If you don’t just come back from (too long) holidays, you should know Google has released the Chromecast, a $35 HDMI TV Stick that uses a protocol called DIAL to let users stream online videos on the TV via your mobile device or mirror your Chrome browser on the TV. However, there are currently quite a few limitations. It can only be used with apps specifically designed for Chromecast (e.g. YouTube, Netflix,…), and Chromecast is the only available receiver, and can only be purchased in the US. Luckily these may not be an issue soon…
Koushik Dutta (Kouch) has taken care of the first issue by modifying Cyanogenmod to allow any video or audio app to stream the media files via the TV, using Android notifications.
Perfect. Moving to the second issue. If you don’t live in the US, you’re still stuck, and if you do live in the US, and already have too many Android device lying around, you may not want to spend $35 on another device. This is all good, because Sebastian Mauer is working on CheapCast, a ChromeCast Emulator that enables Android devices to act as target for ChromeCast apps. So if you’ve already got an Android tablet, smartphone, or mini PC, you may already have a Chromecast capable receiver.
Things related to Google Chromecast API need approval before they can be released in the open. But if those two can get the green light that means you could get Chromecast functionality from any media Apps via any Android devices. It also remains to be seen if there are specific limitations to these two implementations.
Thanks to CSilie and Onebir.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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“Things related to Google Chromecast API need approval before they can be released in the open.”
So Google can ban these if they’re worried it’ll affect Chromecast sales??
@onebir
I can’t find the part that specifically says “Google’s approval is required”, they may have their wording, or I misunderstood the first time. Now they seem to just recommend not distributing applications, because the API is still undergoing changes:
Source: https://developers.google.com/cast/downloads/