6 ms·

Chromecast + NFC

55 points by maxwellito 11y ago

arpit 11y ago
Considering the Chromecast is plugged behind the TV, wouldn't it be really awkward to get to to tap on it? Btw, Google has a series of APIs called Nearby (https://developers.google.com/nearby/ https://developers.google.com/nearby/) that are all about connecting to nearby devices but NFC doesn't seem the right answer here.
- Navarr 11y ago
  Chromecast isn't the right brand for what the author is suggesting. But what the author is suggesting is a really neat idea. But it's no different from having a touchscreen with an NFC contact point. The Chromecast brand has nothing to do with it. Such a box could easily be a Chromebox - with NFC & Beacon support.
  - maxwellito 11y ago
    The only reason I mention the Chromecast is because it's a quite popular device, cheap, easy with an existing ecosystem of apps. But yes, this would work with anything able to display a webpage (:Raspi..) :)
- j_s 11y ago
  Google Tone - publish urls via audio https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9575291 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9575291
coldpie 11y ago
Okay, someone help me. The article says: > The new version of the Chromecast is launched. I was already in love with the existing version and [its] JavaScript API. I have a Chromecast and I Don't Get It. I'll be honest, I haven't tried searching for cool stuff to do with it. Sometimes I stream Netflix or Youtube from my phone. I found a way to stream MKV videos from my computer using Chrome. But that's it, nothing there is cool or revolutionary. So, what's some cool stuff I can do with my Chromecast? I recognize there's something neat going on here, but it seems so locked down that I can't figure out what it is. Can I write arbitrary apps for it somehow? Is there a cool collection of apps that do... something? Help me out. What's cool about Chromecast?
- Navarr 11y ago
  https://developers.google.com/cast/ https://developers.google.com/cast/ As the author states, the Chromecast basically just displays a webpage. There are a large number of APIs available. Get hacking!
  - sprayk 11y ago
    The only thing I'd add to this is that it displays a webpage that can be controlled from the originating device (and possibly other devices, though I'm not sure if that's baked into the API or if you are on your own as far as getting other device involved). Using your phone or computer as a "remote" is one example of what you can do with these apis. It also has sufficient hardware video decoding capabilities to play back 1080p video streamed over the network.
- noja 11y ago
  Share your phone's screen.
- aqzman 11y ago
  I really enjoy my Chromecast, I use it almost daily, and I agree with you, it doesn't do anything revolutionary. In my opinion what it does, it does a great job of. Before I purchased my Chromecast it was a nuisance to play media from my computer onto my TV, I had to mess around with long HDMI cable. If I wanted to play something from YouTube or Netflix I had to boot up my Xbox 360/PS3, wait for it to load, if there were updates I had to wait for those to download/install. With Chromecast I can have the desire to watch something and have it playing on my TV within seconds. So it may not be revolutionary, but it certainly speeds things up.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- sowbug 11y ago
  Instead of making your TV a smart TV, it lets your smartphone be smart on a bigger screen.
codazoda 11y ago
This seems like saying, "Hey, lets ditch remote controls and put the controls right on the TV!"
maxwellito 11y ago
The point of this article is for a different usage of the Chromecast. The Chromecast can display webapps (Chromecast apps) and this could transform any TV as interactive screen. Imagine you have a store, you can create an app which display the new products. But instead of having to type the URL on your phone to have more info, the web app could use the Chromecast API to broadcast a URL via NFC. And for more advance stuff, it could implement something like Liwe. It's a service to use smartphones as remotes for web apps (>> liwe.co). The problem right now is the Chromecast is only known for broadcasting video and audio while it can do more then that.
sowbug 11y ago
The article author actually wants a Physical Web beacon. The range of BLE better suits the use case. https://google.github.io/physical-web/ https://google.github.io/physical-web/
- maxwellito 11y ago
  YES! Too! This would be awesome if it was implemented into the Chromecast. But I guess it's not the market that Google is targeting.
Jyaif 11y ago
NFC is unnecessary for what the OP is talking about. The chromecast can advertise itself to mobile phones with inaudible audio or with a hidden QR code on the screen.
amelius 11y ago
Pretty obvious solution, but very useful. If only Bluetooth-pairing was this simple.
- salzella 11y ago
  There already is bluetooth pairing with NFC. checkout sony SBH-50
ron0c 11y ago
According to iFixIts teardown: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Chromecast+2015+Teardown/50189 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Chromecast+2015+Teardown/501... It has a Marvell Avastar 88W8887 chip, which has NFC built in. http://www.marvell.com/wireless/88W8887/ http://www.marvell.com/wireless/88W8887/ as well as FM Radio. I said this should be used for "Tap and Play"
- hackcasual 11y ago
  Just because the chip supports the protocol, doesn't mean the device has the proper front-ends and antennas to receive it.
- maxwellito 11y ago
  Me gusta :)
potench 11y ago
The sender and receiver SDKs have mature APIs for playing video. The session and media channels/objects are well documented and leveraging them on your custom receiver ensures far easier integration on the senders (iOS, android, and web). If you venture out of the cast-a-single-video experience, it can get pretty complicated as there are best practices for how to handle multiple senders, how to fetch a playlist and continue autonomously if the sender disconnects without stopping the cast, and maintaining a good user experience on all senders that represents current state of receiver. You could (and would be advised to) handle all this via the provided "media" channel. More to the point of the article, there is also a custom messaging channel, you can create your own interactive experience (the receiver is just a website displayed in a chrome tab). Here's an example of tic-tac-toe: https://github.com/googlecast/Cast-TicTacToe-chrome https://github.com/googlecast/Cast-TicTacToe-chrome. You can already develop a custom receiver for an in-store search feature or something more interactive and playful. You can connect to it via the same wifi. I don't understand what additional value nfc provides in this case as you'd still need to maintain an open/persistent connection to the receiver from the sender, would nfc be able to provide that?
- endergen 11y ago
  The problem is Chromecast requires the phone to have a Chromecast SDK using app on it anyway. Additionally you couldn't communicate without having a wifi connection, at least without proxying over the internet which is slow. The closest thing to this would be to have the NFC auto open a webpage that is already paired to the app on the screen so that you can then use the custom web page's UI to send control messages to the TV via internet relaying.
  - acgourley 11y ago
    What if the chromecast was allowed to transfer wifi network details (either for a secure or unsecure) network over NFC for the phone to temporarily connect to? That's a cool feature even if you don't plan to use the chromecast.
    - evook 11y ago
sherbondy 11y ago
Hi maxwellito, we're working on something along these lines. Sent you a tumblr message but figured I'd post here as well. Just applied to YC. Would be nice to talk. Overall pretty underwhelmed by the "digital signage" industry and think we could push things forward using affordable commodity hardware. Over the next few years, think this is a viable / utilitarian medium for delivering on some of the promises of ubiquitous augmented reality.
- maxwellito 11y ago
  Yeah sure, join me on Gitter :)
egfx 11y ago
I already developed a product that does this without the need for NFC. If there is anybody that can help with setting up an operational infrastructure for this project, then please email me. I'm the sole developer/owner and I mostly need help with building a team and accelerating the project forward. segrafix @ gmail.com Best, Ilya

