Google TV fans may get what everyone on this side of the Nvidia Shield has been looking for. A more powerful Google TV streamer with better storage. 9 to 5 Google reports that the company has a product listed as YTC in the latest preview update to the Google Home app. YTC stands out as a potential new product because in the past other Chromecast dongles have been listed as “YTV” (Chromecast with Google TV) and “YTB” (Chromecast HD).
Without pointing to any irrefutable evidence, the Google rumor site makes the bet that the next product will include more storage and a power boost to stand out further from the more recent HD version of the product and separate it from the pack a bit in the marketplace. This is a good educated guess and far more likely than say a new Chromecast that does not ship with a remote and relies on a user’s connected device. There is also no need to introduce a new product that is identical to the current Chromecast with Google TV.
Other streaming device companies like Roku and Amazon have multiple models at different price points in order to offer multiple pathways to their platforms. But there is one thing we do not know. Will it be yet another dongle or will a more powerful device with more storage require it to be more of a box or console? There have been a number of attempts by third parties to develop Android-based streaming devices/consoles though all have fallen flat. But with cloud gaming gaining more and more steam (no pun intended, ok maybe a little intended), maybe a Google-branded streamer that can support multiple game platforms and deliver a strong streaming ecosystem could have a place.
We will all find out for sure later. Right now it’s just fun to speculate. We will keep an eye on this story.
