Chromecast with Google TV is arguably one of the most popular digital media players. With it, you’ll be able to transform any regular television into the ultimate home entertainment hub.
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Chromecast with Google TV is arguably one of the most popular digital media players. With it, you’ll be able to transform any regular television into the ultimate home entertainment hub. On your TV, everything from streaming content to playing online games will be possible.
Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus, and many other streaming platforms have different libraries. For you to access all of these libraries on your Chromecast with Google TV, you shall need a VPN. One problem is that finding the right VPN service provider to get is easier said than done. That’s because there are hundreds of options on the market for you to choose from.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what we believe are the best VPNs for Chromecast with Google TV. For the classic version of this device, please see our Chromecast VPN article.
Streaming Capabilities: NordVPN is a wonderful tool to have on this streaming device. Using it, you’ll be more than able to get around the geoblocks of Amazon Prime, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, Disney Plus, and Netflix without any problems.
The reason why NordVPN is so good at unblocking unavailable streaming platform libraries is because it’s equipped with a very capable server network. This network is comprised of more than 5000 servers that are scattered across the world. Many of them do not have any qualms when it comes to granting open access to content that wouldn’t normally be within your reach.
It’s also essential to note that NordVPN is China capable. That means it can be utilized to work around the country’s Great Firewall. With its assistance, it will be possible for you to access the internet as you would at home while you are in the country or any other with strict internet laws.
When it comes to speed, NordVPN definitely doesn’t leave its users in the dust. Its servers are lightning-fast. Even the ones that are far away hardly make a dent in connection speeds. In some instances, they even manage to improve things by eliminating bandwidth throttling.
Privacy & Security: NordVPN is an expert at safeguarding and anonymizing its users. It makes use of AES-256 encryption, which is military-grade. On top of that, it supports WireGuard and all other major VPN protocols. That means that when using the provider on your Chromecast, it will not be out of the realm of possibility to tailor your VPN experience to your specific requirements.
The various apps and extensions that NordVPN has are all user-friendly and easy to set up. In addition, they are loaded with useful security features. Two prime examples are the provider’s kill switch and ad & malware blocker. Both of which are very useful on this Chromecast.
If you don’t already know, NordVPN was once the subject of heavy controversy. That’s because it managed to get hacked a few years ago. During the unfortunate incident, a rented server was attacked. Information crucial to establishing a fake NordVPN was obtained.
To rebuild its reputation NordVPN has established a successful bug bounty program. Along with that, it has started making the move to RAM-based servers. That means that it’ll soon be completely incapable of tracking, collecting, and keeping your private logging info.
Pricing: NordVPN’s 1-month subscription will run you back just $11.95. This is an amazingly low price considering that the provider is one of the best in the industry.
Streaming Capabilities: ExpressVPN is a great alternative to NordVPN. Like its competitor, it’s a great tool to have on Chromecast with Google TV. The provider’s network of 3000+ servers makes short work of the geo-restrictions put in place by the most popular streaming sites.
Most of ExpressVPN’s thousands of servers can also bypass the online censorship systems put in place by many of the world’s countries. The provider is even capable of circumventing the Great Firewall of China. If anything, this is a great achievement for any VPN service.
Speed is something that ExpressVPN definitely has. My tests have shown that the provider can maintain your base connection speeds even using its more distant servers. Moreover, it’s able to improve them on some occasions. It does this by cutting ISP-imposed bandwidth throttling.
Privacy & Security: ExpressVPN is beyond secure. It’s got a no-logging policy that is backed with a RAM-based network and a clean bill of health from PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers). As such, it is guaranteed that your information will stay undisclosed as you use the VPN provider.
When it comes to specs, ExpressVPN employs military-grade AES 256-bit encryption. With that, it supports nearly all popular VPN protocols. The VPN provider does not allow you to toggle WireGuard though In its place, it has WireGuard, which is just as fast and safe to use.
ExpressVPN needs to increase the features that its applications have. That’s because it doesn’t have an ad & blocker or any exclusive offerings for any of the platforms it’s available on. Aside from that, the VPN service provider lacks an automatic kill switch for its native app for iOS.
A final thing to note is that ExpressVPN only allows for a maximum of 5 simultaneous device connections. That means that one account may not be enough for you to safeguard all the members of your household. If anything, this puts the provider at a major disadvantage.
Pricing: ExpressVPN is a premium VPN. As such, it is much more expensive than many lesser providers in the industry. For a basic monthly subscription plan, you will need to spend a hefty $12.95. Needless to say, every cent of that $12.95 is worth it given all that ExpressVPN offers.
