Streaming devices are plentiful. There’s one for every different streaming need. However, Google announced, very unceremoniously, the end of the Chromecast streaming dongle.
Google’s Chromecast Announcement
In a blog post on Tuesday, with the title of “7 Memorable Moments in Chromecast’s History,” Google announced the end of the Chromecast dongle. Not many people would know from that title that the company was retiring its streaming device.
Yet, the first line was not a mention of one of the “7 memorable moments.” It instead explained that “after 11 years and over 100 million devices sold, we’re ending production of Chromecast.” The rest of the paragraph didn’t mention any of the memorable moments either.
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Google continued, noting that it was time to “evolve,” in the category, as they believe a streaming device should be “primed for the new area [sic] of AI, entertainment, and smart homes.”
Notably, 11 years ago, the outlook for streaming was quite different. TVs didn’t have things like Fire TV built in, and you had to connect your computer or phone to the TV, which wasn’t always easy. Google’s answer was the Chromecast device, to make the process easier. But Amazon, Roku, and Apple all had similar ideas.
Google Streaming Evolves to a New Device
In the evolution of streaming, Google Cast was developed, with the technology becoming part of Android TV, which is now a part of 220 million devices. It’s this technology that Google is banking on now.
Google is replacing the Chromecast with the Google TV Streamer. Google notes it can be used as a smart home hub for Google Home and Matter devices.
The Google TV Streamer uses Google AI and your preferences to deliver programming you want. It has popular streaming apps, like YouTube TV, Netflix, Disney+, etc., and will also stream live TV, with more than 800 free channels. It’s aided by Gemini to offer summaries, reviews, and season-by-season breakdowns.
There’s also an ambient mode that allows you to turn your TV into artwork when not in use. Make the best of your photo memories on Google Photos via a screensaver that works with generative AI.
If you still haven’t picked up a Google Chromecast dongle, you still can – while supplies last. And support will continue for your existing devices as well, with Google promising software and security updates for the latest Chromecast devices.
Image credit: Google
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Laura Tucker –
Contributor
Laura has spent more than 20 years writing news, reviews, and op-eds, with the majority of those years as an editor as well. She has exclusively used Apple products for the past 35 years. In addition to writing and editing at MTE, she also runs the site’s sponsored review program.
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