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Didn't Amazon start this by not allowing Chromecast to be sold on their platform?

by zeeZ 9y ago

ocdtrekkie 9y ago
Chromecasts can't be set up on Amazon devices such as the Kindle Fire, because Google prohibits Google Apps from being installed on Android forks. Therefore, Google was refusing to permit compatibility, functionally, with Amazon's devices. It appears that Amazon attempted to negotiate with Google over compatibility issues, and didn't get anywhere, and hence, chose to not sell devices which were intentionally blocked from being used with their tablets. (And of course, they did similar with Apple TV for the same reason.) There's no technical reason Chromecasts can't be set up by Kindle Fire devices, it's an intentionally-implemented block by Google.
- JshWright 9y ago
  Amazon's fork of Android is not a platform Google is obligated to support. Amazon chooses not to include Chromecast support in their Amazon Video Android app
  - bitmapbrother 9y ago
    It should also be noted that Amazon's fork of Android, with the exception of the Linux Kernel, is closed source. They're not even a very good open source citizen as I don't think they've contributed anything back to AOSP.
    - whoisjuan 9y ago
      That's an unfair statement in the great scheme of open source. When you fork the Android Open Source Project you only get a backbone version of the OS. You start at level 0. Google keeps all its custom proprietary and key technologies closed (rightfully). Amazon is keeping its customization closed as well. As far as contributing back to the AOSP, that's another area where Google's iron grip on Android shows. You can report bugs and help to patch things, but there's no actual way to contribute anything meaningful to the roadmap.
      - bitmapbrother 9y ago
        What you fail to realize is that a lot of Android OEM's contribute code back to AOSP. That is being a good open source citizen. Amazon has yet to contribute anything.
  - deleted 9y ago
    [deleted]
- zeeZ 9y ago
  I meant Chromecast devices being sold on Amazon. There was some drama where they even forbade marketplace sellers from selling the devices https://www.techhive.com/article/2988560/streaming-hardware/amazon-wont-sell-apple-tv-and-chromecast-hardware-bans-marketplace-partners-from-selling-them-too.html https://www.techhive.com/article/2988560/streaming-hardware/...
- bduerst 9y ago
  >There's no technical reason Chromecasts can't be set up by Kindle Fire devices, it's an intentionally-implemented block by Google. This is some high-level misinformation being spread on your part, and not the first time you've done this on HN. Chromecast is an open SDK - Amazon has the power to implement it at any time: https://developers.google.com/cast/docs/terms https://developers.google.com/cast/docs/terms
  - ocdtrekkie 9y ago
    Does the Google Cast SDK allow you to "set up" a new Chromecast device, as I explicitly stated in my comment? Your employer's site seems to indicate not: https://www.google.com/chromecast/setup/ https://www.google.com/chromecast/setup/
    - bduerst 9y ago
      What I say reflects my own personal opinion, but you already saw that when you looked at my profile and googled my username to dox me. Again, Amazon has the power to add Chromecast support to the Fire OS. They chose not to, just as they chose to remove chromecast support from Twitch when they acquired it.
      - ocdtrekkie 9y ago
        The developer docs you linked do not state a way to do initial configuration/setup on a Chromecast. How do you do it? How would Amazon implement it so that someone could buy a Google Chromecast and install and use it without a Google-approved device to set it up? How do you connect a Chromecast to your Wi-Fi network from a Kindle Fire?
  - kuschku 9y ago
    The Chromecast SDK for Android works on devices without Play Services? Since when? The Chromecast SDK allows Amazon to receive Chromecast streams on the Fire TV? Since when? Cause from what I see here, half of the SDK’s terms ban casting without the SDK, and the SDK itself doesn’t work on devices without Play Services such as the Kindle devices, nor does it work to receive streams. You’re spreading bullshit again, as every (x|g)oogler has in the other Chromecast thread. Give me an open source library or full protocol documents I can use to send and receive chromecast streams, so I can stream to my raspberry pi and send streams from a non-Google device, and your argument will have merit.
yellowapple 9y ago
IIRC, they stopped selling Chromecasts due to the unavailability of Prime Video on them and/or the unavailability of YouTube on Fire TV.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
- bduerst 9y ago
  Amazon chose not to implement chromecast on with their Prime Video. They have the power to implement it.