55 points by maxwellito 11y ago

arpit 11y ago

Considering the Chromecast is plugged behind the TV, wouldn't it be really awkward to get to to tap on it? Btw, Google has a series of APIs called Nearby (https://developers.google.com/nearby/ https://developers.google.com/nearby/) that are all about connecting to nearby devices but NFC doesn't seem the right answer here.

Navarr 11y ago
Chromecast isn't the right brand for what the author is suggesting. But what the author is suggesting is a really neat idea. But it's no different from having a touchscreen with an NFC contact point. The Chromecast brand has nothing to do with it. Such a box could easily be a Chromebox - with NFC & Beacon support.
- maxwellito 11y ago
  The only reason I mention the Chromecast is because it's a quite popular device, cheap, easy with an existing ecosystem of apps. But yes, this would work with anything able to display a webpage (:Raspi..) :)
j_s 11y ago
Google Tone - publish urls via audio https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9575291 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9575291

coldpie 11y ago

Okay, someone help me. The article says: > The new version of the Chromecast is launched. I was already in love with the existing version and [its] JavaScript API. I have a Chromecast and I Don't Get It. I'll be honest, I haven't tried searching for cool stuff to do with it. Sometimes I stream Netflix or Youtube from my phone. I found a way to stream MKV videos from my computer using Chrome. But that's it, nothing there is cool or revolutionary. So, what's some cool stuff I can do with my Chromecast? I recognize there's something neat going on here, but it seems so locked down that I can't figure out what it is. Can I write arbitrary apps for it somehow? Is there a cool collection of apps that do... something? Help me out. What's cool about Chromecast?

Navarr 11y ago
https://developers.google.com/cast/ https://developers.google.com/cast/ As the author states, the Chromecast basically just displays a webpage. There are a large number of APIs available. Get hacking!
- sprayk 11y ago
  The only thing I'd add to this is that it displays a webpage that can be controlled from the originating device (and possibly other devices, though I'm not sure if that's baked into the API or if you are on your own as far as getting other device involved). Using your phone or computer as a "remote" is one example of what you can do with these apis. It also has sufficient hardware video decoding capabilities to play back 1080p video streamed over the network.
noja 11y ago
Share your phone's screen.
aqzman 11y ago
I really enjoy my Chromecast, I use it almost daily, and I agree with you, it doesn't do anything revolutionary. In my opinion what it does, it does a great job of. Before I purchased my Chromecast it was a nuisance to play media from my computer onto my TV, I had to mess around with long HDMI cable. If I wanted to play something from YouTube or Netflix I had to boot up my Xbox 360/PS3, wait for it to load, if there were updates I had to wait for those to download/install. With Chromecast I can have the desire to watch something and have it playing on my TV within seconds. So it may not be revolutionary, but it certainly speeds things up.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
sowbug 11y ago
Instead of making your TV a smart TV, it lets your smartphone be smart on a bigger screen.