Streaming Capabilities: Streaming is an activity that you can most certainly do while paired to Surfshark’s 3200+ servers.
The VPN service provider is fully capable of unblocking the libraries of everything from Netflix to BBC iPlayer. As such, it is a great thing to have installed on Chromecast with Google TV. With it, you’ll get to watch a plethora of new online content.
Like the two VPNs that we discussed earlier, Surfshark is also capable of getting around various government-imposed censorship systems. And yes, it can bypass China’s Great Firewall. Thus, it’s very useful if you’re always on the road and wish to use your Chromecast without any limits.
For those unaware, speed is Surfshark’s forte. During my time with the provider, not once did I have my connection drop to a significant degree. In some instances, my internet speeds got even faster. That is because the bandwidth throttling imposed by my ISP got eliminated.
Privacy & Security: A top-tier VPN service like Surfshark prioritizes your privacy and security above everything else. Quite recently, the provider has announced that it has made the full transition to RAM-based servers. That means that it’s totally unable to disclose your logs.
In addition to military-grade AES encryption, Surfshark maintains open support for all the major VPN protocols. This includes WireGuard, which has been dubbed by experts to be the quickest and safest protocol that there is. From experience, I would have to say that it is the best choice for this streaming device.
The various apps and extensions of Surfshark come with everything you’d ever need. They’ve got a dedicated ad & malware blocker as well as an automatic kill switch. Besides that, there’s also a split tunneling feature that’s great to have for those who value convenience.
Something that makes Surfshark stand out is the fact that it allows for unlimited simultaneous device connections. In the VPN industry, no other top-tier provider has the same offering.
Pricing: The monthly rate of Surfshark is $12.95. While this is quite steep, it’s actually a decent price given that one subscription will allow you to keep an unlimited number of people protected.
Streaming Capabilities: CyberGhost is a champion when it comes to streaming. The VPN service’s massive network of 7500 servers can connect you to any streaming library on your Chromecast. As long as you’re paired with the provider’s network, it’s sure that you’ll never run out of things to watch.
Unfortunately, in spite of the size of its network, CyberGhost can’t bypass the Great Firewall of China. Therefore, the VPN service provider isn’t the best choice for frequent travelers.
With that being said, CyberGhost is definitely not a slowpoke. While some of its servers did manage to encumber my connection, many did not. In fact, some of the VPN’s locations even improved my internet speeds by fully eliminating any bandwidth throttling imposed by my ISP to prevent its network from becoming overloaded.
Privacy & Security: CyberGhost encrypts your data with AES-256 encryption. In addition, the provider lets you utilize all of the world’s leading VPN protocols. It also has a firm zero-logging policy and a clean record when it comes to keeping its users safe.
Each one of CyberGhost’s apps comes with a kill switch and malware blocker. Moreover, there are several platform-exclusive offerings. For example, iOS users can make use of a secret vault. Meanwhile, there’s a data compression feature for Android device users.
Unfortunately, despite its standing in the industry, CyberGhost still hasn’t begun using RAM-disk servers. Besides that, the VPN service provider has not subjected itself to independent audits. Even so, I’d still have to say that it’s 100% safe to use given its flawless track record.
One final thing to mention is that CyberGhost allows for up to 7 simultaneous device pairings. If anything, this is great. After all, many competing services allow for fewer connections. Of course, there are also VPN providers like Surfshark that leave CyberGhost in the dust in this regard.
Pricing: CyberGhost had a reputation for being affordable. This is no longer the case. Since it hiked its prices, the provider is no longer a budget-friendly option. For a basic 1-month subscription plan, you’ll have to spend a hefty $12.99.
Streaming Capabilities: VyprVPN has slowly been making its way up the ladder in the VPN industry. Despite being an underdog, it’s able to grant access to the libraries of streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Disney Plus, and BBC iPlayer.
Quite interestingly, VyprVPN’s tiny network of 700+ servers can be utilized to get around the Great Firewall of China. That’s right. Using the VPN, you’ll be able to use the internet as you normally would in places like China that have draconian internet censorship policies.
I’ve found that VyprVPN’s servers are quite fast. Though they aren’t perfect, they did manage to facilitate a decent streaming experience. I could watch all my favorite shows and movies on Netflix without having to deal with pesky buffering and sudden drops in quality.
