Over on our “who’s streaming with what” thread, Ken F wondered if he might be able to co-opt the remote control from the new Walmart onn Android TV streamer ($30) for his Chromecast with Google TV ($50). Well, it turns out AFTVNews has already conducted this comparison. And the short answer is: YES. However, there are some notable caveats to be aware of and, depending what functions Ken or others are seeking, it may not pan out as desired.
While most onn buttons work as expected on the Chromecast, the tv, settings, and app shortcut buttons are currently non-functional. Seems like tv and settings might be meaningfully mapped by Google at some point and perhaps the Button Remapper app can provide some assistance.
Beyond the basics, the more concerning elements initially are related to television IR control. As detailed by AFTVNews:
If you have the original Chromecast remote already configured to control your TV, those IR controls will automatically be programmed onto the G10 remote when the G10 remote is paired to the Chromecast. […] The issue with the Chromecast and the G10 remote is if you do not have the original Chromecast remote at all. In that case, you have no way to configure the G10’s TV control buttons.
In any event, I lament the lack of a dedicated play/pause button from onn, TiVo Stream 4k, and Google itself since app providers remain inconsistent with their center button functionality. While it does seem a bit more predictable since Chromecast with Google TV launched, I’m relatively content with my SHIELD TV remote.