T-Mobile’s TVision streaming service was not long for this world, but its name lives on in the TVision Hub — a $50 dongle with Google TV. It appears to function a lot like Google’s own Chromecast, but along with some T-Mobile branding, 9to5Google points out that it offers a feature you won’t find on Google’s streaming dongle: an ethernet jack. That direct internet connection may be a real benefit if your home Wi-Fi signal isn’t quite up to the task of streaming 4K video.
T-Mobile’s not-Chromecast Google TV dongle adds an ethernet jack
The TVision branding lives on in hardware
The TVision branding lives on in hardware
is a senior reviewer with over a decade of experience writing about consumer tech. She has a special interest in mobile photography and telecom. Previously, she worked at DPReview.
The T-Mo Report spotted the device last week on T-Mobile’s website, which is a new version of the streaming dongle launched with the TVision service. It comes with a remote bearing Netflix, YouTube, and Google Assistant buttons and connects with accessories like game controllers and headphones via Bluetooth or USB-C. Like Chromecast, it supports 4K HDR streaming.
T-Mobile (probably wisely) shuttered its streaming TV subscription service just six months after it launched, opting instead to partner with YouTube TV and Philo. While the service is gone, it seems that the company wasn’t ready to let go of the TVision branding. The TVision Hub is available now for $50 and is offered free with a new home internet line.
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