codazoda 11y ago

This seems like saying, "Hey, lets ditch remote controls and put the controls right on the TV!"

maxwellito 11y ago

The point of this article is for a different usage of the Chromecast. The Chromecast can display webapps (Chromecast apps) and this could transform any TV as interactive screen. Imagine you have a store, you can create an app which display the new products. But instead of having to type the URL on your phone to have more info, the web app could use the Chromecast API to broadcast a URL via NFC. And for more advance stuff, it could implement something like Liwe. It's a service to use smartphones as remotes for web apps (>> liwe.co). The problem right now is the Chromecast is only known for broadcasting video and audio while it can do more then that.

sowbug 11y ago

The article author actually wants a Physical Web beacon. The range of BLE better suits the use case. https://google.github.io/physical-web/ https://google.github.io/physical-web/

maxwellito 11y ago
YES! Too! This would be awesome if it was implemented into the Chromecast. But I guess it's not the market that Google is targeting.

Jyaif 11y ago

NFC is unnecessary for what the OP is talking about. The chromecast can advertise itself to mobile phones with inaudible audio or with a hidden QR code on the screen.

amelius 11y ago

Pretty obvious solution, but very useful. If only Bluetooth-pairing was this simple.

salzella 11y ago
There already is bluetooth pairing with NFC. checkout sony SBH-50

ron0c 11y ago

According to iFixIts teardown: https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Chromecast+2015+Teardown/50189 https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Chromecast+2015+Teardown/501... It has a Marvell Avastar 88W8887 chip, which has NFC built in. http://www.marvell.com/wireless/88W8887/ http://www.marvell.com/wireless/88W8887/ as well as FM Radio. I said this should be used for "Tap and Play"

hackcasual 11y ago
Just because the chip supports the protocol, doesn't mean the device has the proper front-ends and antennas to receive it.
maxwellito 11y ago
Me gusta :)

potench 11y ago

The sender and receiver SDKs have mature APIs for playing video. The session and media channels/objects are well documented and leveraging them on your custom receiver ensures far easier integration on the senders (iOS, android, and web). If you venture out of the cast-a-single-video experience, it can get pretty complicated as there are best practices for how to handle multiple senders, how to fetch a playlist and continue autonomously if the sender disconnects without stopping the cast, and maintaining a good user experience on all senders that represents current state of receiver. You could (and would be advised to) handle all this via the provided "media" channel. More to the point of the article, there is also a custom messaging channel, you can create your own interactive experience (the receiver is just a website displayed in a chrome tab). Here's an example of tic-tac-toe: https://github.com/googlecast/Cast-TicTacToe-chrome https://github.com/googlecast/Cast-TicTacToe-chrome. You can already develop a custom receiver for an in-store search feature or something more interactive and playful. You can connect to it via the same wifi. I don't understand what additional value nfc provides in this case as you'd still need to maintain an open/persistent connection to the receiver from the sender, would nfc be able to provide that?

endergen 11y ago
The problem is Chromecast requires the phone to have a Chromecast SDK using app on it anyway. Additionally you couldn't communicate without having a wifi connection, at least without proxying over the internet which is slow. The closest thing to this would be to have the NFC auto open a webpage that is already paired to the app on the screen so that you can then use the custom web page's UI to send control messages to the TV via internet relaying.
- acgourley 11y ago
  What if the chromecast was allowed to transfer wifi network details (either for a secure or unsecure) network over NFC for the phone to temporarily connect to? That's a cool feature even if you don't plan to use the chromecast.
  - evook 11y ago

sherbondy 11y ago

Hi maxwellito, we're working on something along these lines. Sent you a tumblr message but figured I'd post here as well. Just applied to YC. Would be nice to talk. Overall pretty underwhelmed by the "digital signage" industry and think we could push things forward using affordable commodity hardware. Over the next few years, think this is a viable / utilitarian medium for delivering on some of the promises of ubiquitous augmented reality.

maxwellito 11y ago
Yeah sure, join me on Gitter :)

egfx 11y ago

I already developed a product that does this without the need for NFC. If there is anybody that can help with setting up an operational infrastructure for this project, then please email me. I'm the sole developer/owner and I mostly need help with building a team and accelerating the project forward. segrafix @ gmail.com Best, Ilya