The Google Chromecast may not be the only cheap, pocket sized device that lets you stream content from the internet to your TV anymore. But more than a year after launch, the $35 streaming device continues to get more useful as a growing number of developers add support for Google Cast.
Now Google has announced that you can stream content from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, TuneIn Radio, Sesame Street Go, EPIX, Encore, and YuppTV.
Those apps join popular services including Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube, HBO Go, Showtime Anywhere, Pandora, MLB.tv, and many more.
These days the $35 Chromecast has a lot of competition in the cheap TV streamer space. Roku’s Streaming Stick sells for $50 and Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick is priced at $39, although all three devices are on sale for lower prices during the holiday season.
I’m not even going to bother counting up all the cheap, Android-powered devices from Chinese device makers.
But the Chromecast still has a lot of things going for it. The device is small, cheap, and speedy: it boots quickly enough that I just leave mine plugged into the USBport on my TV. It takes a few seconds for the TV to turn on and just a few more for the Chromecast to power up. The device is also extraordinarily easy to use: there’s no remote control or user interface. Just find a video you want to watch on your phone (or PC web browser), tap a button, and it starts playing on the Chromecast.
I’m starting to dabble with the Amazon Fire TV Stick as a Chromecast alternative… but my biggest reason for doing that is that the Chromecast doesn’t stream video from Amazon Instant Video, and now that Amazon offers its own alternative to the Chromecast, it’s not clear if the company has any incentive to support Google’s device.
Do you still have the Nexus Player, Brad?
I’ve been curious what the remote control buttons do, if anything, with cast content. Like – if I cast Netflix from my tablet to the Nexus Player (I know there is a Netflix app on the player too…) then use the pause button on the Nexus Player remote – what happens? Does it control the playback or kick it out of casting mode or do nothing at all? Or..???
I love my Chromecast and the convenience of find stuff to play. However I’d love a small remote for pause, stop, rewind to use with it.
When you’re using Google Cast you can use the play/pause or center/select buttons on the remote to play or pause video, but that’s about it. The back button takes you out of the Google Cast interface.
I just tested it with YouTube and Google Play Movies, but I’m having a hard time getting Netflix to connect at the moment.
Thanks for the quick reply. That’s pretty interesting.
Need news apps like CNN or Sky News. By the by, in regards to TuneIn, I’m pretty sure my phone has a better speaker than my Vizio kitchen TV. 😉