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The Chromecast was one of the few things I really liked made by Google. I always have one in my travel bag and it’s basically like bringing your own home theater to the hotel with you. I had a time where I lived in hotels and AirBnB’s for almost a year and this thing was god send.
They have some other device which they want to sell which will replace it, but that one is big and clunky, not meant for traveling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSSI_Ht6Mis
I take my raspberry pi 400 with me ($70). I don’t like to travel with expensive things. Once connected to a hotel tv, i have a full pc. I watch movies in 720p to have more fps. In case I have something important to do but no TV, I vnc to my phone.
Dammit. I like it for the same reason. Why does Google keep doing this?
well, it’s just in their DNA. institutional inertia is a helluva drug!
$
Because they worship incompetence.
Connecting a classic (non-Google TV) Chromecast to a new WiFi (or heaven forbid a hotel WiFi with a capture portal) was always such a pain. And casting over networks without mDNS is flaky at best and otherwise downright impossible.
By contrast, I’ve loved taking along my Chromecast with Google TV to hotels, along with:
- A VPN client installed it already,
- An Android phone that can create a WiFi AP while connected to the hotel WiFi,
- A Bluetooth speaker and my Bluetooth headphones paired to it so I get great audio as well.
This has been a complete gamechanger and a genuine upgrade over yesteryear’s Chromecasts.
Google is just doing Google things. It seems that over the years, Google has been doing things to destroy whatever is left of their reputation.
I look at Android for example. Even though I still use Android, I used to look forward to the next Android update. Not anymore!
I already forgot it existed.
And? Do they plan to put all the software open source so that the millions of hardware they sold would not go to waste in some years? We should force them to by law.
You only read the headline, didnt you?
That’s what clickbait aims to achieve. Just make people rage. People need to learn to read the article before raging.
I come down to these comments to have someone angrily explain it in simple terms to me.
Fair enough.
That’s not angry enough
Sucks for you then
Well, the article says: “Google says it will continue to push software and security updates to its newer devices without specifying which ones.”.
So only newer devices (and we don’t know which ones), and if you are a bit familiar with technology, you would very well know that they will just quit updating the software anyways after some time as they stopped making the whole Chromecast line.
That’s still a lot of devices that would be perfectly usable and will eventually go to waste. So imo my remark about the fact that we should have laws forcing manufacturers to make their software open source as soon as they’re no longer updated is still valid!
I think it’s perfectly reasonable to not expect a company to perpetually support a sub-$100 device. Especially if said device has been around for 5+ years at least.
I agree with you that it would be foolish to believe that any company would support a cheap device perpetually but I think it should be common practice (or mandatory) to open the software so that people can extend the life of these devices. Generally speaking, as a species we cannot afford to waste electronic devices simply because the software is not up to date.
any product made by or linked to google is a no buy. I basically dont buy anything these days. fuck that company!
Of course they are.
They aren’t really, they are just upgrading it to a full set top box and rebranding it.
But it went from a dongle to a set top box for more than 3 times the price. It’s not really the same device, just similar functionality.
Yeah, I don’t see myself carrying this thing to every hotel I stay at… Even less because I am not buying it lol.
🙄 it’s as dead as the Nexus. Try to keep up.
I just came to comment this exact string.
Lol I said these exact words a second before I read this. Google is such a fucking awful company.
Google’s gonna Google
Add another casualty to the list:
In place of the Chromecast, the company will offer the newly announced $99.99 Google TV Streamer,
They’re replacing it with a very similar product. Nothing to see here.
Similar product that costs 4 times as much and has AI features…
The low-power streaming box is dying. It’s not completely without reason, 4k playback is actually a bit demanding.
We are in a place where the 2017 nVidia Shield is beginning to show its age and that leaves the AppleTV as the only powerful and capable consumer set top box on the market. This new option from Google will at least provide some competition and an option outside of Apple’s ecosystem.
I cannot believe NVIDIA has essentially abandoned its SHIELD micro console line. My Shield Pro has been an amazing sideloading fiend.
I absolutely love mine, but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t stutter sometimes when asked to perform more demanding tasks. The chip is also going to start having issues with formats in the coming years. I’d love for nVidia to put out something that used a rival to the A15 in Apple’s box. Native AV1 decoding and just raw speed is really needed to catch up to use cases in 2024 compared to 7 years earlier.
We’ll have to see if the processor is better than the shield. Google’s spec page shows it has 1 GB of RAM more than the shield but conveniently does not say what processor is in it
This $100 box from Google runs on the same SoC as the $50 streaming box from Onn (Walmart). The only major differences are the Google box as 4GB of RAM vs 3GB, a 1Gb Ethernet port instead of 100Mb (both have WiFi 6), and the Google box has a USB Type C port for power/data and would need an OTG adapter/hub while the Onn box has a Type A and a barrel plug for power.
and before that they already replaced it with google tv with chromecast
A more expensive, clunkier product, with a bunch of needless fluff in it.
