Google Blocks Chromecast Streaming Video App

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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Google updates to the Chromecast dongle have effectively blocked an App that would allow the owners of the $35 device to stream personal media to a TV. So much for 3rd party innovations for Chromecast. :rolleyes:

"The Chromecast will probably not be indie developer friendly." Officially, Chromecast only supports media from the Google Play store, Netflix, and YouTube. The company has a staked interest in actively controlling the user experience (and what content can be streamed) if it hopes to round up new partners like HBO and Hulu Plus.
 
No worries. The 3rd party dev's only need to code in HTML5, sacrifice 15 hamsters, find the leprechauns pot of gold, and cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with a herring. Its clearly stated in the TOS!!!
 
When companies get big they push their muscle around. People used to cry constantly about MS and how evil they were, now google is trying to stop you from using your own device the way you want. Also want to write any reviews, you MUST setup a google plus account. Now google is even forcing you to set up google plus to log in to youtube. Its MS all over again. Do no evil and all that BS it meant nothing. Its do no evil until you are the big guy, then its all par for the course.
 
If you look at how they 'blocked' this, it really looks like just a quick fix. The SDK is currently in beta.. They said they will change it before it is finalized.. Still works pretty damn well though..
 
Given they're estimated to be taking a decent loss on the hardware to make it up on the back end this isn't exactly surprising.
 
By the way.. Total clickbait bullshit story here after actually reading what happened, a guy reverse engineered and produced a HACK while the SDK is still in beta. Just because an update to the SDK broke his hack doesn't mean Google implicitly blocked it.

The TMZ nature of blogs and forums these days is getting a little tiring.
 
The stupidity and ignorance of people is beyond me. The MK802 is essentially Chromecast, except it's not locked down and preventing people from doing what they want with it. It's been out for much longer, probably 1 year now, and has better specs.

They're both the size of a usb memory stick.
They both play YouTube, Netflix, HBO, and Hulu.
They're both $35.

EXCEPT!

The MK802 has twice the ram.
Allwinner A10 1.0GHz Cortex-A8 + 500Hz GPU
MicroSD slot
USB port and Micro USB

You can also find a $36 MK802 with a dual core CPU and Mali 400 graphics, and it's just $1 more. So WHY WHY WHY WHY do people give 2 shits about Chromecast at all? It certainly won't prevent you from streaming personal videos to it.

 
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The stupidity and ignorance of people is beyond me. The MK802 is essentially Chromecast, except it's not locked down and preventing people from doing what they want with it. It's been out for much longer, probably 1 year now, and has better specs.

They're both the size of a usb memory stick.
They both play YouTube, Netflix, HBO, and Hulu.
They're both $35.

EXCEPT!

The MK802 has twice the ram.
Allwinner A10 1.0GHz Cortex-A8 + 500Hz GPU
MicroSD slot
USB port and Micro USB

You can also find a $36 MK802 with a dual core CPU and Mali 400 graphics, and it's just $1 more. So WHY WHY WHY WHY do people give 2 shits about Chromecast at all? It certainly won't prevent you from streaming personal videos to it.


Because google is advertising it. You may be right but the thing is many a great product has failed because the company behind it never bothered to do shit with the money they got to advertise and push the product. There is a company named Archos who made MP3 players and tables that were essentially iPods and iPhones. But they just didn't advertise and push things to the front so the masses didn't notice them at all.
 
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This corporate control shit over stuff you buy and pay for is really getting old...

I'm still trying to decide whether to cancell my CC order and go with a Roku 3 instead.
 
The stupidity and ignorance of people is beyond me. The MK802 is essentially Chromecast, except it's not locked down and preventing people from doing what they want with it. It's been out for much longer, probably 1 year now, and has better specs.

They're both the size of a usb memory stick.
They both play YouTube, Netflix, HBO, and Hulu.
They're both $35.

EXCEPT!

The MK802 has twice the ram.
Allwinner A10 1.0GHz Cortex-A8 + 500Hz GPU
MicroSD slot
USB port and Micro USB

You can also find a $36 MK802 with a dual core CPU and Mali 400 graphics, and it's just $1 more. So WHY WHY WHY WHY do people give 2 shits about Chromecast at all? It certainly won't prevent you from streaming personal videos to it.


This thing got crappy reviews lol. Other than local media, my Chromecast works flawlessly.
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
The stupidity and ignorance of people is beyond me. The MK802 is essentially Chromecast, except it's not locked down and preventing people from doing what they want with it. It's been out for much longer, probably 1 year now, and has better specs.

They're both the size of a usb memory stick.
They both play YouTube, Netflix, HBO, and Hulu.
They're both $35.

