Fixing a sluggish Chromecast

While Roku is my streaming device of choice, I do like the Chromecast with Google TV device. It's currently holding the Number Two spot in my hierarchy of streaming devices. I like the device a lot.

However, it has one little issue that helps keep it from rising to the top. The device is a little sluggish at times. That was unexpected. Here's why.

According to my online research, the Chromecast with Google TV has specs similar to a Roku Ultra. Both have an ARM Cortex-A55 processor and 2 GB RAM. For that reason, I assumed they would be similar in responsiveness. Silly me.

The Roku Ultra is a very responsive device. When I press an arrow button the response is fast. When I press the OK button, it's fast. It's like I would want and expect from a quality streaming device.

However, sometimes the Chromecast/GTV has a noticeable delay between the button press and the associated acton. Not long, but enough for me to notice. And that doesn't happen on my Roku device.

So, what's going on? Well, one difference is the operating systems. Roku uses a different OS than does the Chromecast/GTV device. That's not a criticism of Chromecast/GTV or Android, just an acknowledgement of the differences. Bottom line is the Chromecast/GTV is a little sluggish.

To resolve it, there's not a lot you can do. But you can at least restart the device.

From the main menu of the Chromecast/GTV, move to the account icon at the top left. Then, drop down to Settings. Select that.

From the left side of the menu, scroll down to System, then select that.

From the resultant menu, scroll down to Restart and select that. You'll be prompted with "Restart now?" and a Restart or Cancel option. Choose Restart and the device will restart.

You'll have to wait for it to restart. It takes several seconds for the screen to fully resolve, so be patient.

Oh, one other thing. You may want to ensure you have the latest update. Before you scroll down to Restart from the System menu, stop at About, then pick System update. That would, ideally, ensure that any bugs in the system that are contributing to any sluggishness are fixed in an update.

In fairness, it wasn't a really irritating sluggish behavior, but it was enough to be noticeable. Now, it's better.

Sometimes, restarting a device will resolve an issue. That's true for Chromecast/GTV, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, anything.

It's a running gag, but there's a lot of truth to it.

Sometimes the simplest things make your Streaming Life easier. And your regular life, too.