Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick review: Capable streaming device on budget?

Based on the Google TV platform, the Realme 4K TV Stick shares fundamentals with the Android TV platform, but with a touch of novelty in the form of a redesigned user interface

Chinese electronics maker Realme continues to expand its footprints beyond smartphones in India. Fresh in its portfolio is a streaming device called the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick. Like any other streaming device, the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick turns any screen with HDMI input into a smart screen with internet connectivity for online streaming of content available on supported apps such as YouTube, Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, etc. There, however, is a surprise. It is the first streaming device in India based on the Google TV platform, which shares fundamentals with the Android TV platform, but with a touch of novelty in the form of redesigned user interface.

How to set up the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick

Setting up the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick is straightforward. Plug in the stick into the HDMI port of the compatible screen – TV, monitor, projector, etc; power it up using the supplied adaptor and cable; change the screen input to HDMI; and follow the on-screen instructions – connect the stick with the wireless internet network to set up Google account. Once done, you will see the first glimpse of the Google TV platform.

What’s new in Google TV

The Google TV UI looks familiar yet different. This is because the fundamentals remain the same as Android TV platform, but with a redesigned user interface – fewer tabs and a new home screen layout that emphasises content recommendations. Surprisingly, Netflix is missing from the list of apps sending content recommendations. Besides home, there are just two more tabs and not a whole lot like the Android TV. The second tab takes you to the app screen, which shows a list of apps that you can download from the Google Play Store. The third tab is library, which shows a collection of your purchased movies and TV shows. Interestingly, there is also a ‘Watchlist’ visible on the library screen. The list of the movies and TV shows you put in your watchlist while accessing web using the same Google account are listed here.

Connectivity and interfaces

The Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick is based on HDMI v2.1. It is capable of streaming content in up to 4K (UHD) resolution at 60 frames per second (fps). Additionally, there is support for HDR10+ for high dynamic range content. The stick supports CEC, which means you can use the TV remote to control the stick or the stick remote to control the TV. As for connectivity, there is a dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) for wireless internet connection and Bluetooth for wireless peripherals such as soundbar, earphones, headphones, keyboard, etc.

Performance

The Realme 4K TV Stick is powered by a quad-core Amlogic, paired with 8GB on-board storage and 2GB of RAM. While the performance is swift, the 8GB on-board storage deters the experience – especially for people who keep multiple user profiles with separate apps for each profile.

Verdict

Priced at Rs 2,999, the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick is a no-frills 4K UHD streaming device. It is on a par with the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K in terms of performance but fails to match the user experience simply because it lacks the rich content format support that the latter offers. That said, consider the Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick to experience the Google TV platform and its features. Otherwise, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K makes a better option.