Thomson Google TV Streaming Box 260 Pro 4K vs Onn: Key Differences Explained

The Thomson Google TV Streaming Box 260 Pro 4K surfaced this month with specs that directly undercut Google's $99.99 streamer on storage and connectivity. Within days, leaked details and an FCC filing confirmed Walmart is building a second-generation Onn 4K Pro that appears to clone Google's hardware story almost feature for feature. Two devices, different manufacturers, same basic thesis: the sub-$100 Google TV market is converging around a small pool of chipsets and a shared feature checklist.

The convergence isn't accidental. Both new devices sit on Amlogic's Cortex-A55 architecture. Both run Google TV. The meaningful differences between them come down to which specific tradeoffs each manufacturer chose, not what platform they run or what processor family they use. Understanding those tradeoffs is the only useful way to evaluate either device before pricing exists.

Thomson 260 Pro 4K: the specs, and where the chipset holds it back

The Thomson 260 Pro 4K uses the Amlogic 905X5M-B chipset, a quad-core Cortex-A55 with an ARM G310 V2 GPU, paired with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Two USB-A 2.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and optical audio out round out the connectivity picture, per Android Authority's coverage from earlier this month.

That storage figure is the headline. At 64GB, the Thomson box offers double the Google TV Streamer's 32GB and four times the 16GB on the leaked Onn v2. For anyone who downloads apps, games, or offline content heavily, that gap is real. The two USB-A ports add further appeal for users with older external drives or peripherals; Google's streamer has a USB-C port and no USB-A at all, Android Authority notes.

The chipset choice, though, has a hard cost. Thomson would have needed the Amlogic S905X5M-J variant to support Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos; the 905X5M-B they chose doesn't carry those licenses. Wireless tops out at Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.2. The HDMI port is 2.0 rather than 2.1. Thomson does support Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus through optical audio, which matters for legacy surround receivers without HDMI audio input, but the premium AV layer is missing entirely.

For home theater use, that's a meaningful step down. Dolby Vision raises dynamic range on supported Netflix and Apple TV+ titles. Atmos delivers spatial audio on compatible content. Losing both isn't a deal-breaker for every buyer, but it narrows the device's target audience considerably.

The leaked Onn 4K Pro v2: confirmed vs. claimed

Walmart's second-generation Onn 4K Pro cleared the FCC in February, and the filing tells part of the story. Model number JS620K4 carries 32GB of storage, 3GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 6, and a Thread radio for Matter smart home control, AFTVnews reported when the filing surfaced last month. Power comes via a barrel AC adapter, not USB-C. Those details are FCC-confirmed.

The rest comes from leaks, not filings. Android Authority's coverage from earlier this month cites Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, a far-field microphone, and AI-based Super Resolution upscaling as part of the device's feature set. The Amlogic S905X5M chipset, a 6nm quad-core Cortex-A55 clocked up to 2.5GHz, is identified by Android TV Guide as the likely processor. Leak-reported specs can shift before launch, and some of these claims remain unverified by any independent testing.

That said, the contrast with the Thomson box is already sharp. Where Thomson traded Dolby formats for storage and connectivity depth, the Onn v2 appears to be doing the opposite: matching Google's AV spec sheet while keeping storage modest. It's not carving out an alternative use case. It's trying to replicate Google's device outright, at presumably half the price.

What Google has that neither box matches

The Google TV Streamer launched at $99.99 in September 2024 with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, 32GB storage, Wi-Fi 6, Gigabit Ethernet, and a built-in Thread border router functioning as a local hub for Matter smart home devices. Thread enables direct, low-latency control of compatible locks, sensors, and lights without routing commands through the cloud. Google's home panel integration, which lets users control Google Home devices without leaving the TV interface and syncs automatically with the Google Home app, sits on top of that hardware foundation.

