I already have an Amazon fire stick and I though that this will be a good addition. Well, wrong. This device does not allow to install any standalone apps to be installed like Fire do. This is ONLY for streaming from your phone and selection of apps is very limited.

Apple has followed in Google's steps by announcing a 4K version of its media-streaming box. Though the fourth-gen (non-4K) Apple TV is still available at £149, a 4K version that also supports HDR is now available from £179 (32GB).

Upgraded from the original Chromecast to this model for it's 4K capability, which works well, but overall, the device is much faster to load and also has the option of plugging in to a LAN port Overall, an easy to use, functional streaming device.

I was skeptical at first at how well it would work with my non-smart TV's but OMG love it! I can unplug it and take it to different rooms and still works great. Gave it 4 stars because it needs more apps that are compatible with it without having to have Cable or anything like that.

"My daughter has a learning disability and so can't turn her TV to the correct Channel! She can now ask her google to watch anything on Netflix or Amazon! Fabulous!"

Google steps into the world of 4K streaming with the Chromecast Ultra. Just like the regular Chromecast, this little HDMI dongle lets you watch streaming content on your TV from services like Hulu, Netflix, and YouTube, but it supports 4K video in HDR. It's the most affordable 4K media streamer on the market, but at $69 it's nearly twice the price of the 1080p model and comes very close in price to other 4K media hubs that don't rely entirely on another device for playback, including our top pick, the Roku Premiere+. DesignThe Chromecast Ultra is a 2.3-inch-wide, half-inch-thick tapered black plastic disc just a hair larger than the regular model. Its aesthetics are sleeker and more streamlined than the Chromecast or Chromecast Audio, in the form of a simple glossy black plastic body with a small matte G for Google engraved on it. A three-inch cable extends from the device and terminates in an HDMI connector. A micro USB port sits on the opposite side of the disc from the HDMI ca...

Google's 4K-capable Chromecast Ultra is the least expensive UHD media streamer available, but you still need a smartphone, tablet, or computer to control it.

Ethernet port for reliable 4K streaming; Relatively inexpensive for a 4K media streamer

Requires a smartphone, tablet, or PC; Almost twice the price of the 1080p Chromecast

Streaming from your phone in 4K

Excellent cast quality, 4K HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, Simple setup

Needs more 4K support, Amazon and Apple missing, Slightly expensive

In "Up the Long Ladder," an otherwise very forgettable episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, a guest star informs Mr. Worf that "Every moment of pleasure in life has to be purchased by an equal amount of pain." Nowhere is this adage truer than in streaming media players.

Easy to use; Inexpensive; Beautiful 4K HDR streams

Fewer channels than competitors; Lingering bugs; Inelegant design

The first Chromecast was an important product for Google. It came at the perfect time, when TV-based apps were still in their infancy, with TVs operating systems generally being a bit of a mess.

4K and HDR compatible; Casting is easy; Easy to set up

No Amazon Video; Mains adaptor mandatory; Expensive for what it is

With more and more TVs running Android and having Chromecast built-in, is the existence of a hardware dongle even justified? And can a dongle survive in a world of advanced TV operating systems with apps? We have used Chromecast Ultra for almost six months now and our answer is: “yes, but”.