Where can I buy NCT PolySwarm?
• Which Powerbeats are the best? Are AirPods better than Beats?
• What is the difference between iPhone 13 and 13 pro + Video Review
• What is Digital Technology ? What are commonly used Digital Technologies ?
• Does Cardano have a future? Is a good investment? What is Cardano Metaverse Project Pavia