You mean twice the ram (1 gig more than the shield), 4 times the storage (32 gigs), and a better remote (chirping find my remote feature, programmable button, and less shitty volume buttons)?
Yep. Sure sounds worse considering it also supports all the same features of the chromecast 4k and AV1 decoding.
None of which changes the fact that it’s more expensive and clunkier, and none of which feels necessary.
It’s also twice the price of the Onn 4k Pro (Walmart house brand) that’s built on the same chip and has the same features running the stock Google TV experience.
Most of the appeal of the Chromecast is that it’s a dongle you plug in once and never have to see again. It doesn’t need high performance and 32 gigs of RAM. It needs to play video. That’s its entire purpose. It’s controlled by any phone on your wifi, it doesn’t need a remote.
For most users, this is an expensive downgrade.
It’s controlled by any phone on your wifi, it doesn’t need a remote.
Or you can use it’s remote and not need to use your phone for absolutely every little thing.
The remote was the biggest upgrade for me on the Ultra though. I always struggled to find my phone and do stuff on it just to watch some YouTube or Netflix videos. And the Kids don’t even have a phone and they want to watch on the TV in the livingroom too sometimes. With the remote it’s easy for everyone to use it without fiddling with the Phone.
My parents have the one without the remote and they basically never use it because my mom doesn’t have a mobile phone and my dad newer has it with him, it’s always not charged or in some other room.
I don’t need any of that. I just need a cheap dongle that can run one app
The dongle still works. They reached market saturation with people who just want a dongle. They can’t realistically be expected to produce these forever.
Your existing chromecast dongle will continue to connect
Will it, though?
“Sorry this device is too old to support the newest software update. For your convenience we have bricked it. Please see your authorized dealer to purchase an upgraded device”
Sure, give me a single example where a chromecast device was taken off the chromecast protocol. Even their original Chromecast Audio device which was discontinued and taken out of production over 5 years ago still functions to this day.
Cast protocol is only one of the many many things that you can stream through a chromecast device.
I mean I’d hope so because eventually this one I have won’t work like the previous one so I’d like a similar product when that happens not this 99 dollar box thing. I guess I hope someone else will continue making cheap dongles I think walmart has their own thing
Facebook marketplace is absolutely loaded with these for less than $20. Let’s recycle the existing stock.
Because that’ll last
So when the current dongle breaks and you just want another, what do you buy?
Facebook market place in my small town has dozens of these for less than $20. Why don’t you pick up a few of these and recycle our current supply instead of asking companies to produce more e waste incase we someday want to buy it.
The large used market exists because Google has been producing them. When Google stops producing them, that supply will dry up.
They’re supposedly using pretty much the same chipset. So the most important part is still underpowered, these Android boxes generally work fine even with 2-3GBs of RAM.
From OP article
such as a processor that’s 22 percent faster
It’s supposed to use S905X3 with ARM Cortex-A55.
There’s already plenty of devices on the market with this chip, and it’s fine, but in real world as a user you won’t really see any improvement over something like a nearly 10 year old Nvidia Shield that’s still using a more powerful chipset.
Which is sad for a new device…
Does Nvidia even make new mobile chipsets still? At least… Relatively cheaply? I know there’s something of an Nvidia tax.
I don’t think so. Maybe they’ll have something new for the next Nintendo Switch?
In fact, the Shield is using the same chip as the Switch (same for the newer revisions).
Regular Chromecast work perfectly as YouTube jukebox.
What do you mean regular Chromecast?
What do you mean regular Chromecast?
Just regular Chromecast, not that Google TV stuff. That round dongle that does nothing but accept casting streams via that cast button in many Android apps.
So the one from 2013? Sure. It was fine for that. This is a different thing, as not every device, service, or whatever supports casting. I wish they did, but they don’t.
Secondarily, I don’t want to use a screen to control a screen. I prefer a physical remote that I can have muscle memory for.
But I get why people liked the device. I did too. But fortunately or unfortunately, it’s been 10 years and technology has moved. Which is probably why they are giving this a new name being an generally good upgrade on the last Chromecast 4K.
Christ, this one even has a built in Ethernet port and doesn’t put strain on my HDMI port by just dangling there.
So the one from 2013? Sure. It was fine for that. This is a different thing, as not every device, service, or whatever supports casting. I wish they did, but they don’t.
Well, the story is about Google ending that line of products.
Yeah, I have a smart TV and would appreciate some faster processing in there. Or if I can flash a simplified ROM, but dunno if those exist. As long as I get control over what it does, I’d take it. Can just Velcro it on the back of the TV so it’s invisible.
My Chromecast has no storage and no remote. It’s fine.
Cool. Keep using it.
Until services stop supporting it.
until they decide that their new device needs more sales, so they depricate the protocol and you can’t use it anymore
Deprecate the casting protocol? Sure Jan. The new device still supports casting.
