That $20 bill burning a hole in your pocket may go further than ever before when it comes to streaming devices. And there’s no better embodiment of this than Walmart’s new Google TV box, which was released a few weeks ago under the company’s “Onn” brand. For $19.88, you get away with a streaming player that’s broadly comparable to Google’s Chromecast with Google TV 4K in terms of performance and day-to-day user experience. It offers the same content-forward homescreen rinse with recommendations, built-in cast, and Google Assistant integration.
The main thing that separates the $50 Chromecast and Onn’s more affordable gadget is Dolby Vision; Google’s streamer has it, and Walmart’s doesn’t. But you do get HDR10 as standard, and in a world where Samsung’s most premium TVs continue to omit Dolby Vision, it’s possible to live without it – especially at this price – and not have major FOMO.
With a black matte plastic design, this streaming puck is designed to fade into the background forever once you’ve plugged in the power cord (micro-USB, alas) and HDMI cable. And the remote adheres to Google’s guidelines; much of the layout was identical to my Hisense Google TV. (Yes, I reviewed a Google TV streamer on a television running the same software, but what are you going to do? At least I had another point of comparison for performance.) The remote works over Bluetooth, so you’re free to stop the box behind your TV if desired; for that there is a small piece of glue in the box, plus an HDMI cable. You really do get everything you need for that Andrew Jackson bill.
The white remote successfully avoids a cheap feel: the buttons are clicky, not mushy, and nothing is loose or creaky. Your four branded buttons on this clicker are for YouTube, Netflix, Disney Plus, and Paramount Plus. Early feedback indicates that you can at least remap these with software. So when one of these services inevitably goes under or gets a new name, you’re not completely left to fend for yourself. The remote has a built-in microphone and a push-and-hold Assistant button for those times you want to voice search for content, issue a smart home command, or just check the weather. I have big hands, so it’s no surprise I chose the Walmart remote over the cramped Chromecast one.
Setting up the Onn is the same as any other Google TV device; you can use the Google Home mobile app to quickly go through the process without having to slowly type in email addresses and passwords with the remote. At some point you’ll be asked to select which services you’re currently subscribing to, and I’ve noticed that Max has already replaced HBO Max in that list. Speaking of Max, while its launch was shaky on some platforms, it runs decently on Google TV; I was able to continue Edge of tomorrow of the Continue Watching row on the home screen and it jumped right into the 4K HDR stream. As always with that movie, my intention was to demonstrate just a few scenes… and then I watched it all. Again.
Elsewhere in the Google TV experience, you’ll notice the recently streamlined navigation, along with an avalanche of FAST (free ad-supported television) channels on the Live tab on my device so far. Google TV also supports multiple user profiles, including child accounts that contain only age-appropriate programming.
Unfortunately, the Onn streaming box runs on the same measly 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage as the 4K Chromecast. But Google has gradually figured out ways to make the most of those limitations by optimizing the way the platform uses storage. Walmart’s device runs smoothly and without major lags or delays. It’s powered by a processor largely similar to the 4K Chromecast, although this streamer natively supports AV1 decoding, unlike Google’s. But I think most of the fluidity and responsiveness can be attributed to Google’s software improvements and the tweaks Walmart has made on top of that. For $20, I have absolutely no room to complain about performance.
I still believe that Google TV could use a fast flagship device at some point – all these devices are beaten by the horsepower of the Apple TV 4K – but no one is advertising the Onn box to be that. As it is, it handles the platform’s animations and menu transitions without any frustrating issues. The first-generation Onn Android TV box had some overheating issues, but I didn’t notice any sluggishness or instability after extended 4K viewing. A bigger case and redesigned heatsink seem to keep everything up to par (so far).
I won’t beat around the bush on one point: Onn’s Google TV 4K Streaming Box is not intended for experienced home theater users. It’s not fit to be your Plex server or cloud gaming gateway; I’d still point anyone to Nvidia’s tubular Shield TV or the Shield Pro for those purposes. Early purchasers have also reported that the Onn cannot play media stored on NTFS drives. But you still get room to tinker and explore; advanced users have the freedom to install different launchers, “debloat” the device for maximum performance, and more. After all, this is still essentially an Android gadget.
So far it’s all been a very impressive story for $20, but the twice-expensive Chromecast can lay claim to superiority on a few fronts. Google’s streaming dongle supports both Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos. Walmart gives you neither with the Onn, the highlight of which is HDR10 and Dolby Digital surround sound. If you’ve got a premium TV with great picture quality, it might make sense to spend more money on something that can tick off all the modern home theater formats and specs. I didn’t feel like I was missing much when testing on my Hisense U8H; regular HDR still packs a lot of kick in highlights and bright scenes. But I’m also someone who likes to know I’m getting it everything my TV is capable of that so not sure I could stay with the Onn for the long haul.
But… it’s $20. The Onn Google TV 4K Streaming Box is priced lower than the 1080p-maximizing Fire TV Stick Lite. You’ll pay more for a Roku TV Express – and again, that’s limited to standard HD. It’s easy to find dirt cheap no-name Android TV boxes on Amazon, but I’d strongly advise against buying one; Linus Tech Tips recently made an informative video on why you should spend better slightly more about something from a reliable brand that doesn’t surreptitiously load spyware onto its devices.
It’s reasonable to have reservations about Walmart being Walmart and undermining its competition so extremely aggressively. That alone might lead some people to other options. But there’s no denying that this is an impressive streaming gadget for its asking price. It lacks the Dolby Vision and Atmos offered by the Chromecast with Google TV 4K, but the Onn feels more stable and performant for everyday entertainment. And you get the same content-rich software.
Until Google comes out with its next player, this is the one I’ll probably recommend to anyone looking for the easy option. Home theater enthusiasts will instinctively overlook the Onn Player, which makes sense, but it’s a very compelling deal for everyone else. All for the same price – a few cents less, in fact – as a single month of Netflix Premium.
Photography by Chris Welch/The Verge