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Since launching the first Chromecast store in 2013, Google's $ 35 plug-in broadcast dongle has dominated the set-up landscape. More than 55 million units sold worldwide have processed more than 1.5 billion stream requests from tens of thousands of applications, according to Google. And Mountain View, keen to keep up the momentum, introduced a third-generation model in a blog post.
The new Chromecast replaces the SKU launched in September 2015, but you might not know it by watching it. It retains the circular design of its predecessor, looking like a washer, with a flexible HDMI cable hanging over the case. The microUSB port that provides power is also intact. People who are hoping for a USB Type-C upgrade will not find it here.
This does not mean that there is no change, and that it is universally for the better. The third-generation Chromecast features a matte finish that is easier to grasp and an improved Wi-Fi antenna that delivers faster performance at 5GHz. Google claims to have a maximum antenna gain of 4 dBi over the 2.1 dBi of the outgoing Chromecast company, an improvement of about 50%.
It is also 15% faster with hardware enhancements and can support videos up to 1080p at 60 frames per second.
Bluetooth connectivity, which theoretically lays the foundation for the support of the remote control and the game controller, is another flagship feature. Details were difficult to obtain at the time of publication, but we will update this post as we learn more.
The new Chromecast is available in stores starting today from $ 35 and comes in two colors: chalk and charcoal. The expedition begins in Australia, Canada, Denmark, the United States, Finland, Great Britain, Japan, Norway, the Netherlands, Singapore, Sweden and the United States. Other countries will follow in 2019.
Unfortunately, today's announcements were missing from Chromecast Ultra, a $ 70 Chromecast high-end variant that supports 4K and HDR resolution formats, including HDR10 (but not the recently introduced HDR +) and Dolby Vision. Chromecast Audio, a $ 35 audio-only model that plugs into the 3.5mm audio jack of any speaker and provides high-resolution multiroom sound (24-bit / 96kHz), also escaped the mention .
In 2015, a Strategy Analytics report indicated that Chromecast's market share in the global digital media streamer market was 35%, ahead of Apple, Google, Amazon and Roku. However, a recent study found a drop in Chromecast usage year-over-year. With today's updates – plus the new Smart TV Kit Kit – Google redirects the benefit.
Continuous Improvements
Chromecast, for the uninitiated, uses a proprietary protocol – Google Cast – that broadcasts content in two different ways: via Cast-enabled apps, which pass web links from TV shows, movies, and videos to a browser-like environment running on Chromecast, or mirroring from a Chrome tab on a mobile phone or computer. Chromecast devices do not have an infrared transmitter and so can not control all TVs with a remote control. But those that support Consumer Electronics Control (CEC) automatically turn on and switch to the active HDMI input.
The video playback experience on Chromecast has improved dramatically over the years, with autoplay and content queuing on the platform in 2015. Last year, Chrome has acquired an experimental feature that transfers feeds directly to Chromecast when a video is fully screen-readable, improving the broadcast quality of apps and websites that do not natively support Google Cast.
In May 2015, new game-centric APIs were introduced, such as Cast Remote Display, which allows developers to create second-screen experiences, and Game Manager, which provides greater control over multiplayer experiences. Much more recently, code changes in Chromium – the open source project on which the Chrome browser is built – suggest that tactile gestures are on the way.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Chromecast devices can mirror Google's $ 99 Daydream View headset, cast presentations from Google Slides, and browse photos in Google Photos. And they play well with Google Assistant and Google Home, respectively Google's voice platform with artificial intelligence and the range of smart speakers.
You can queue movies already purchased or rented on Chromecast with a voice command and view your calendar, local weather, and more. (The results are customized: Google's Voice Match technology allows you to view different content based on the detected voice.) Chromecast and Google Home have recently gained a closer integration with YouTube Live, the subscription service. televised at $ 35 a month from Google, allowing subscribers to not only channel surfing with voice commands, but also pause, rewind and play the content. And earlier this year, Google introduced the ability to transmit security camera signals from Circle Logitech, Nest Cam IQ, and other devices to Chromecast with voice control.
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