Chromecast ultras are already broken if you try to use your own DNS.
That’s the only reason I had to replace my previous 2 steaming devices.
The streaming backend got updated and the app in my device no longer supported it. And there was no updated app made available for that device.
You haven’t been paying attention to Google in the last few years, have you?
They killed support for the first gen Chromecast and the YouTube “app” has been broken for 3+ years. They’ll just stop supporting it one day and you’ll have to buy a new one.
And ethernet port!
You can get an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast
Yeah, exactly. You needed to buy an extra adapter before. Now you don’t.
Yes! I hadn’t seen that highlighted anywhere in articles really, only saw it on the damn Google Store after looking just now.
Seems an all around solid update on the previous device.
Just gotta stick FLauncher, SmartTube, Jellyfin, and Stremio on it and it seems solid.
I changed from FLauncher to Projectivity Launcher a little while ago and definitely recommend it
My wife is used to FLauncher and will probably get annoyed if I change the Shield’s interface (again…) but maybe I’ll try it out on the Google TV Chromecast I have for holiday trips.
I just hope this is still possible on the new one, I can see a future where they make it impossible but hopefully not yet.
I agree that it’s a good upgrade too, the only dowside is that it’s not portable anymore, I used to take it with me on any travel to have my own home theater set up like I like it with me when I was living in Hotels and AirBnB’s for a year on business travel. Especially in Asia the TVs are in the local language and I never have any idea how to change the language from Korean or Japanese to English so I can use the TV. But putting in the dongle and turning on the TV was always possible.
Now with AI!
I’m not sure why they didn’t just call it the chrome cast gen whatever though.
So you could just ask it for anything and it could make it up?
“Google, show ‘Ow! My Balls!’”
I wonder how far away we are from AI being able to create video on demand like that?
I think overall it’ll never be able to create quality entertainment.
But Ow! My Balls! isn’t quality entertainment. I’m sure it can create all kinds of clips of things smashing into groins for ultra low-brow entertainment. Probably today.
Shitposting is one area where I have no issues using AI.
Or literally just reuse the Android TV name
Enshitification 101
For which they will be able to offer subscriptions in a year or 2.
Swallowed the clickbait, hook, line and sinker.
They’re replacing it with a very similar product. Nothing to see here.
Like they do with messengers every couple of years.
Or music streaming apps.
Seemed monthly at one point 🤣
Anyone looking for a streaming box look into the Walmart Onn 4k Pro, came out earlier this year and it works great. The remote has an annoying button on it, but that’s my only complaint.
Mines been packed away for a few years now
Did y’all even click the article?
It will be rebranded, basically, to become the Google TV streamer. The tech is not going anywhere.
“In place of the Chromecast, the company will offer the newly announced $99.99 Google TV Streamer, which launches on September 24th.”
It’s a different device. Already, the existing google tv workflow is different than the chromecast, which was phone control first. Now, it brings up an app which favors navigation with the remote. If I want a set top box, I’ll put a kodi box in…I wanted a dumb dongle which could be controlled from a phone. It’s fundamentally a different product.
My hope is that casting decouples as a concept from being a google protocol. Even though Amazon is backing it now, I hope MatterCast can become an open casting standard. My vision is having MatterCast be an installable add-on to Kodi, and then an ultra-light image can be made for super low-end devices supporting audio and video (or both).
I mean this is what Google does though. Some new exec comes in, rebrands existing tech to solve some problem, support continues for a few tears, rinse and repeat until google decides it isnt worth it and kills the entire platform.
$100 though … a Chromecast used to be like $35.
Rebrand to increase price by an ungodly amount to circumvent massive backlash ✅
Get a pi, people. There are very few reasons you would want Chromecast.
Curious, how does a pi replace Chromecast functionality?
Very few reasons for people with technical ability, which the Fediverse overrepresents. It’s easy to get the idea that anyone can pick up something like a Pi and install and configure an OS image on it. It seems simple to us, but 95% of people will not/cannot do this. They have better things to do than learn IT skills.
Size and portability.? Ease of use?
My god does anybody else downvote an article if it’s blatant clickbait? How does it have 520 score? You were supposed to be better than r**dit remember?
It is a little clickbaity, but the new device isn’t the same as Chromecast.
… Does this mean that the chromecast with google tv that is pictured, and that i just bought, will soon stop working?
Gone the Google way. One more for the Google Graveyard.
What’s “soon”? Should be good for a couple of years
My 10-year-old Nexus (original Android TV that is a direct ancestor of the Google TV device you’re talking about) still works.
Whats my next move when my chromecast audio dies? I love that thing
AudioCast - exactly the same, but different producer. I have both.
Ottercast, but you gotta build it yourself!
Pi zero + squeezebox + usb sound card
I know haha google graveyard funny, but over a decade of production only to be replaced by a similar product is a financial success.
Everyone knows after any commercial success the best thing you can do is rebrand by announcing the death of the successful product \s
