Google to take on Apple TV with $35 Chromecast streaming device for iOS & Android
Google continued its push into hardware manufacturing on Tuesday by announcing Chromecast, a new streaming device that will go head-to-head with the Apple TV set-top box for just over a third of its price.
Alongside the refreshed Nexus 7 revealed today, Google also showed off the Chromecast, a diminutive streaming attachment that plugs into the HDMI port on a television. Using the Chromecast, users can stream and queue material from Android and iOS devices, Chrome OS devices like the Chromebook Pixel, and OS X and Windows PCs with Google's Chrome browser installed.
The Chromecast device itself interfaces with interoperable services directly, enabling users to continue using their devices even as content streams. It works with music content and videos from YouTube, as well as with apps like Netflix, both on iOS and Android.
During the presentation of the new device, Google executives showed it picking up streaming content from both an Android and iOS phone, continuing a user's YouTube experience with just the press of a button. Users will find that the YouTube, Google Play Music, and Netflix apps on iOS and Android will now integrate a "Cast" button, which will tell the device to push video or audio content to a ChromeCast device on the same network.
Multiple users with compatible apps installed on their mobile devices and traditional computers can also collaborate to queue content and share to the same television.
Showing off the device, Google execs repeatedly made thinly veiled references to Apple's "beloved hobby" the Apple TV set-top box.
"Unlike other solutions," one said in the course of the presentation, "we will not force you to have the same operating system on all your devices."
The Chromecast device runs a simplified version of Chrome OS, and Google is working to provide the tools to developers that would allow them to have content from their apps displayed via Chromecast or through a Chrome browser interacting with a Chromecast device.
Chromecast went on sale shortly after it was announced on Wednesday. It is currently available at Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, and Google's online Play Store. On July 28, the device will be available in Best Buy's physical retail locations.
Google has taken a particularly aggressive stance with regard to the device's pricing. At $35, it is just over one-third of the price of an Apple TV device. Apple's diminutive set-top box is by far the most popular among streaming devices according to one recent measure.
Alongside the refreshed Nexus 7 revealed today, Google also showed off the Chromecast, a diminutive streaming attachment that plugs into the HDMI port on a television. Using the Chromecast, users can stream and queue material from Android and iOS devices, Chrome OS devices like the Chromebook Pixel, and OS X and Windows PCs with Google's Chrome browser installed.
The Chromecast device itself interfaces with interoperable services directly, enabling users to continue using their devices even as content streams. It works with music content and videos from YouTube, as well as with apps like Netflix, both on iOS and Android.
During the presentation of the new device, Google executives showed it picking up streaming content from both an Android and iOS phone, continuing a user's YouTube experience with just the press of a button. Users will find that the YouTube, Google Play Music, and Netflix apps on iOS and Android will now integrate a "Cast" button, which will tell the device to push video or audio content to a ChromeCast device on the same network.
Multiple users with compatible apps installed on their mobile devices and traditional computers can also collaborate to queue content and share to the same television.
Showing off the device, Google execs repeatedly made thinly veiled references to Apple's "beloved hobby" the Apple TV set-top box.
"Unlike other solutions," one said in the course of the presentation, "we will not force you to have the same operating system on all your devices."
The Chromecast device runs a simplified version of Chrome OS, and Google is working to provide the tools to developers that would allow them to have content from their apps displayed via Chromecast or through a Chrome browser interacting with a Chromecast device.
Chromecast went on sale shortly after it was announced on Wednesday. It is currently available at Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, and Google's online Play Store. On July 28, the device will be available in Best Buy's physical retail locations.
Google has taken a particularly aggressive stance with regard to the device's pricing. At $35, it is just over one-third of the price of an Apple TV device. Apple's diminutive set-top box is by far the most popular among streaming devices according to one recent measure.
Comments
And what does this product say about Google's earlier TV options? Are they admitting that they're terrible?
They tried this years ago and failed. In fact, there was also the Nexus Q, etc. etc. etc.
Remember Eric Schmidt saying the Google TV would have the market sewn up in 6 months?
Quote:
Originally Posted by crazy_mac_lover
Do cheap again ? Even u get 80 % of the market share , still u can't earn more than Apple .
I have to admit I don't entirely understand why many Apple customers make a virtue of the company having high profits. I mean: I like my iPad, but I would like it even better if I hadn't paid a considerable portion of its price directly into Apple's enormous pile of cash.
Maybe all the people who feel this way are investors, which is a different and more obvious story. But why ordinary customers?
