Tech —

New “Chromecast,” a $35 HDMI dongle to get video streams to your TV

Google's latest device lets you throw video to your TV from other devices.

New “Chromecast,” a $35 HDMI dongle to get video streams to your TV
Cyrus Farivar/Ars Technica

Google announced a new device, dubbed Chromecast, at a press event in San Francisco today. The tiny dongle plugs into an HDMI input on a TV and connects to Wi-Fi, allowing users to stream video directly to their TVs from other devices—without requiring matching operating systems.

Interfaces will now present a "cast" button that when clicked will send the video from a PC, tablet, or smartphone to the television. Playback can then be controlled by the device sending the video.

Users can choose which Chromecast they throw to if they have the luxury of multiple dongles.
Users can choose which Chromecast they throw to if they have the luxury of multiple dongles.
Cyrus Farivar

During the demo, Google was able to send a YouTube video playing on a Nexus 4 or the new Nexus 7 to a TV in an off state. The video seamlessly appeared on the TV. Google clarified that Chromecast interacts directly with YouTube, so the phone doesn't have to sustain the stream.

The Chromecast works with a mix of devices and is reliant on Google and Google-approved apps rather than the Android operating system. This means iPhones will be able to interact with the Chromecast via a "cast" button as well. The only non-Google video app compatible with the Chromecast at launch will be Netflix, allowing users to throw a Netflix show from another device to the TV.

To swap between devices to control the television, users can just pick up another tablet or smartphone and open the relevant app. The device will detect that the Chromecast is playing something from that app and offer the user the opportunity to control it.

The Chromecast will also work with music apps, specifically Google Music and Pandora. Google stated that a feature allowing users to project "any Chrome tab" to the Chromecast is in beta. Otherwise, the Chromecast requires no special hardware and will work with "most laptops and OSes," the company said.

The browser incarnation of Chromecast.
The browser incarnation of Chromecast.

Google drew a line in the sand between televisions and mobile devices: "Your personal device should be your remote." Only 15 percent of households figure out how to send video to their TVs in a given week, Sundar Pichai, Google's recently named Android head, said during the presentation.

Google placed a big emphasis on the idea that the Chromecast is somewhat platform-agnostic, given that it's designed to work with apps rather than operating systems. This is a pretty clear strike at the $99 Apple TV, which allows users to throw video streams to their TV from other devices, but any device they use must be part of Apple's ecosystem.

Google failed to point out one necessary component of the Chromecast dongle: a microUSB power cord that must be plugged in at all times in order for the device to work. This is disseminated in the faintest of gray text on the more comprehensive product detail page.

A developer preview of the Chromecast SDK will launch today for Android, iOS, and Chrome apps. The dongle itself will cost $35 and will be available from Amazon, Best Buy, and the Google Play store. Orders open today, and the device will ship within one to two days. At present, the purchase of a Chromecast device will come with a three-month Netflix subscription.

Channel Ars Technica