I’ve been alerted that Google Cast technology will be hitting existing Google Fiber television hardware in the very near future… making subscriber’s “cable” TV set-top boxes that much more interesting, as tons of over-the-top Internet audio and video apps become available, via smartphone control, in a far more efficient manner than, say, TiVo’s approach of negotiating development of individual apps like HBO GO. Beyond my trusted source, additional evidence can be found in this Chromecast code snippet, referencing the “Google fiber remote,” and from some beta testers who look to have prematurely spilled the beans.
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Efficient, yes. Wife-friendly, no. I like the idea of it being included to get an initial burst of content availability but native apps with a remote are the preferred method for me.
"Efficient, yes. Wife-friendly, no. ... native apps with a remote are the preferred method for me."
Obviously fails the WAF test. But also fails the "me" test. Smart phones are stupid, stupid teevee remotes.
(And, yeah, I'm one of those oddballs who really appreciate the unified OnePass queue/interface.)
Yeah, there are definite benefits to a physical remote. But, for many, the dozens or hundreds of current Internet apps suddenly available vs the typical cable box Google competes against, and even TiVo, could outweigh it. How often do we find ourselves asking for TiVo updates? Amazon and Hulu had been ignored for so long. Still so many missing apps like HBO NOW and WatchESPN.