Privacy & Security: VyprVPN is based in Switzerland, which is one of the best places to base a VPN. That’s because the country has very lenient privacy and copyright laws. On top of that, it’s not a member of any of the world’s major surveillance alliances.
As you might’ve already guessed, VyprVPN maintains a firm no-logs policy. However, it doesn’t have a RAM-based server network. In addition to that, the VPN service provider has not yet gotten audited by any independent third party. Despite that, we still believe it’s 100% safe.
In regards to specs, VyprVPN utilizes AES-256 encryption. Moreover, it supports in-demand VPN protocols like WireGuard and Chameleon. This makes it a great option for anyone who wishes to fully customize their VPN experience on their Chromecast.
The apps of VyprVPN have got a built-in split tunneling feature. Aside from that, they’ve got your usual ad & malware blocker as well as an automatic kill switch.
Pricing: Like ExpressVPN and Surfshark, VyprVPN costs $12.95 per month. Is that price worth it? I’d have to say that it depends. After all, many competitors have much more to offer than VyprVPN when it comes to specs. With that said, it’s all up to you in the end to decide.
Access Geo-restricted Content: The number one reason why you’d want to use a VPN on Chromecast with Google TV is to unblock geo-restricted content.
Using a capable VPN service, consistently getting to access the otherwise unavailable foreign libraries of all your streaming platforms shall be an absolute breeze. As a result, you will get to watch the content that you want whenever you feel like it.
Privacy & Security: Another purpose of a VPN is to keep you protected when using the device. As you might already know, the internet can be a risky place to visit. It’s full of cyber criminals and other entities that aim to cause you trouble. Without the right precautionary measure, you’ll be opening yourself to these entities.
Every VPN service worth its salt can maintain your anonymity. Apart from that, it’s also able to encrypt all your data and make it completely untraceable. Because of that, you’ll be able to remain safeguarded at all times as long as you're connected to that VPN.
Travel: Besides what’s stated above, a VPN can let you utilize the device as you normally would when you are abroad.
Online censorship systems and local geoblocks won’t stand in the way of whatever you wish to do. If anything, this is great for anyone who’s always on the road and uses Chromecast as their primary means of entertainment.
Improve Internet Connection Speeds: One final thing that a VPN can do is improve internet speeds.
While it’s true that most VPNs do negatively impact your connection, some can improve it. How so? By eliminating the bandwidth throttling that’s established by your ISP to prevent its network of servers from becoming overloaded because of too many simultaneous users.
Here are the necessary steps to use a VPN on this device:
First up, you need to get a VPN. There are many services available that are compatible with Chromecast with Google TV. However, only a few actually manage to meet your needs. Out of hundreds of options on the market, we suggest that you stick with any of the five VPNs we talked about.
Although it may seem tempting to procure a free VPN, you shouldn’t. Free VPNs often aren’t safe to use. Even if they are, they’re unlikely to work around the geoblocks of your favorite streaming platforms. That is because they have got rather small networks made up of subpar servers with little to zero unblocking capabilities.
The next thing to do is install the VPN you’ve just bought. Don’t worry as you don’t need to be tech-savvy to do this. In fact, setting up a virtual private network on this Chromecast is something that anyone can do. That’s because after hitting the download button, all you’ll need is to wait for the installation to finish up.
Sadly though, router installation is a bit trickier to do. The exact setup process varies from VPN to VPN. Moreover, it almost always requires a bit of technical know-how. Luckily, our top picks have excellent customer support. On top of that, some of them sell pre-configured routers.
Open your newly installed VPN then pair with a server. Remember to pick one in a country that is host to the streaming library that you wish to access. Alternatively, you may pair with the nearest major server as it’s likely to have the least impact on your connection speeds.
Keep in mind that distance impacts how much a VPN server hampers the speed of your online connection. As such, it’s a good idea to stick with servers that aren’t too far from you.
After everything mentioned above, you may finally open the streaming service of your choice and finally start streaming content without limits. As you’re doing this, never disconnect from your VPN service provider. Doing this might get you instantly blocked for the library you’re currently on.
The rankings we have weren’t easy to come up with. Our team had to conduct lots of research to narrow down which providers were best for Chromecast.
As you might’ve already guessed, performance wasn’t the only deciding factor when we came up with our rankings. In addition, we also looked into compatibility, affordability, and value for money.
Of course, this shouldn't come as a surprise by any means. After all, compatibility, pricing, and value are the two things that ultimately dictate whether a VPN service provider is attainable for lots of people.
