From what we can see, Google is really a fan of expanding into several fields at once, and this is visible in their tendency to expand to the living room. There are two ways you can connect Google to your Smart TV, either through Chromecast or through Android TV. However, which one should you choose?
Availability of the Apps
Naturally, one of the most important criteria when choosing a TV streaming device is the availability of the apps. There are lots of streaming services, so what makes the difference is having many options for apps. Chromecast, for example, has a great number of apps available, from Netflix to Hulu, Spotify and others. Meanwhile, Android TV has a big part of the same options as the native apps. The secret weapon Android TV has is the support for Google Cast. This basically opens up any device for the services available on Chromecast.
Performance & Features
Of course, performance is a major advantage of any TV streaming device, but many people tend to forget this. For example, it might seem good to buy a Roku device, but it won’t be that nice when it will be so slow in a couple of months. Here, both Google products are qualitative. Android TV uses more power since it’s running a complete version of Android, but it stays quite well in time. Chromecast is not bad, either. It offers a solid experience, but you should go for newer models, since they have stronger antennas.
Cost
You can have Chromecast/Chromecast Audio for the price of $35, while for the Chromecast Ultra version you will have to pay $69. Android TV is more power-hungry and has more features, so the price is higher. The set-top boxes you can find are Xiaomi Mi Box, which starts at $69 and the Nvidia Shield, which costs $199.
Just buy AndroidTV and you get Chromecast. It comes built-in. Best AndroidTV device by a large margin in the Nvidia Shield.