Chromecast with Google TV attempts to revive Android TV for the streaming wars

At its Launch Night In event today, Google officially unveiled Chromecast with Google TV. The new HDMI dongle is available starting today in the U.S. for $50 (it’s coming to Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain, and the U.K. on October 15). That’s quite cheap given that it comes with its own remote control and dedicated user interface. The latter is so important to Google that the company put it in the product name. “Think of Google TV as your personal entertainment content curator,” Google TV general manager Shalini Govil-Pai said. “We will be bringing the Google TV experience to many more streaming devices in the Android TV ecosystem. Today, Google TV is making its debut on the all new Chromecast.”

Like all the Google products announced today, Chromecast with Google TV has been leaking for months. The real news here is the confirmation that Google is giving Android TV another go by bringing back Google TV. (Android TV launched in June 2014, succeeding an even earlier smart TV effort from October 2010 called Google TV. Yes, Google rebrands as often and as poorly as Microsoft.) Android TV will continue to exist, as Google TV is an additional interface that runs on top.