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Aren't you instead locked into Google's ecosystem?
by yetfeo 13y ago
Aren't you instead locked into Google's ecosystem?
- ajross 13y agoTo some extent. Google has to whitelist the apps that use the API. Right now that means you have access to Google's media offerings (including Youtube and G+) of course, but also Netflix and Hulu. Not Amazon yet or (obviously) iTunes. It will play your local music content, but only recently whitelisted a few apps capable of playing your own video files (even then the codecs and containers supported by Chromecast are a short list, so be prepared to do a bunch of transcoding). It's not open for sure. But it's not bad either; at $35 I'm willing to forgive the lack of hackability (I have a linux box on the same TV for that, this thing is just a convenience). And the UI is basically perfect: pull the phone out of your pocket, play the video using exactly the same apps you're used to, and just click the chromecast button to send it to the TV. No more hunting for remotes; on my TV it will even turn it on and switch to the right input source automatically.
- taopao 13y agoNo, first party service support is better of course, but there are quite a few third party services that are cast-friendly.
- ulfw 13y agoYes and you basically get the same content on Apple TV (Youtube, Hulu, Netflix...)