Chromecast Ultra streamer is just as dinky, but does 4K and HDR

The Chromecast Ultra promises to be the most powerful Chromecast yet. It offers the ability to stream 4K and HDR video from Netflix and 4K from YouTube and Google's own Play TV and Movies store.

Unlike the $35 Chromecast, the $69/£69 Ultra houses an Ethernet port within the power adapter, which will help with the higher bandwidth requirements of 4K video. The device also offers 801.11ac Wi-Fi and Google says the Ultra is 1.8 times faster at starting streams then the current version.

Apart from the Ethernet port the design is very similar to the current Chromecast, with an integrated HDMI cable that enables it to hang out of sight behind your TV. Functionality is the same too: you tap the "cast" button in supported apps to play content on your screen via the dongle.

The Ultra is the first external streaming device to handle both HDR formats, HDR10 and Dolby Vision. Competitors such as the $200 Nvidia Shield and the $100 Roku Premiere+ are only capable of showing HDR10. According to CNET TV expert David Katzmaier, Dolby Vision gives slightly better image quality than its rival.

The Chromecast Ultra will go on sale for $69 or £69 in November in the US, UK and Australia. Australian prices weren't immediately available, but the UK price converts to AU$115.

Google Play will start streaming 4K movies from November, which will be compatible with the Ultra and eligible TVs.