New year, new update to my Chromecast setup. This little streaming “puck” has really grown on me and today I’ve made yet another affordable upgrade by changing the remote to a €12 G20BTS Plus from AliExpress.
G20BTS+ versus the default remote
Don’t get me wrong, the default remote is more than adequate for regular users. But personally, I longed for some more features and available buttons. This particular remote offers gyro mouse input which feels extremely natural to anyone who used a Nintendo Wii or owns a modern Smart TV where these came standard. It also means I no longer have to grab my keyboard+touchpad for sideloaded apps or basic web browsing. Having roughly 20 buttons available for re-programming, 10 of which being the numpad, opens the door to many more binds and avoiding the launcher screen. Yes, the launcher is nice but physical buttons are simply nicer. The only thing this remote lacks is the freedom to bind IR signals to any key you want. Instead you can only add them to the power and mute key which sucks if you’re like me and use a soundbar with EQ settings that are only available through an IR remote. Also, some key combinations are used to adjust remote settings, so rebinding those is not recommended until you’ve got everything set up the way you want it.
G20BTS+
- Supports voice for search and typing
- 20 keys available for reprogramming
- Backlighting
- Gyro mouse
- Power and mute can be programmed for IR signals
Chromecast remote
- Supports voice for search and typing
- 5 keys available for reprogramming
- IR limited to what Google allows and disables related CEC controls.
My binds
| Button | Single press | Double press | Hold press |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power | Can not remap | – | – |
| Mute | Kept stock | – | – |
| Pg+ | Kept stock | – | – |
| Mouse | Can not remap | – | – |
| Pg- | Kept stock | – | – |
| Nav wheel | Should not be remapped | – | – |
| OK | Should not be remapped | – | – |
| Back | Kept stock | – | – |
| Home | Kept stock | Sidelauncher | Chromecast Settings |
| Vol- | Kept stock | – | – |
| Voice | Can not remap | – | – |
| Vol+ | Kept stock | – | – |
| Prev track | Kept stock | – | – |
| Play/Pause | Kept stock | – | – |
| Next Track | Kept stock | – | – |
| 1 | SmartTubeNext (YT) | ||
| 2 | Ziggo Go | ||
| 3 | Plex | ||
| 4 | Netflix | ||
| 5 | Amazon Prime | ||
| 6 | Disney+ | ||
| 7 | Twitch | ||
| 8 | Spotify | ||
| 9 | – | ||
| Backspace | Kept stock | ||
| 0 | Opera | ||
| Backlight/Menu | – | – | Should not be remapped |