Chromecast Ultra

First posted in the NOW TV thread.

Google will be releasing the third generation Chromecast, which for the first time comes with an Ethernet port and 4K with a RRP of £69.

They claim that the performance of this new device will improve, even for those who use SD or 720/1080p HD streaming as it'll adapt a lot faster than the Chromecast 2, which is an excellent device already, despite being wifi only.

The Chromecast Ultra will launch in November in the US and I suspect not too far behind in the UK for the Christmas market.

Personally, I doubt I'll upgrade from the Chromecast 2, as I only use it as a back-up and happy with the Amazon Fire TV which is already 4K and NOW TV Smart Box for my other streaming requirements.

More at https://store.google.com/product/chromecast_ultra

There's an official adapter available for Ethernet on the Chromecast/Chromecast 2. https://store.google.com/product/ethernet_adapter_for_chromecast

It just looks like it comes as standard on this new model.

I see what they've done, the Ethernet port also doubles up to power the device.

I get what you are trying to say - but I think what they have actually done is ensured that the MicroUSB connector on the Chromecast and Chromecast 2 - which most people use just for power - isn't just a power input port but is instead a USB OTG port (like a lot - but not all - Android tablets and phones have).

USB OTG allows you to connect USB devices (usually keyboards and mice, but Ethernet adaptors often work as well) to a port usually used to connect a device the other way round (effectively it allows a device to be both a USB master and a USB slave device on the same connector)

In this case I suspect Google have built a power supply + USB OTG Ethernet adaptor combo.

I've read reports that the adaptor also works on some Android tablets, and other devices with OTG ports, like the Raspberry Pi Zero's Micro USB USB port (not Micro USB Power port) . In fact the Pi Zero + Chromecast Ethernet adaptor is a very neat way of powering a Pi Zero and giving it Ethernet connectivity (and costs less than a Pi B + PSU)

I don't see what they've done as apparently the Google Store thinks Jersey is a completely separate country, which means we're not even allowed to have a look (we can't even install iPlayer from the Play Store, but don't get me started on that)

What images I've been able to find seem to show that the power comes from the wall, to a box which has an ethernet port, which then connects to the micro USB on the Chromecast to provide power and network - so it's not actually power-over-ethernet (which is a thing, but isn't really a consumer thing).

Is that right?

Looks like they are bundling the PSU+Ethernet OTG adaptor that is an optional extra for the Chromecast and Chromecast 2. This is presumably because UHD bitrates can be higher, and thus a cabled connection is likely to be a better solution in some congested wireless areas.

Effectively the PSU is also a USB OTG (on the go) Ethernet adaptor. (Micro USB OTG allows a Micro USB-B port to be used as both a slave - for connecting to a PC for syncing, and a Master - for connecting to peripherals like keyboards, USB flash drives, network adaptors etc. and in some cases allows power to be taken from the USB port in either case)

(USB Type-C also offers this functionality)