For three years, Google's Chromecast platform has stood out in the streaming-box category for one simple reason: your phone is your remote. Smartphones and tablets can do a lot of the heavy lifting in the TV-watching experience (browsing content, picking through apps, typing keywords). Chromecast takes advantage of that: no remote, no separate set-top box app ecosystem, lower cost.

Last year's second-gen Chromecast offered decent upgrades over the original, but not much else. The device changed designs, shrank in size, and drove 1080p video to your TV screen a little faster and more efficiently. That device still exists for the same low price of $35. Is there a reason we need a third-gen Chromecast?

On paper, there might be. Streaming boxes with support for the rising 4K and HDR standards are still few and far between, and this month's $69 Chromecast Ultra advertises support for both while still being $30 cheaper than the cheapest 4K HDR Roku box. The Ultra is also the first Chromecast model to come with wired Ethernet in the box.

But Chromecast, like most streaming boxes rushing to the 4K market, has an uphill battle to climb. Chances are, your shiny new 4K set already has "smart" functions built in to support the scant few streaming services that currently support 4K and HDR video. Unlike smart TVs of old, new sets are more likely to support new app downloads, which potentially undermines one of Chromecast's better selling points—easy app upgradeability.

If you still favor the Chromecast line's ties to smartphones, I have tested exactly what you can expect from this new $69 Ultra variant. But if you're only reading this article because you hate your current 4K set's internal apps, I don't have much good news to report.

Setting up the puck



















Chromecast Ultra sticks with the "hockey puck" design that debuted with last year's refresh of the hardware, only now the puck is a little bit closer to NHL regulation size. The diameter has grown a quarter of an inch, from 2 inches to 2.25 inches, while the hardware has fattened up an eighth of an inch to a full half-inch of depth.

Chances are, the size increase won't disrupt your entertainment center. The puck design remains easier to stick into a TV's crowded port party than the original stick model, as it again comes with an HDMI "ribbon" of about 3 inches. In an interesting move, Google expanded the Chromecast's functionality by adding one more port, but you won't find it in the puck. Instead, the device's new Ethernet port has been built into the AC adapter.

This means the AC adapter's general design has changed and grown, which might require some power-cord shuffling if your power strip is already swamped. The primary hardware accepts power from a micro-USB cable, but if you choose a different USB power adapter, the Chromecast Ultra will warn you that you'll be limited to 1080p output. (Worth noting: Google sells Ethernet-equipped AC adapters for older Chromecasts at its official store for $15.)

Setting the device up requires installing the Google Home app (which used to be called Google Cast, and before that, Chromecast) onto a smartphone or tablet. Open Google Home on an Android device, and the app should automatically tell you that you have a new Chromecast Ultra in need of setting up (I did not test this on an iOS device, but setting up past Chromecasts in iOS has been only slightly more complicated).

The setup process at this point is simple: your phone will automatically switch to the Chromecast Ultra's short-range Wi-Fi signal and quickly exchange information to enable control. If you opt for a wired connection, that's it; if you prefer wireless, the app will ask you to automatically transfer your preferred Wi-Fi network and password from your phone. This Wi-Fi auto-transfer has only recently been added to the Google Home app, and it's a welcome setup shortcut.

You can now start casting content from your handheld device (or a laptop with the Chrome browser) to your Chromecast Ultra's TV set. This works by loading a compatible audio- or video-streaming app and tapping the "cast" icon, then selecting content in that app.