With so many new televisions having built-in sensible capabilities even within the funds section, you’d suppose there is not a lot want for a streaming gadget anymore. Nonetheless, lots of people are nonetheless utilizing previous non-smart televisions, sensible TVs with restricted capabilities, or a wise interface that does not fairly work in addition to it used to. In such instances, an excellent streaming gadget will allow you to take pleasure in the advantages of up-to-date sensible performance, with out having to improve your in any other case practical and costly tv.
Among the many latest reasonably priced streaming units in India is the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick, which is priced at Rs. 3,499. With a small type issue, Extremely-HD and HDR streaming capabilities, and the Google TV consumer interface, that is among the many most compelling choices you should buy for lower than Rs. 5,000 proper now. Does it dwell as much as expectations? Discover out on this overview.
The Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick connects to your tv or show utilizing its built-in HDMI plug
Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick design and specs
Very like the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Mi TV Stick, the Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick is a small, plain gadget that plugs instantly into an HDMI port in your TV and can hopefully be out of sight for the remainder of its life.
The streaming stick has an HDMI plug and a Micro-USB port for energy, and comes with a USB cable and wall adapter so that you can plug it in. I used to be in a position to energy the Realme TV Stick instantly utilizing a USB port on my TV through the overview, however this meant that the gadget would take just a few seconds in addition up after the TV was turned on. It is really useful to make use of the wall adapter when attainable for a steady energy provide that’s impartial of the TV.
Additionally included within the gross sales package deal is an HDMI extender, a distant management, and AAA batteries to energy the distant. Whereas the gadget ought to be capable to plug in to most televisions instantly, the extender may assist in some conditions, equivalent to when the TV is wall-mounted and area on the again is restricted, or if ports are very shut to at least one one other for the reason that stick is sort of vast.
The Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick helps HDMI 2.1, and may stream content material at as much as Extremely-HD decision at 60Hz. Moreover, it could actually deal with excessive dynamic vary content material as much as the HDR10+ format. There is no Dolby Imaginative and prescient HDR, however Dolby Audio is supported. The gadget is powered by a quad-core CPU, and has 2GB of RAM and 8GB of inner storage for apps and app information. It makes use of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 for connectivity.
Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick distant and options
As with most standalone streaming units, the Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick comes with a full-fledged Bluetooth distant. It is fairly much like the remotes that ship with the Realme Smart TV vary, with controls to navigate the interface, modify the quantity and settings, and hotkeys for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and YouTube Music. The distant is powered by two AAA batteries.
There may be HDMI CEC assist on the Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick, and this labored nicely for me when utilizing it with a Hisense Android TV. Whereas I used to be ready to make use of the Hisense distant to regulate the Realme TV Stick for many features, the house key was a notable exception; urgent this went again to the tv’s house display slightly than the Realme gadget’s house display, which made navigating a bit harder when not utilizing the Realme distant.
The Google TV consumer interface appears significantly totally different from the inventory Android TV UI, however each are based mostly on the Android TV working system
The Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick additionally has built-in Google Chromecast and Google Assistant performance. The voice assistant was absolutely geared up and fetched personalised data, particular content material from on-device apps, and extra. The microphone on the distant labored nicely sufficient for the gadget to interpret voice instructions precisely.
Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick software program and efficiency
The standout promoting level of the Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick is its software program; that is, to the perfect of my data, the primary streaming gadget in India working the Google TV consumer interface, which was launched with the Chromecast with Google TV; the Google Chromecast is not formally offered in India but. The consumer interface features on prime of Android TV, with the Realme TV Stick working Android model 11. There may be additionally entry to the Google Play Retailer for Android TV, which lets customers set up any of over 5,000 apps optimised for the large display.
