Forget Apple TV, this cheap Google gadget has revolutionized my living room

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Do you want to diversify your living room?

The top-of-the-range Apple TV box starts at $159 (£129).

The PlayStation 4 is currently priced at $343 (£284).

Smart TV will cost hundreds.

Forget all that – Google is selling a gadget for just $35 (£30) that will change the way you watch TV.

It definitely helped me.

I’m talking about Chromecast. It’s a “dongle” sold by Google that plugs into the back of your TV.

You plug it into an HDMI port, the kind found on basically all modern TVs. There you can control it using your smartphone.

You can cast movies and music to your TV by pressing the Chromecast button in any of hundreds of compatible apps.

YouTube, Netflix, iPlayer BBC, NBA… they all work with this device.

You can also mirror your smartphone screen, browse the Internet and show photos. It even has some compatible games.

In effect, it turns any TV into a smart TV – but at a fraction of the price and with almost no hardware.

This is because most of the hard work is done on your phone. You already have a powerful computer in your pocket, so the dongle uses this to keep costs low.

Your smartphone will become your new TV remote control.

I bought it about a month ago and it has revolutionized the way I watch TV. My roommates and I don’t have to look for a laptop and an HDMI cable to watch movies or worry about battery life – anyone can start a movie with one click.

Or if you have friends nearby, you can create a queue of music and videos on YouTube that everyone can contribute to from their phone.

Oh, and it’s not just for Android phones. It also works with iPhones, as well as tablets and laptops.

Sure, so this isn’t just breaking news. The new Chromecast hit the market in September 2015. However, I’m not exaggerating when I say that this is one of the best gadgets I’ve bought in years. Don’t bother spending money on an Apple TV or smart TV: that’s all you need.

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