Monday 10 March 2014
Coming to Google’s Chromecast: A Flood of New Apps
Coming to Google’s Chromecast: A Flood of New Apps Google’s
inexpensive Chromecast streaming dongle has been slowly adding content
partners since its introduction. But even with the recent additions of
Vevo, RedBull.TV, and media centerapp Plex, there are still only 14
compatible apps available for the Chromecast. That number is about
explode.
Google announced that the SDK for the $35 Chromecast is going public today. Any developer interested in updating an app or optimizing a website for the streaming dongle is now free to do so.
Expect a large number of compatible apps to appear rather quickly. That’s because Chromecast compatible apps don’t actually live on the device. Instead, content is streamed from a mobile device or computer. Developers don’t have to port their apps like they would with Roku or Apple TV. Instead they can simply update their current ones with the SDK.
This decision means competition between Chromecast and offerings from Roku will only increase. Both companies offer developers the ability to port apps without having to deal with the gated community found on the Apple TV. Roku currently offers over 1,000 apps in its ecosystem. While most of those are niche (or just plain worthless), it does give developers hoping to get onto a TV screen a channel to do so. It also gives viewers more choices about where they watch video and listen to music.
For its own part, Apple is rumored to be working on a new Apple TV that has gaming and serves as a wireless access point. But what most of us want is access to the services we use. There’s very little chance that Rdio, Amazon Instant Video, and Vudu will appear on that new device. These Apps will surely appear on the Chromecast any day now.
Google announced that the SDK for the $35 Chromecast is going public today. Any developer interested in updating an app or optimizing a website for the streaming dongle is now free to do so.
Expect a large number of compatible apps to appear rather quickly. That’s because Chromecast compatible apps don’t actually live on the device. Instead, content is streamed from a mobile device or computer. Developers don’t have to port their apps like they would with Roku or Apple TV. Instead they can simply update their current ones with the SDK.
This decision means competition between Chromecast and offerings from Roku will only increase. Both companies offer developers the ability to port apps without having to deal with the gated community found on the Apple TV. Roku currently offers over 1,000 apps in its ecosystem. While most of those are niche (or just plain worthless), it does give developers hoping to get onto a TV screen a channel to do so. It also gives viewers more choices about where they watch video and listen to music.
For its own part, Apple is rumored to be working on a new Apple TV that has gaming and serves as a wireless access point. But what most of us want is access to the services we use. There’s very little chance that Rdio, Amazon Instant Video, and Vudu will appear on that new device. These Apps will surely appear on the Chromecast any day now.
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