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Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

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Re: Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

#91

Post by kuschku »

tinus_hn wrote: post #88
kuschku wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> how hard would it be to code that in? How hard is it to support a protocol that the vendor obfuscates, and changes frequently, to prevent you from streaming to it? Interesting question. From my own experiences trying to build an open source library to stream to it (and to receive streams): Very hard when the vendor is Google. The only way to stream to Chromecasts is with Google’s proprietary library, and Google wil…

Receiving stream as if you are a Chromecast in an open source form is not likely to work because DRM.

Interestingly, in the beginning it did. Without any DRM.

Later on, at least YouTube, Play Music, and similar streams worked nicely. This was especially nice because so many apps support the protocol.

Sadly, in the end, I gave up on trying to stream to my computer via that protocol, because almost every week Google broke compatibility, and I was simply pissed.

And the real chromecast I have, I can’t use, because it doesn’t support WPA Enterprise.

Re: Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

#92

Post by dragonwriter »

kuschku wrote: post #90
dhoulb wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is the last part about licensing true (or sourced from somewhere)? Surely Amazon could just drop the Cast library into their iPhone and Android apps and they’d be all set? I can’t see Google stopping them (well maybe they would now it’s escalated, but they wouldn’t have last year.) I assumed not supporting Cast was just an excuse not to stock Chromecasts etc on Amazon. BTW I totally agree with the frustration of the…

> Surely Amazon could just drop the Cast library into their iPhone and Android apps and they’d be all set? The cast library doesn’t contain any of the code required to cast – all that code is in the Google Play Services in the system app, not in the library. And you can obviously understand how Amazon can’t just reuse that.

They could certainly do it in their Android and iOS apps. They can't on their Kindle apps, since Kindle is AOSP-based but not Android.

Re: Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

#93

Post by kuschku »

dragonwriter wrote: post #92
kuschku wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Surely Amazon could just drop the Cast library into their iPhone and Android apps and they’d be all set? The cast library doesn’t contain any of the code required to cast – all that code is in the Google Play Services in the system app, not in the library. And you can obviously understand how Amazon can’t just reuse that.

They could certainly do it in their Android and iOS apps. They can't on their Kindle apps, since Kindle is AOSP-based but not Android.

Android is an OS – specifically, the AOSP projects result, the Google Play services are only available in the Google Play distribution of Android.

So Amazon can’t do it in their Android apps, unless they create a special version for Google Play Android.

But Amazon – like many other developers, including myself – refuses to create different versions for different Android distributions.

Other Android distributions that are also excluded include MIUI, Replicant, LineageOS, CopperheadOS, and Androidx86.

Re: Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

#95

Post by bitmapbrother »

mulmen wrote: post #87
bitmapbrother wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The original version played YouTube videos without any ads, subscriptions, next video recommendations, auto-play and other things that Google thought were necessary for YouTube and its content creators. Amazon was basically stealing content from its creators and not even indirectly compensating them. >Sounds like this is Google trying to exert leverage on Amazon. Perhaps, but why should Google help Amazon sell their…

Ok but when was that version released? I have been watching YouTube on FireTV for years at this point with advertisements and subscriptions. The current move mentions nothing about TOS and instead mentions Amazon's refusal to sell Google devices. Google doesn't have to help Amazon sell it's products but it would benefit both companies to cooperate instead of harming their customers to try and get a little more platfo…

We're talking about the Echo Show here and it's the version that was shipped with it.

>Google doesn't have to help Amazon sell it's products but it would benefit both companies to cooperate

Until Amazon decides to start selling Google products I doubt this will end anytime soon.

Re: Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

#96

Post by mulmen »

bitmapbrother wrote: post #95
mulmen wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok but when was that version released? I have been watching YouTube on FireTV for years at this point with advertisements and subscriptions. The current move mentions nothing about TOS and instead mentions Amazon's refusal to sell Google devices. Google doesn't have to help Amazon sell it's products but it would benefit both companies to cooperate instead of harming their customers to try and get a little more platfo…

We're talking about the Echo Show here and it's the version that was shipped with it. >Google doesn't have to help Amazon sell it's products but it would benefit both companies to cooperate Until Amazon decides to start selling Google products I doubt this will end anytime soon.

Right, they should both cooperate, it would be better for everyone.

Re: Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

#97

Post by threatofrain »

hammock wrote: post #62
RIMR wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon removing the Chromecast from their store was, if anything, verification at the Fire TV was not a product that could succeed on its own. I love my Chromecast and I buy new models directly from Google, because no matter what Amazon says I know the difference between Google's product, and Amazon's copycat version of it.

>Amazon removing the Chromecast from their store was, if anything, verification at the Fire TV was not a product that could succeed on its own. Did anyone ever think otherwise? Content is king. Fire stick is just a raspberry pi with half-ass UI built in

But shouldn't Amazon have a content advantage? A metaphorical Raspberry Pi with a better GUI should've been enough.

Re: Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

#98

Post by kawsper »

dhoulb wrote: post #80
chrisper wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hmm. Did you buy it officially or did you import it?

It’s 100% available in the UK. Bought one officially from Amazon. Not imported.

It did not use to be 100% available, Roku denied for a long time ship their Roku Streaming Stick 3600 to the UK. So you had to find a person that had bought it in the US, or trick them into sending it to you.

When I asked support about it they said "The 3600R is not supported in the UK, so I'm afraid it will not work", however it is now selling on Amazon.

Some believed that it was because of Sky having a deal with Roku (Sky has invested in Roku), and because of that they wanted to brand their own Rokus, or something like that.

I am glad that they have since come to their senses and agreed to sell Rokus in the UK.

Re: Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

#99

Post by dragonwriter »

kuschku wrote: post #93
dragonwriter wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could certainly do it in their Android and iOS apps. They can't on their Kindle apps, since Kindle is AOSP-based but not Android.

Android is an OS – specifically, the AOSP projects result, the Google Play services are only available in the Google Play distribution of Android. So Amazon can’t do it in their Android apps, unless they create a special version for Google Play Android. But Amazon – like many other developers, including myself – refuses to create different versions for different Android distributions. Other Android distributions that…

> Android is an OS – specifically, the AOSP projects result,

No, Android is a trademark which designates the branded, proprietary-but-open-core OS developed by Google and licensed to handset and other device makers.

AOSP is an open source codebase which forms part of the codebase of Android.

> So Amazon can’t do it in their Android apps, unless they create a special version for Google Play Android

There is no such thing; that's just Android. Pop

> Other Android distributions that are also excluded include MIUI, Replicant, LineageOS, CopperheadOS, and Androidx86.

No, those are other AOSP-derived OSs, which can run some subset of Android apps.

Re: Google Is Pulling YouTube Off the Fire TV and Echo Show

#100

Post by gitgud »

otakucode wrote: post #51

Why is this Google's call to make? I thought YouTube was a web site/service and the web was open?

YouTube is a commercial product. It's Google's choice to make YouTube free to view. Couldn't they block anything they want?

- Client app implementations

- Specific countries

- Specific browsers

- Specific users

Is this correct?

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