Many standard apps are preinstalled, together with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, YouTube, and in addition varied Indian streaming companies together with MX Participant, Alt Balaji, Zee5, Solar Nxt, and Sony Liv. Usefully, you’ll be able to uninstall most of those apps if you happen to do not want them. The hotkeys on the distant work as anticipated to launch the apps on the interface. The apps themselves are precisely the identical as I’ve seen on Android TV units; Google TV merely adjustments the way in which the interface appears, and the way you entry apps and content material.
Google TV is significantly totally different from the inventory Android TV consumer interface in that it places content material on the forefront and gives curation and suggestions that allow you to choose one thing to look at rapidly. In fact, like earlier than, you’ll be able to all the time go instantly into particular apps if you happen to already know what you need. That is much like Xiaomi’s PatchWall consumer interface, though the curation is significantly much less India-focused and extra normal in nature.
There are giant banners for content material, curated lists for classes, the power to mark particular films and TV exhibits as a part of your ‘Watchlist’, and straightforward steerage for tips on how to entry watchlisted content material. Whereas the system will attempt to advocate a approach to stream content material totally free, in some instances you is likely to be taken to Google Play Films to hire or purchase titles. It’s also possible to pause and proceed watching content material from varied apps instantly via the Google TV consumer interface.
Content material and curated suggestions are the main focus of the Google TV consumer interface, however you’ll be able to all the time go straight into the app of your selection
A key facet of Google TV is its integration with varied streaming companies, with the system detecting which of them you have got put in and providing content material suggestions based mostly on that. I discovered suggestions from Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Apple TV, and MX Participant. Oddly, Netflix wasn’t built-in into the system, so I could not see any curation that included Netflix content material. I may, in fact, merely launch the Netflix app and watch no matter I needed, however this lack of integration in India was a little bit of a letdown.
Other than the consumer interface, the settings and different menus even have a modified look. Nonetheless, the working system remains to be Android TV at its core, and features precisely as such, with even the Google Play Retailer wanting virtually the identical as on televisions and streaming units with inventory Android TV.
The gadget itself was responsive and labored as anticipated for me; though it wasn’t an exceptionally fast or easy expertise, it positively wasn’t gradual or buggy. I did, nonetheless, expertise some points with HDR streaming; for example, I could not play HDR content material at Extremely-HD at 60Hz on two televisions that I attempted the Realme TV Persist with. Decreasing the body price to 30Hz at Extremely-HD fastened this, nevertheless it’s positively a bug that Realme should look into and try to repair with a software program replace.
It is also value mentioning that my overview unit inexplicably stopped functioning correctly quickly after finishing the testing course of, however earlier than the publishing of this overview; the consumer interface did not load up or enable entry to the Settings menu, even once I tried the gadget on three totally different TVs. I used to be in a position to full this overview utilizing a second unit despatched by Realme, however the reason for the difficulty with the primary unit stays unknown.
Verdict
The Realme 4K Sensible Google TV Stick is exclusive in that it gives entry to the Google TV consumer interface which remains to be very unusual. Nonetheless, in most different methods, that is an peculiar streaming gadget, even for the worth. Though you do get the handy type issue, Extremely-HD streaming, and HDR10+ assist, the shortage of Dolby Imaginative and prescient is a bit disappointing. Google TV’s lack of Netflix integration for suggestions in India can be value mentioning right here, though this is not a flaw of the Realme TV Stick itself.
It is value contemplating this gadget as a substitute for the Mi Box 4K which has related capabilities, if the extra handy type issue of the Realme gadget is interesting. Nonetheless, if you happen to can bump up your funds a bit, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K stays our prime choose within the section because of Dolby Imaginative and prescient assist, and you possibly can additionally contemplate the newer Fire TV Stick 4K Max.
Worth: Rs. 3,499
Execs:
- Android TV 11 with Google TV UI
- Handy type issue
- Extremely-HD and HDR streaming at an excellent worth
Cons:
- No Dolby Imaginative and prescient
- Some bugs within the software program
Rankings (out of 10):
Design and specs: 8
Options: 8
Worth for cash: 8
Total: 8