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Google introduces two new Chromecasts (pictures)

Google has released an upgraded video streamer as well as a new Chromecast audio streamer. Both sell for the same price as the previous Chromecast.

David Carnoy
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
David Carnoy
Dong Ngo
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1 of 12 James Martine/CNET

Audio and video streamers

Chromecast Audio (left) just does audio while the new Chromecast (right) does both audio and video. Both cost $35, £30 or AU$49 and are available in 17 countries.

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2 of 12 James Martin/CNET

Colorful

Both the Chromecast and Chromcast Audio are available in multiple colors.

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Groovy

The Chromecast Audio has grooves on the top to remind us of the good old days of vinyl records (which are experiencing a bit of resurgence these days).

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New look and features

In addition to a revamped look, the new Chromecast media streamer has been updated with a "Fast Play" feature, enhanced Wi-Fi and easier content discovery.

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Compact Chromecast

The new Chromecast remains very compact.

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Built-in HDMI

The Chromecast media player has an integrated HDMI cable. The device does require an external power accessory (included).

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HDMI puck

A close up of the HDMI connector. The USB port is for a cable that powers the puck.

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8 of 12 James Martin/CNET

Spotify onboard

Both Chromecasts offer support for Spotify, a feature users have demanded for a while.

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9 of 12 James Martin/CNET

Cast games

You'll be able to cast a limited number of games to your TV via the new Chromecast.

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Speaker connection

With the standard audio connector, the Chromecast Audio can connect to basically to anything with an audio input and turn any speaker into Wi-Fi speaker.

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11 of 12 James Martin/CNET

Cast apps

You'll be able to easily see which apps you can cast to your Chromecast from your phone or tablet and watch on the big screen.

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12 of 12 James Martin/CNET

Faster load times

Google says the new Chromecast is up to 80 percent zippier.

Check out all of the secrets revealed at the Google Nexus event here.

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