One of the things we’ve been most looking forward to is news of more Chromecast built-in devices along with Google Home multi-cast compatibility, as expected Sony has delivered on that desire. At their CES press event today they have announced one AV receiver and 3 Sound Bars that support Google Home and Chromecast built in.
STR-DN1080 HiFi Audio Video Receiver
The DN1080 is the successor to Sony’s already successful 1060 and 1070 AV receivers. Sony has upped the ante this year with Dolby ATMOS finally coming to their high-end receivers. With Chromecast inbuilt and support for Google Home natively this is now the must have Av Reciever for the uber-Google nerd, like me and most likely you!
Full details include:
- Dolby Atmos
- DTS:X
- Chromecast built-in
- 6 x HDMi inputs
- 2 x HDMI outputs
- 7.1.2 audio
- 2 Zones (with 4k Output)
- HDCP 2.2
- 4K 60P
- USB input
- Bluetooth
- Spotify Connect
The STR-DN1800: Audio Receiver will be available July 2017 in Australia with pricing to be confirmed.
HT-ST5000 Sound Bar
The ST5000. is Sony latest top of the line sound bar and comes with many of the trimmings of typical AV receiver. The set-up contains 12 speakers with a total output of 800W. Features include:
- Dolby Atmos
- Chromecast built-in
- 3 x HDMi inputs
- 1 x HDMI outputs
- 7.1.2 audio
- HDCP 2.2
- USB input
- Bluetooth
- NFC
There was no mention of pricing or availability for the ST5000.
HT-CT800 Sound Bar
The CT800 is a 4k HDR ready Sound Bar with Google Home and Chromecast built-in support and includes:
- Chromecast built-in
- 3 x HDMi inputs
- 1 x HDMI outputs
- 7.1.2 audio
- HDCP 2.2
- USB input
The CT800 should be available in May 2017 in Australia with pricing to be confirmed.
HT-MT500 Sound Bar
The last of the Chromecast built-in devices is the MT500 Sound Bar. This is a more budget model with Spotify connect included in the package along with a wireless Surround support, USB, Bluetooth and NFC.
There was no mention of pricing or availability for the MT500.
Having used Sony Chomecast built-in speakers with the Google Home, I can attest to its utility and awesomeness, that doesn’t mean I haven’t got a laundry list of ways I want Google to improve it of course. With a peppering of Google infused Sony awesomeness due to land in Australia over the coming months it should be fun times ahead!
Interesting to see receivers coming out with Chromecast built in. It sounds good, but is it really the best option? Google are bound to bring out updated Chromecast devices, and at $50 each isn’t it better to go that route rather than be stuck on whatever version happens to be in the receiver? Having Chromecast built in might be a route to early obsolescence.
I’ve got the SRS-ZR7, and looks like all the Sony gear is firmware updateable. While there are several versions of Chromecast, the main hardware improvements have been in wireless throughput. Providing software keeps up, I don’t see how the hardware would be obsolete anytime soon =)
Sony have been really good at keeping their gear up to date. Their 1070 model has chromecast and it’s already updated to the latest firmware.
Onkio have some chromecast receivers and they aren’t up to date so it’s defiantly up to the OEMs.
It’s a shame Google didn’t have their Android Wear/ One model where they control the updates when they launched chromecast.
HT-ST5000 was sounding great until I read up about it more and found out that while it is 7.2, it doesn’t actually have any physical rear or side speakers, it’s all simulated.
I’ll be sticking with my HT-RT5 (Not that I was really considering changing)