Alphabet promised that some Chromecast with Google TV would continue to receive updates even though they stopped manufacturing more units and that is the case. After the company launched Google TV Streamer, they stopped producing more Chromecast sticks, although they continue to support it. Recently, they have confirmed that these multimedia playback devices are compatible with the latest version of the brand’s television operating system.
Last week they released the first Android security patch on Google TV Streamer since its launch. Now, the company wants to catch up on its Chromecast with Google TV by implementing the latest version of the software, although maintaining the September 2024 patch level, which is still Android 12 and is not reflected in the changelog.
The new Chromecast update is STTL.240812.006.N1 (from STTL.240812.006), which takes up just 59.48 MB. Therefore, it is smaller than the previous one released in October, which had a size of 83.01 MB. As detailed on the website, the changes are barely noticeable, since they have only implemented “bug fixes and performance improvements.”
Although the technology company changed the requirements to enjoy Google TV and the Chromecast with HD quality did not fit into them, it seems that they have received the latest version of firmware. However, it is possible that it will be the first to stop having support, since its RAM memory is 1.5 GB and, now, devices with said television operating system need 2 GB at least.
How to update Google TV firmware on Chromecast?
If you want to update your Chromecast with Google TV to fix errors and optimize performance, you can do so from the “Settings” section. Once there, you must enter “System” and click on “About”. In this section, the “System Update” option will appear, from where you can install version STTL.240812.006.N1 (from STTL.240812.006).
This is the eighth update that developers have released for Chromecast with Google TV so far in 2024. Before this November, we have had others in February, March, April, May, August, September and October. It is something to highlight, since last year (in 2023) they only released six patches.
According to some experts, the big Android 14 update on Google TV is about to be launched. Therefore, the firmware STTL.240812.006.N1 (from STTL.240812.006) could be the prelude to its arrival, although we still do not know the release date. As already announced, this next major release will add a “home runtime” to allow Chromecast with Google TV to operate as a smart hub for Matter devices.
At this time, the media playback devices that continue to receive support with Google TV through new updates are Chromecast with Google TV, both the 4K and HD quality versions, and the Google TV Streamer (4K). The latter is the brand’s favorite, since it is up to date with security patches and is the only one that continues to be manufactured by Alphabet as it is the newest.
The other Chromecasts use the Android TV operating system, which currently requires devices to have 1 GB of RAM. Therefore, it is a software that works with lower performance. All models with Android TV still receive updates from Google, except for the first generation, which stayed at firmware version 1.36.159268. Currently, the rest have version 1.56.275994, including the second Chromecast that they launched on the market a few years ago.
