Chromecast Is What Google TV Should Have Been
This post reflects the opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Mashable as a publication.
Chromecast, the surprise announcement at Wednesday's Google Breakfast event in San Francisco, is the most welcome of unexpected guests and already Google's best and brightest hope for living room dominance.
The concept, product and execution — at least based on what I saw — are smart, simple and affordable. The Chromecast device is roughly the same size as a memory stick and plugs into any HDMI port on a HDTV (yes, you need an open HDMI port). It communicates with your network via 802.11n Wi-Fi and with Android, iOS, Windows and ChromeOS devices.
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Chromecast lets your stream online content to your TV and control it via your new Nexus 7 (also introduced today, along with Android 4.3) or any Android device running version 2.3 or later, according to published specs. To stream YouTube content, simply choose the "Cast" icon on the mobile app.
Unlike Apple's AirPlay, which can stream content directly from mobile devices to Apple TV, Chromecast pulls content from the cloud. The benefit: If the person initiating the Chromecast leaves the house, someone else can continue controlling the viewing experience with a different Cast-enabled device. It also won't drain the battery of your device.
Hardware Done Right
Instead of an entirely new platform and onerous, expensive hardware to contend with, content and app providers can use the new Google Cast SDK to alter — not rewrite — their apps to work with Chromecast.
Oh, and did I mention that Chromecast costs $35?Oh, and did I mention that Chromecast costs $35?
The cheapest Google TV device I can find is Vizio's $99 Co-Star Stream Player. Like most Google TV devices, it comes with a separate and overly complex remote control. The remote control for Chromecast will be your favorite mobile device (yes, it even beats your iPhone). It's very un-remote like: No special interface or buttons. Since Chromecast revolves around apps, the app remains the interface. If you know Netflix, you know how to work Chromecast.
That's right, Netflix — the streaming service and recent Emmy nominee (for House of Cards) with 28 million registered subscribers — is already on board. You can start a Netflix movie on your mobile device, hit Cast and then watch in all its 1080p glory on your HDTV. This is a big deal for Google and Chromecast. It instantly takes Chromecast beyond proof of concept. Pandora is on there, too, and I suspect that other key players like Hulu, Flixster, Crackle and CinemaNow will soon follow.
Holdouts
I'm not certain about Amazon. Amazon Prime has roughly 10 million members, and as one of those members, I expect to find access to my Amazon content on all my living room-connected devices.
Streaming customers like options: It's not unusual for me to peruse, in one evening, viewing options on Amazon, Apple, Netflix and VOD. In order for Chromecast to thrive, companies like Amazon have to play ball. I don’t think it will be technology that stops them. App and content partners only have to alter their mobile and desktop apps and not worry about installations and updates on the Chromecast device.
Yet, we can’t forget that Google and Amazon are competitors, especially in the tablet market. Amazon has its popular Amazon Kindle Fire HD (also an Android device) and Google just unveiled a redesigned and pumped-up Nexus 7 (1080p video, ultra-high-res screen, OpenGL graphics, 2GB of RAM). Why would Amazon want to help Google in its living room quest?
Here’s why: Chromecast is almost platform- and brand-agnostic. Theoretically, it should work just as well with YouTube running on the Kindle Fire as it does on the Nexus 7. I also think Amazon is far more interested in people making purchases through its service and would gladly accept a new platform, through which it can collect even more buying members.
Apple, obviously, will never work with Chromecast.Apple, obviously, will never work with Chromecast. The company is building its own living room ecosystem and, despite calling Apple TV a "hobby," remains committed to Apple TV.
By the way, I wasn't certain that Chromecast marked the end of Google TV until I saw its still-in-beta ability to project Chrome web tabs onto any HDTV. Simply open a tab and choose the Cast icon. Even better, you only see the tab — not your whole desktop or mobile device home screen. This is smart and vastly simpler than trying to navigate the Web on Google TV (I curse at everything if I ever I have to surf the web on one of our Sony Google TV sets).
The Long Play
I'm not saying Chromecast is a slam-dunk success, but I do believe Google has just done everything in its power to make it so. Its $35 price tag ($42 with shipping) is almost pocket change. The small size and likely low cost of the Chromecast components also mean Google has a better chance of convincing OEMs to embed this new technology.
The clear hurdle, though, is whether or not TV manufacturers "burned" by Google TV can trust Google again with living room tech. It's also worth noting that companies like Samsung are investing heavily in SmartTV technology. Would they want to switch gears or simply build this in as an option? I really don’t know.
I do think that we'll see many smaller companies building third-party editions of the Chromecast device. This could help them proliferate.
Chromecast looks like it has finally found the right idea for easily adding online smarts to any HDTV. I just wish Google thought of it years ago before saddling us with Google TV.
What do you think of Chromecast? Let me know in the comments below.
Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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