The other big news of today’s Google’s press event, after the launch of the new 2nd generation Nexus 7 tablet, was Google making another bid for control of our TV, with the Chromecast. And this time, it might just work.
The Chromecast is essentially Google trying to streamline our video viewing experience. It’s built on Chrome instead of Android to make it platform-agnostic, and it’s… well… it’s essentially everything people have been saying online video needs.
Here’s the basic idea: say you’re watching a YouTube video on your tablet, and you feel the need to show the whole room the dog peeing, or whatever. You click a “Cast” button, and it pops up on your TV. Really. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. Even better, you don’t need a remote. Got a phone or tablet? Any phone or tablet, iOS, Android, whatever? Chromecast uses it as your remote, and if you leave the room, it just finds another device to act as a remote. Which is neat, although I suspect a dedicated remote will be coming sooner rather than later.
Installation boils down to “Plug this thing into an HDMI slot.” It’s already working with Google’s services, will be integrated with Pandora, and will work with Netflix. Google, being Google, is likely already working with other streaming video companies to get that cast button installed. They’re also working with other set-top box manufacturers to get it installed in their gear.
But if you want one, you can just go buy one. Right now. For $35.
It’s pretty difficult to see how this thing won’t sell like hotcakes. It solves a lot of streaming video problems, it’s dirt cheap, it’s built to work with the stuff you own already, and one suspects support will be fairly rapidly coming from other services and manufacturers.
The Chromecast is essentially Google trying to streamline our video viewing experience. It’s built on Chrome instead of Android to make it platform-agnostic, and it’s… well… it’s essentially everything people have been saying online video needs.
Here’s the basic idea: say you’re watching a YouTube video on your tablet, and you feel the need to show the whole room the dog peeing, or whatever. You click a “Cast” button, and it pops up on your TV. Really. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. Even better, you don’t need a remote. Got a phone or tablet? Any phone or tablet, iOS, Android, whatever? Chromecast uses it as your remote, and if you leave the room, it just finds another device to act as a remote. Which is neat, although I suspect a dedicated remote will be coming sooner rather than later.
Installation boils down to “Plug this thing into an HDMI slot.” It’s already working with Google’s services, will be integrated with Pandora, and will work with Netflix. Google, being Google, is likely already working with other streaming video companies to get that cast button installed. They’re also working with other set-top box manufacturers to get it installed in their gear.
But if you want one, you can just go buy one. Right now. For $35.
It’s pretty difficult to see how this thing won’t sell like hotcakes. It solves a lot of streaming video problems, it’s dirt cheap, it’s built to work with the stuff you own already, and one suspects support will be fairly rapidly coming from other services and manufacturers.
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