Eying the Google TV Streamer? Know these 5 Android TV limitations before you buy

Next week, you can buy the Google TV Streamer for $100 to satisfy your streaming and smart TV needs. It’s the official successor to Chromecast, and this set-top box device feels much more like an Apple TV or Roku than the Google dongles of old. It will be the first device to ship with Android 14 for TV. If you’re new to the world of Android TV, it comes with a few excellent new features and some disappointing limitations.

The Google TV Streamer is double the price of the Chromecast with Google TV 4K, which it replaces, and $70 more than the Chromecast with Google TV HD. Before you throw that kind of money at a streaming box, you should know what it can and can’t do. We focus on what the Google TV Streamer can’t do because a few surprising and unfortunate limitations come with it and Android 14 for TV.

5 Limited app support compared to regular Android

You might think Android 14 for TV can run Android 14 apps, but that’s only partly true

Google is trying to create a unified software experience throughout its ecosystem, bridging things like Android, Android TV, and ChromeOS. The latest Android 14 for TV release, which will power the Google TV Streamer, has the same “Android 14” name as the operating system it’s based on. However, this opens the door to a few misconceptions. While you can technically run most Android 14 apps on the Google TV Streamer and Android 14 for TV through APK sideloading, the real-world experience is much different.

If an application isn’t optimized for the Google TV remote or the Android 14 for TV user interface, running it on the Google TV Streamer isn’t easy. That limits the available pool of apps for your new device, so check if your must-have apps are optimized for Android TV before buying. If you dreamed of running all kinds of Android apps on your Google TV Streamer, you might have to scale back your expectations.

4 You won’t even have Google Photos

This is an area where Apple TV and tvOS excel, and Android 14 for TV falls short

A microcosm of Android 14 for TV’s app problem is the lack of a standalone Google Photos app. An official gallery app for the Google TV Streamer would add convenience to the device and keep it competitive with other streaming boxes. Apple TV, for example, has excellent iCloud Photos integration with tvOS. Although you can cast almost anything to your Google TV Streamer from your smartphone, there’s something to be said about navigating Android 14 for TV with the in-box remote.

Google is known for its great screensavers on Nest and Google TV hardware. The Google TV Streamer will be no exception. There will even be AI-generated artwork you can put on your streaming box. However, we can’t help but imagine how great a Google Photos app would’ve been for putting your precious memories on the big screen.

3 Picture-in-picture doesn’t work as expected

No, you can’t watch a stream of video in a PiP window for some reason

One of Android 14 for TV’s highlights is one of its biggest limitations. Picture-in-picture (PiP) modes, which let you watch or interact with content in a smaller window, were part of Android TV 7 and 8 way back in the day. PiP was removed for half a decade, but it’s returning as part of Android 14 for TV. The problem? You can’t watch video in PiP on Android 14 for TV. In some ways, that defeats the point.

Google says PiP in Android 14 for TV “is only available for non-media apps that consume limited system resources.” There are some cool uses for the feature. Google envisions PiP on Android 14 for TV to facilitate the following functions:

• Communications services (video and voice calls)
• Smart home integrations (doorbells and baby monitors)
• Health monitoring (fitness trackers)
• Live news tickers (sports scores and stock tickers)

Still, I don’t doubt that some Google TV Streamer owners will be disappointed to learn that picture-in-picture on their streaming box doesn’t work the same way as it would on their Android phone.

2 There’s too much personalization and ads

Great recommendations are nice, but Google tends to take it overboard

Google services tend to be all about personalization and showing you ads, and that’s true of Android 14 for TV. Video discovery and generative AI recommendations are a huge part of the operating system, and the company is pushing a new Video Discovery API. Ads are an inescapable part of the platform, too. If you love great recommendation features and personalization, this is a perk. However, if you aren’t a fan of personalization, AI, and advertisements, you might find Android 14 for TV’s reliance on all three to be a limitation.

1 Poor performance is still a real concern

The Google TV Streamer and Android 14 for TV are improved

Whether the hardware or software was to blame, Android TV has never been known for blazing-fast performance. The Google TV Streamer aims to change that with a new processor, and Android 14 for TV has performance and efficiency improvements. If you’re coming from an Apple TV or an Nvidia Shield, the Android 14 for TV and the Google TV Streamer might be too slow.

Still, some hardware limitations remain. The Google TV Streamer has Bluetooth 5.1, so it doesn’t support delivering wireless audio to multiple devices at once. That requires Bluetooth 5.2. This is one example of a Google TV Streamer software limitation rooted in a hardware deficiency. Meanwhile, the Apple TV and tvOS are great at sending audio all over the place with AirPlay.

Should you buy a Google TV Streamer?

Despite these limitations, the Google TV Streamer is still one of the best Android TV streaming devices ever. If you’re looking to upgrade your Chromecast hardware and are willing to pay a premium, this set-top box has the potential to provide a much better experience, like acting as a smart home hub. Android 14 for TV will hit the Google TV Streamer first, and it packs a few minor upgrades. It just doesn’t do much to overcome some of the longstanding Android TV limitations that Google TV Streamer buyers should be aware of.

Google TV Streamer

The Google TV Streamer is a new set-top streaming device from Google that improves upon the Chromecast 4K. It boasts Dolby Vision, which should offer a wider range of colors and deeper blacks when viewing supported content, and even doubles as a smart home hub with Thread support and Matter compatibility. With AI smarts in tow, the device can curate content based on your preferences across all of your subscriptions, and organize them conveniently in one place.