If the only thing your TV is missing is an internet connection and direct access to video-on-demand applications, there’s no need to go out of your way to shop for a brand new device. Affordable digital receivers like the Roku Ultra and Google TV Streamer will do the job just as well, if not better…
Published at 7:00 a.m.
Starting from the premise that no connected TV platform is perfect, seen from Quebec, we can argue that these two are easily among the most recommendable options, for two simple reasons. First, both cost $130, far below the price of a new TV. In the case of the Roku Ultra, it’s still the most expensive in a line of five adapters that do roughly the same thing, and the cheapest model costs just $40.
Then, a significant detail: both Google and Roku promise a regular and lasting upgrade of their respective software platforms, which will make their terminals last for at least a few years, and which will ensure that they will be compatible with new services that may to emerge over time.
Especially in Quebec, where the video and TV on demand market is surprisingly fragmented, knowing that you can install applications as they arrive in the online stores of the main platforms is still a little reassuring. Not all televisions purchased in recent months are compatible with both ICI Tou.tv, New et TVA+to name just these applications.
Google TV Streamer
This is already the case with Google’s new TV Streamer, which in some way marks the end of Chromecast, these HDMI keys which until now made it possible to transmit content that was first found on a phone to your television, a tablet or PC. Its system, Google TV, is actually Android TV. It acts as a (not quite perfect) aggregator of videos from different sources. These sources are found in the form of applications to download from a version for Android TV from the Google Play Store. We promise 10,000 applications, but let’s say there are around twenty that are really worth it. You can also stream content from a mobile or PC.
This digital receiver has a modest technical sheet (considering its price), with 32 GB of internal storage and an Ethernet input, to avoid the hazards of an insufficiently stable WiFi connection. The device supports the HDR10+, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos protocols, which are in tune with the times.
Another trendy thing: generative AI. Google embeds Gemini, its own AI, on the device and evolves the voice control which is activated from the remote control. It has a button that can be personalized (oh joy!) and promises to never be misplaced again thanks to the Find My Remote function.
To add to the whole, and perhaps to offer an experience close to that of the Apple TV, the TV Streamer also acts as a home automation bridge for connected home accessories compatible with the Matter and Thread standards, still relatively new, but not backwards compatible with older connected gadgets.
In particular, it is possible to see the image of a compatible video doorbell live on your TV. Who really wants to go to the door in the middle of an episode of DumasI ask you?
Year Ultra
Roku almost corrects its flaws with the new Roku Ultra receiver, but the main thing remains: Quebec and French-speaking TV have very little space on this platform. His homonymous channel brings together lots of videos that you can watch for free… in English.
It’s a shame, because Roku, born from an internal project at Netflix, really has an original way of stimulating the discoverability of its content. But we can see from the remote control which brand the brand is under: the shortcuts offered are Apple TV+, Disney+, Netflix and (Amazon) Prime Video. Academics in the 1990s had a term for this approach: cultural dumping.
Too bad, because otherwise, this remote control is pretty cool, especially since its buttons are backlit. It has pretty much useless voice control, that said, but can be charged via USB-C, a plus.
This Roku Ultra is a little more efficient than other Rokus and its lifespan should be longer, but you will probably not like it if you prefer French-speaking content or if you do not have a digital antenna at home.
