Update, Feb 8 (4:30 pm ET): Google releases the changelog for the Chromecast with Google TV Update
What you need to know
- Google has released the December 2020 patch for Google TV.
- Users on Reddit are reporting better support for 4K60, which was reportedly spotty.
- This comes days after Android TV was updated with a new UI to more closely resemble Google TV.
Chromecast with Google TV owners are being treated to an update today, which includes the December patch after one of the best streaming devices skipped out on October and November updates. It comes in at just over 78MB and no changelog was provided, so there doesn't seem to be much more included than a security patch. Additionally, the remote is also being updated, which you can find by navigating to Settings and Remotes & Accessories.
Interestingly, users on Reddit are reporting that since updating, they're now gaining support for 4K60 on their TV sets. Chromecast with Google TV has always supported 4K content at 60fps, but it seems support has been spotty, even on some compatible TV sets.
Unfortunately, it seems the update has yet to address a common issue regarding 5 GHz WiFi. Since October, users have been reporting that some Chromecast with Google TV units cannot find their 5 GHz WiFi networks, meaning users are stuck using the 2.4 GHz connection. There seems to be a roundabout way to fix it, but Google has yet to address the problem in an update, leaving some to try to enable it manually.
The update is currently rolling out, so be sure to check your Google TV devices for an available update, which may take some time to hit your unit. Meanwhile, Android TV users are also being treaded to an update that started rolling out just days ago. It brings with it an updated Google TV-like interface and Discover Tab. Google has called the update a "half-step" while it works to try and bring the full Google TV experience to Android TV sets.
Update, Feb 8 (4:30 pm ET) ― Changelog for Chromecast with Google TV update highlights improvements
Google has released the changelog for the update, which confirms suspected improvements for 4K TV sets. The update is listed as published as of today, February 8th, indicating some users received the update a bit early.
- Improved 4K support for TVs and AVRs
- Dolby Audio improvements for Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital Plus passthrough content
- Android recovery screen improvements and fixes
- Reduced the occurrence of users seeing the Android recovery screen
- Improved instructions when the Android recovery screen is shown
- Security update: security patch level increased to December 5, 2020
- General security, stability and performance improvements
Users should check their Chromecast with Google TV units for the update if they haven't seen it yet, but it's likely still rolling out to users.