Didn't Amazon start this by not allowing Chromecast to be sold on their platform?

by zeeZ 9y ago

Didn't Amazon start this by not allowing Chromecast to be sold on their platform?

Chromecasts can't be set up on Amazon devices such as the Kindle Fire, because Google prohibits Google Apps from being installed on Android forks. Therefore, Google was refusing to permit compatibility, functionally, with Amazon's devices. It appears that Amazon attempted to negotiate with Google over compatibility issues, and didn't get anywhere, and hence, chose to not sell devices which were intentionally blocked from being used with their tablets. (And of course, they did similar with Apple TV for the same reason.) There's no technical reason Chromecasts can't be set up by Kindle Fire devices, it's an intentionally-implemented block by Google.

JshWright 9y ago
Amazon's fork of Android is not a platform Google is obligated to support. Amazon chooses not to include Chromecast support in their Amazon Video Android app
- bitmapbrother 9y ago
  It should also be noted that Amazon's fork of Android, with the exception of the Linux Kernel, is closed source. They're not even a very good open source citizen as I don't think they've contributed anything back to AOSP.
  - whoisjuan 9y ago
    That's an unfair statement in the great scheme of open source. When you fork the Android Open Source Project you only get a backbone version of the OS. You start at level 0. Google keeps all its custom proprietary and key technologies closed (rightfully). Amazon is keeping its customization closed as well. As far as contributing back to the AOSP, that's another area where Google's iron grip on Android shows. You can report bugs and help to patch things, but there's no actual way to contribute anything meaningful to the roadmap.
    - bitmapbrother 9y ago
      What you fail to realize is that a lot of Android OEM's contribute code back to AOSP. That is being a good open source citizen. Amazon has yet to contribute anything.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
zeeZ 9y ago
I meant Chromecast devices being sold on Amazon. There was some drama where they even forbade marketplace sellers from selling the devices https://www.techhive.com/article/2988560/streaming-hardware/amazon-wont-sell-apple-tv-and-chromecast-hardware-bans-marketplace-partners-from-selling-them-too.html https://www.techhive.com/article/2988560/streaming-hardware/...
bduerst 9y ago
>There's no technical reason Chromecasts can't be set up by Kindle Fire devices, it's an intentionally-implemented block by Google. This is some high-level misinformation being spread on your part, and not the first time you've done this on HN. Chromecast is an open SDK - Amazon has the power to implement it at any time: https://developers.google.com/cast/docs/terms https://developers.google.com/cast/docs/terms
- ocdtrekkie 9y ago
  Does the Google Cast SDK allow you to "set up" a new Chromecast device, as I explicitly stated in my comment? Your employer's site seems to indicate not: https://www.google.com/chromecast/setup/ https://www.google.com/chromecast/setup/
  - bduerst 9y ago
    What I say reflects my own personal opinion, but you already saw that when you looked at my profile and googled my username to dox me. Again, Amazon has the power to add Chromecast support to the Fire OS. They chose not to, just as they chose to remove chromecast support from Twitch when they acquired it.
    - ocdtrekkie 9y ago
      The developer docs you linked do not state a way to do initial configuration/setup on a Chromecast. How do you do it? How would Amazon implement it so that someone could buy a Google Chromecast and install and use it without a Google-approved device to set it up? How do you connect a Chromecast to your Wi-Fi network from a Kindle Fire?
- kuschku 9y ago
  The Chromecast SDK for Android works on devices without Play Services? Since when? The Chromecast SDK allows Amazon to receive Chromecast streams on the Fire TV? Since when? Cause from what I see here, half of the SDK’s terms ban casting without the SDK, and the SDK itself doesn’t work on devices without Play Services such as the Kindle devices, nor does it work to receive streams. You’re spreading bullshit again, as every (x|g)oogler has in the other Chromecast thread. Give me an open source library or full protocol documents I can use to send and receive chromecast streams, so I can stream to my raspberry pi and send streams from a non-Google device, and your argument will have merit.

yellowapple 9y ago

IIRC, they stopped selling Chromecasts due to the unavailability of Prime Video on them and/or the unavailability of YouTube on Fire TV.

deleted 9y ago
[deleted]
bduerst 9y ago
Amazon chose not to implement chromecast on with their Prime Video. They have the power to implement it.