We knew it was coming, and now it’s here: a new HD streaming stick from Walmart with Google TV, a remote, and an enticingly affordable price tag.
On sale now at Walmart for just $14.88, the Google TV Full HD Streaming Device from Walmart’s Onn brand (as spotted by 9to5Google) looks pretty much as we expected, with a streaming stick form factor, a Micro-USB power port, and a Google remote, complete with a Google Assistant button and shortcuts for a quartet of streaming services.
We first learned of Walmart’s new Google streamer back in July, when documents for the player surfaced at the FCC.
This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best streaming devices.
As its name implies, the diminutive Google TV Full HD Streaming Device has a top video resolution of 1080p, and it’s powered by the Google TV OS. The stick boasts 1.5GB of RAM, versus 1GB for its predecessor, the HD-enabled and Android TV-powered Onn FHD Streaming Stick from 2021.
Besides the remote, the Google TV Full HD Streaming Device comes packaged with three AAA batteries, a power adapter, and an HDMI cable.
Walmart’s new, HD-only Google TV player arrives in the wake of the retailer’s Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box, which made its debut back in April.
The 4K unit comes with a boxy rather than streaming-stick design, and like the new HD Onn player, it’s affordably priced: just $19.88, versus $14.88 for the HD stick.
The Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box was tough to get when it first arrived in April; Walmart didn’t offer it for sale online, meaning you had to track one down at a brick-and-mortar store. Luckily, the 4K player is now readily available on the Walmart website, as is the new HD-only stick.
Both of the Onn streaming players are considerably cheaper than Google’s official Chromecast with Google TV 4K and HD devices, which sell for $50 and $30 respectively.
Of course, you’ll have to settle for some compromises if you choose the Walmart players; for example, the Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box lacks support for Dolby Vision and Atmos.
Still, our own Jared Newman was a fan of Walmart’s revamped 4K Google streamer, calling it “surprisingly solid” while noting that “no other streaming box gives you so much for so little.
We’ll have a full review of the Google TV Full HD Streaming Device once we check out a review unit.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.