Seeing as the #1 reason people buy an Apple TV is for Airplay (there's a source for that -- came out in the past 2 months), I think that Chromecast will be very popular -- especially if they sell it side-by-side in-store with the Nexus's. It's a neat little device that I would buy if I had an Android device; but I think the biggest difficulty in this selling will really be the amount of products sold that support it. Giving an SDK that supports iOS is going to make it a lot more popular if developers start integrating it into their apps like they do sending links to Chrome, but that's not a given.
Bottom line though, it's a smart product that's simple, useful, and reasonably priced.
P.S. does anyone know if it has an embedded wireless card and is doing this via an ad-hoc connection, or is it Wi-DI or Bluetooth? Can you be connected to the internet and still stream, and if so does the dongle have to be hooked onto the same wifi network?
Very nice idea indeed. They are spot on with Apple being close down on features like airplay, facetime, messaging, ... Those types of apps should always be crossplatforms. I also think Apple should open itunes on android and windows phones and tablets, unless they are scare people are retain by there investment in itunes music, movies and shows?
Its basicly an android airplay box. What is funny is most TV sets already allowed to "cast" something from a lot of android phones and tablets. Problem is a lot of people with android devices dont know they can do that.
On the other hand, I think the next Apple TV will include gaming and apps, so it will be a different beast than this.
Some won't, because it doesn't have an Apple logo. I'm practical. I can outfit all 4 tvs in my home for a little more than the cost of one Apple TV.
I am ditching my cable this fall, planned on 3 more apple tvs or maybe some roku. This changes everything.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arlor
I have to admit I don't entirely understand why many Apple customers make a virtue of the company having high profits. I mean: I like my iPad, but I would like it even better if I hadn't paid a considerable portion of its price directly into Apple's enormous pile of cash.
Maybe all the people who feel this way are investors, which is a different and more obvious story. But why ordinary customers?
Profits fuel innovation in Cupertino. They enable Apple to take huge risks and come up with great, revolutionary products as opposed to cheap derivatives of others' work. Whenever Tim Cook comes on a stage to show us the next big thing, it will be born out of that considerable portion of profit from your iPad.
I wonder if it can stream from Mac/Windows computers?
Who says the vocal forums members here represent "ordinary customers"?
Ordinary customers just buy their Apple products and iTunes content and are happy using it. They don't hang out here beating their chests.
"Unlike other solutions," one said in the course of the presentation, "we will not force you to have the same operating system on all your devices."
That's dishonest because that's exactly what they're doing. This thing only works with Apps that have integrated Chrome into them to support it.
AppleTV is not a dongle that lets you connect to the TV, it's a small computer itself.
Typical google, I guess they think being disingenuous isn't "evil".
$20 bucks after a 3 free month Netflix credit is an amazing deal. Personally I prefer my PS3 and the ability to just sit on the sofa and switch from regular TV to Netflix without an added layer of complexity by using my computer or phone to stream the content. But I can see this product selling very well. Great impulse buy and gift option.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smiles77
P.S. does anyone know if it has an embedded wireless card and is doing this via an ad-hoc connection, or is it Wi-DI or Bluetooth? Can you be connected to the internet and still stream, and if so does the dongle have to be hooked onto the same wifi network?
From my understanding the dongle has an embedded WiFi card and communication happens over your home WiFI. One of the examples given was that you can tell your phone/tablet to stream Netflix to your TV and Netflix will stream straight to the Chromecast in order to save battery life on your mobile device and leaving your mobile device to do other things if needed.
2) Another attempt, ok. Hardly innovative; Apple has AirPlay for quite some time now.
3) Fitting:
[IMG ALT=""]http://forums.appleinsider.com/content/type/61/id/28795/width/350/height/700[/IMG]
http://chromecast.com
4) And then reading this, I think it's one large pathetic spec sheet they ticked off:
http://lostremote.com/google-connects-all-your-homes-devices-to-tv-with-35-chromecast_b38287
I'm sure it's successful, specifically for those that think this is 'cool' and even useful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Arlor
I have to admit I don't entirely understand why many Apple customers make a virtue of the company having high profits. I mean: I like my iPad, but I would like it even better if I hadn't paid a considerable portion of its price directly into Apple's enormous pile of cash.
Maybe all the people who feel this way are investors, which is a different and more obvious story. But why ordinary customers?
Funny thing is I dont think they are all investors, they just like getting rip off