Moments in Chromecast's history • Hacker News Board

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#71

Post by lxgr » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:53 PM UTC

pbhowmic wrote: post #45

I still have one. A few years old but still works, rock-solid and what I love best is the form-factor: unobtrusive, in fact, totally hidden from view.

Hang on to it.

Google inexplicably killed the Chromecast Audio as well, and it was an absolutely perfect device for a very particular niche (streaming audio to an old stereo/amplifier without needing a permanently connected phone as is the case for Bluetooth).

I hope mine still lasts for a long time (I believe there are some Google-signed certs on it that might expire some day?).

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#72

Post by jsheard » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:53 PM UTC

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #32

aestetix wrote: post #8

So they are ending Chromecast, and also just launched the "Google TV Streamer" which seems to do the same thing, but "faster, more premium" whatever that means. Seems to be a reason to charge people more for the same thing but slap the AI label all over it. But that's just first impressions. Edit: and apparently the TV Streamer thing is twice the price of the Chromecast.

"Premium" in general means "more expensive," right?

It's $100, compared to $50 for the last 4K Chromecast dongle or $30 for the 1080p version.

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#73

Post by iicc » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:53 PM UTC

swamp_donkey wrote: post #19

Is there any substitute for chrome cast audio? I love being able to play in sync audio to the group of receivers I choose throughout the property, using any amplifier. I’m not even using the digital optical input and I love them

Snapcast https://github.com/badaix/snapcast

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#74

Post by ViktorRay » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:53 PM UTC

I got a free Chromecast ultra when I got a free Google Stadia box kit a few years ago.

I didn’t use the Chromecast ultra much but I thought it was pretty neat. Kinda sad to see it go.

Honestly the Google Stadia controller is probably the most comfortable and well designed controller I’ve used. I still have it and use it for PC gaming stuff. I don’t play video games much anymore so I don’t know if the other controllers nowadays are better but that was my experience.

The point I’m trying to make is that it seems Google has talented engineers and designers. So I wonder why so many of its products fail and why it cancels so many things…

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#75

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:53 PM UTC

mbreese wrote: post #23

How much of this is an "end" to Chromecast and a rebranding of Chromecast to "Google TV Streamer"? It seems like the bare-bones experience of a Chromecast being tied to a phone (or browser) is getting replaced with an Apple TV like experience. If this is the case, it might be a (rare) example of a good branding shift from Google. I have had two Chromecasts (the original and an Ultra) and I feel like both were hampere…

[deleted]

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#76

Post by wilsonnb3 » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:53 PM UTC

swamp_donkey wrote: post #19

Is there any substitute for chrome cast audio? I love being able to play in sync audio to the group of receivers I choose throughout the property, using any amplifier. I’m not even using the digital optical input and I love them

Check out wiim for hardware.

And also https://roon.app/en/ for music streaming software that can group up devices from a bunch of different manufacturers.

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#77

Post by delecti » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:53 PM UTC

lordleft wrote: post #25

I really disliked my Chromecast...despite being able to output 4k, the OS was sluggish and it barely had storage to hold the streaming apps I was interested in using. I ditched it for the Apple4K.

I didn't even know you could install apps onto a Chromecast. I'm not sure why you'd need to though, because phone apps can "cast" to it.

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#78

Post by davidmurdoch » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:54 PM UTC

mrweasel wrote: post #37

gclawes wrote: post #11

> Google TV Streamer (4K) Oh, so they're just rebranding and not making it a dongle anymore....

The rebranding makes sense, because I don't think people see it as "Google Chromecast", but simply "Chromecast" and not associating it with Google.

Google has a really horrible brand reputation though. Would be bizarre if someone at Google thought tacking "Google" on a product would improve the product's reputation.

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#79

Post by petepete » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:54 PM UTC

Waterluvian wrote: post #18

I’m incredibly anxious about this. Chromecast is core to how my family’s television usage works. I got a free Chromecast recently and it’s a much worse UX than the ones I got many years ago. What I wish for is for the ubiquitous Cast button found everywhere to be open and neutral and for there to be a whole market of devices that’ll work. It feels frustrating and kind of ugly that there’s an Apple version and a Googl…

> What I wish for is for the ubiquitous Cast button found everywhere to be open and neutral and for there to be a whole market of devices that’ll work

Sonos, take note.

Re: Moments in Chromecast's history

#80

Post by xnx » Tue, Aug 06, 2024, 2:54 PM UTC

poetril wrote: post #27

Looks like I'll be moving towards Roku, most of my friends use it and I've been using a Chromecast because I was gifted on. But the experience w/ Roku seems to be superior to Chromecast nowadays anyways.

Roku has "Automatic Content Recognition (ACR)" which effectively uploads screenshots of what you're watching every few seconds: https://support.roku.com/en-ca/article/115005739288

Short of having an always on camera and microphone, this is amongst the scummiest corporate spying behavior out there.