If you own a Chromecast with Google TV and have been eyeing the functionalities of the Google TV Streamer—such as viewing camera feeds, managing temperature settings, and controlling lights—you’re in for a treat. The custom AI ambient art feature for screensavers is now yours to explore. To access this feature, simply activate the “Public Preview” option in the Google Home app, which only requires a few clicks, either on the app or through the website, and wait for it to appear.
This feature seems to roll out on the server side, as my Chromecast didn’t receive an additional system update aside from the one from earlier this week. Once enabled, you can find Google Home in the notifications menu. This provides the same functionalities as the Google TV Streamer: the ability to activate the home panel and receive doorbell notifications on your TV.
Once you’ve activated these features, you can access camera feeds, control thermostats, and manage lights—all connected through Google Home—just like on the Google TV Streamer. Our in-depth review of the Google TV Streamer covers this in more detail.
Just to reiterate—if you’re eager to try this out today, you need to participate in the Public Preview for Google Home. If you’re willing to wait, these features will soon be rolled out for all Chromecast with Google TV devices. Also, I haven’t seen any updates on my Onn 4K Pro yet.
Lastly, keep in mind that Google plans to phase out Chromecast with Google TV in favor of the Google TV Streamer. If you’re considering purchasing the former, priced at half that of the latter, you might want to act quickly. Once stocks are depleted, they won’t be restocked.