There may be no better excuse to buy gadgets en masse than the holiday shopping season, and this year Google has nailed the stocking-stuffer price point at $35 for its Chromecast streaming video stick. It’s not just Christmas either, of course. I’m a sucker for alliteration, but in reality, Chromecast is going to be the gift of choice for many a holiday celebration this winter.
Chromecast has a lot more going for it than just price. Google added HBO support last week and is reportedly getting ready to release an SDK to developers in the near future. The more apps that integrate with the hardware, the more valuable Chromecast becomes. As someone with a Roku box, I was initially uninterested in using Chromecast for to watch Netflix. However, I installed the Chromecast plug-in on my first-gen iPad, and when the tablet prompted me to choose between my mobile device and my Chromecast-connected TV to continue watching a show on Netflix, I decided to test Chromecast viewing.
The result? It works scary well.
When you click on Chromecast as your Netflix viewing choice, the device automatically turns on your TV, switches inputs for you, and starts playing your video stream. If the experience is that easy with every other app, Chromecast will get a lot of play.
And after next month’s shopping extravaganza, there should be a lot more new customers ready to try it out.
View Comments
Just a note, the new Netflix channel on the Roku appears just like the Chromecast does in the mobile apps. When I watch a netflix show on my android I'm able to pick either my chromecast or my Roku to watch on.
I don't know about turning on the TV and switching inputs (that doesn't work on my tv with chromecast, likely b/c my TV is too old). But the integration to the mobile app is similar.
I have seen a lot of Chromecast reviews that talk about connecting it to a TV, however like a lot of folks my TV is connected to an AV receiver. How well does a Chromecast work (if at all) when it's connected to a receiver?
dwgsp - my chromecast is plugged into my receiver and it works fine.