Why I “WOW” at Chromecast with Google TV?
By: Peter Liu
Tags: Chromecast, Product Management, Google, Design, Product

Why I “WOW” at Chromecast with Google TV?

On September 30, 2020, Google released its newest Chromecast with Google TV. Ever since then I have been absolutely obsessed with it for three reasons! Peter Liu Oct 19, 2020·3 min read

Chromecast with Google TV Source: The Verge

First, Google understands its users and our problems, and it shows!

After a long day of work, no one wants to go through more hoops to find something to watch on TV. With the previous Chromecast and many other casting sticks, users like me had to use a phone or tablet to cast contents on TV. To name a few problems with this:

I often had to first find the TV remote hiding below the couch, turn on the TV with the remote, wait for the TV to initialize, unlock the phone, open the streaming service app and then find something to cast. This process is cumbersome and tiring. Native apps such as Disney Plus, Spotify, or HBO have their own glitches that interfere with the casting experience. iOS users often have compatibility issues.

The new Chromecast with Google TV is a product designed to solve these problems. With Google TV on Chromecast and the remote, I now can turn on the TV with google’s remote and get rid of the TV remote. I now can select and stream videos from apps like Disney Plus, Netflix, Youtube, and many others on a single, consolated home screen view. And, I would never need to worry about why the video doesn’t cast correctly from the Disney Plus iOS app.

Second, Chromecast with Google TV is a great product because it possesses something unique. And this competitive advantage is in its remote!

With the Google Assistant button on the remote, users can press the button and use voice to access Google’s powerful search and recommendation functions. It shows movies, shows, and music. But more importantly, this button is Google’s gesture to empower users with its powerful ecosystem of Search, Photos, Calendar, and other apps. This not only makes a more integrated user experience but also a product that prompts for more use frequency, making the product “sticky” in users’ lives.

Third, Chromecast with Google TV is a product that shows Google’s excellent business insights.

The product is positioned at a competitive price of $49.99. Comparing to Apple TV HD($149) and Fire TV Stick 4K($49.99), Chromecast matches most of the competitors’ offerings and offers more unique functions such as Google Assistant and Watchlist.

Also, the product is promoted with a bundle offering with 6 months of Netflix for $89.99. This partnership shows Google is open to collaboration and shares profits with its competitors. With Netflix on its side, the product makes a big statement to show its intention to grab the market share in face of the competition with Apple TV and Amazon Prime Videos.

Lastly, while I rave about the product, there is room for improvement.

First, the product team needs to consider improving user experiences by allowing users who do not want to see paid content on Youtube by giving users the option to turn off paid suggestions. Without this option to change in settings, users will go into individual apps more frequently instead of staying on the consolidated home page. Users will miss out on this distinguishing feature of the product.

Second, the product team should continue to improve the google home integration experience by allowing Chromecast to communicate with Google Home speakers and Nest products more seamlessly. This will provide a better smart home experience and product continuity.

Lastly, to promote the product, implementing a new referral program might be effective. For example, refer a friend to a new Chromecast and get three months of Youtube Premium for free. Chromecast has the potential to create a strong network effect and its implementation should be further studied.