The Chromecast with Google TV (4K) is now officially supported by LineageOS 21, marking a significant milestone as the first third-party ROM for this device. This development is particularly noteworthy given the anticipation surrounding a potential hardware refresh for the streaming device, originally launched in 2020. The availability of LineageOS 21 could provide users with an alternative means to navigate and experience the Google TV interface, which some find to be sluggish.
The LineageOS team achieved this feat by utilizing an exploit, as the newer HD model, released in September 2022, features an "OEM unlocking" switch. This exploit, however, was addressed in the October 2023 security patch. Unlocking the bootloader is only possible on Chromecasts with firmware versions prior to the February 2021 OTA. This restriction poses a challenge for users hoping to install LineageOS on their devices and could explain why the Chromecast HD is not yet supported.
Despite these hurdles, the team successfully ported LineageOS to the Chromecast with Google TV (4K) after six months of dedicated effort. While official LineageOS 21 builds are not yet available, they are expected to be released soon, along with comprehensive flashing instructions.
There is hope that this build will expand upon the existing LineageOS build for Google's ADT-3 developer kit. While the specific features offered by this build remain unclear, further details are anticipated in the near future. For the time being, interested users can stay tuned for the official release of the builds.
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