Last November, Google added Gemini AI to the Google TV Streamer, replacing Google Assistant with a model capable of conversational content search, show recaps, and general queries. That feature is currently exclusive to Google's own hardware. The Onn v2 leak mentions a far-field microphone and AI upscaling, but there is no indication it will carry Gemini. That gap is the clearest remaining separator between a ~$50 Onn device and Google's $99.99 streamer.

The Thread situation is worth examining carefully. The FCC filing confirms the Onn v2 includes Thread hardware, but it says nothing about whether Walmart will expose the smart home hub functionality Google offers: Matter device onboarding, home panel integration, Google Home app sync. Thread hardware and Thread functionality are not the same thing. A chip can be present without the software stack that makes it useful, and that distinction matters considerably to anyone who wants their streamer to act as a smart home controller.

Why Walmart keeps building Google TV hardware while quietly building past it

Walmart is not a passive participant here. The original Onn 4K Pro launched in May 2024 and was described by 9to5Google as the best Google TV streaming device on the market at the time. The software support history backs that reputation: the Onn 4K Pro received an Android TV 14 update last June, about a year after launching on Android TV 12. The 2021 budget Onn 4K, originally a $30 device, was updated all the way from Android TV 10 to Android TV 14, per Android Authority (June 2025). That track record is what gives any "Google TV Streamer at half the price" argument credibility. Specs on paper need software that actually ships and holds up.

The strategic picture behind the hardware investment is worth stating plainly. Retailers are forecast to control 47% of the North American TV operating system market by 2029, up from 27% in 2025, according to The Fast Mode citing Omdia research from January. The growth engine for Walmart specifically is CastOS, the platform acquired through Vizio, projected to reach 14.8 million North American shipments by 2029. Omdia sees an inflection point arriving in 2027, when CastOS shipments hit 14.0 million units. The platform is also rebranding as V Home OS, with a Microsoft Copilot integration announced as part of that transition.

Google TV is not Walmart's destination. It's the bridge. Onn devices on Google TV keep buyers in Walmart's ecosystem now, accumulate customer data, and build the brand credibility needed to support a platform transition later. Once CastOS reaches critical mass, the switch becomes viable. There is a real tension in that strategy, though. Walmart is iterating on Google TV hardware precisely as Google widens the software moat with Gemini integration. A $50 box that matches Google's spec sheet but lacks conversational AI gives buyers a more nuanced choice than they had a year ago. It's still a choice, not an obvious upgrade path.

What buyers should know before either device ships

Neither the Thomson 260 Pro 4K nor the Onn 4K Pro v2 has confirmed pricing. That single gap limits any definitive recommendation.

The Thomson 260 Pro 4K makes the most sense for buyers who need local storage or want to connect USB-A peripherals directly. Its 64GB is double the Google TV Streamer and four times the leaked Onn v2 figure. Buyers who prioritize Dolby Vision for HDR streaming or Dolby Atmos for spatial audio should look elsewhere. The optical audio output with Dolby Digital and Dolby Digital Plus support covers legacy surround receivers, but that's a different audience.

The leaked Onn 4K Pro v2 is the stronger Google TV Streamer challenger on paper, assuming its leak-reported features survive to launch. Dolby Vision, Atmos, Wi-Fi 6, and Thread, if confirmed, match Google's hardware story on most counts. The remaining unknowns are price, smart home hub depth, and whether the Dolby implementation holds up in practice. Prior Onn devices have had issues here; Android Authority noted that enabling content adaptive switching broke Dolby Vision for some users after last June's Android TV 14 update, forcing Dolby Vision content in apps like Plex to fall back to HDR. Specs don't resolve software quality questions.

AFTVnews reported last month that Walmart typically releases new streaming hardware in April and May, and never announces products in advance. If the Onn v2 lands near the first-gen Pro's ~$50 price point with its leaked features intact, Google's $99.99 device becomes hard to recommend for anyone who doesn't specifically need Gemini or a fully functional smart home hub. Those software advantages currently justify the price gap. Whether they still do in a few weeks depends entirely on what Walmart puts on those shelves.