EXCEPT!

The MK802 has twice the ram.
Allwinner A10 1.0GHz Cortex-A8 + 500Hz GPU
MicroSD slot
USB port and Micro USB

You can also find a $36 MK802 with a dual core CPU and Mali 400 graphics, and it's just $1 more. So WHY WHY WHY WHY do people give 2 shits about Chromecast at all? It certainly won't prevent you from streaming personal videos to it.


Because I never heard of this..

That said, between finding this and the shit google just pulled, chromecast just got eliminated from consideration. No ability to stream my own stuff = no buy.
 
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This is the NUMBER ONE feature that keeps me from getting a Roku, Boxee, Apple TV. I want to stream media I already have, what's so freaking wrong with that.

Good Thing XBMC gets it, and always works like a charm.
 
This corporate control shit over stuff you buy and pay for is really getting old...

I'm still trying to decide whether to cancell my CC order and go with a Roku 3 instead.

Roku is just as evil or moreso now...
 
This is the NUMBER ONE feature that keeps me from getting a Roku, Boxee, Apple TV. I want to stream media I already have, what's so freaking wrong with that.

Good Thing XBMC gets it, and always works like a charm.

I just use WD TV Live boxes. I didn't feel like building HTPC's so they worked for me b/c they allow you to stream your own media. I managed to pick up a few on CL for about $40 each. I'm sure XBMC is really nice from what little research I've done, but it just seemed like such a hassle putting a HTPC together vs. getting a WDTV Live Plus.
 
This thing got crappy reviews lol. Other than local media, my Chromecast works flawlessly.

Most of the problems seem to center around wireless connection. Seems a lot of people have a hard time getting it connected to their wifi. Though the Chromecast review also state this very same problem. Which I'm willing to bet it's user error, and not a problem with the device itself.

Personally I have a Raspberry Pi that I use to stream videos from a HTPC to another TV. I even have it setup to watch Live TV from the HTPC as well. Haven't tried Netflix or YouTube, but they aren't what I was aiming for.
 
This is the NUMBER ONE feature that keeps me from getting a Roku, Boxee, Apple TV. I want to stream media I already have, what's so freaking wrong with that.

Good Thing XBMC gets it, and always works like a charm.

Absolutely. XBMC is also good for live TV, streaming music from Internet radio stations that aren't infested with ads, watching video podcasts, and a lot more. It's the center of my media collection.

I know that a lot of techies like Google because of its marginal commitment to open source, but we've got to hold it to the same standard as everybody else. Just because Google (smartly) uses open source to saturate the market with certain software doesn't give it a pass to pull crap like this.

If Microsoft or Apple pulled something like this, my Linux friends would be livid. Google? Meh, they couldn't care less, and they'll keep using Gmail/Google Search/etc.
 
I just use WD TV Live boxes. I didn't feel like building HTPC's so they worked for me b/c they allow you to stream your own media. I managed to pick up a few on CL for about $40 each. I'm sure XBMC is really nice from what little research I've done, but it just seemed like such a hassle putting a HTPC together vs. getting a WDTV Live Plus.

Seconding the WD TV Live boxes.

I bought a WD TV Live 'Hub' with a built-in 1TB drive around 9 months ago and it's a champ. It has played every format I've tried AND works as a streaming server (DLNA) for other network-connected TVs/Bluray players or PCs.
 
Glad I couldn't get my hands on one of these :)

Shame they're going this route, will stick with the busted laptop I have hooked up to my tv now.
 
Maybe I'm an optimist, but I like mine.I have a chromecast and a roku 2 plugged into out main TV. We use the roku more that the CC, but the CC is a lot more fun and convenient for two reasons -

First is Google Music (which is where all of our music resides). It's easy to cue up songs and play them through our TV's sound system (which sounds really nice).

Second is the basic fun-factor. When several of us are hanging out in front of the TV anyone can say "hey check this out" and boom, it's on the TV - regardless if we have iphones or samsungs. Very quick and easy. I'd love to see Vine add support because there are some funny videos and right now everyone has to crowd around a phone/tablet to share them in a group.

So the CC isn't an HTPC replacement, but for $11 (after discount) it's a steal. Even at $35 it's fun. I use the roku for netflix, hulu, plex, and amazon.
 
Google responds to claims they intentionally blocked AllCast
http://www.androidauthority.com/allcast-answer-from-google-259112/
The past few days have seen the Chromecast under fire. An update to the streaming device left the sleeper hit AllCast without functionality, and the developer in an uproar. Taking to his Google+ page, Koushik Dutta insisted the change was intended to block his app from working.

google said:
We’re excited to bring more content to Chromecast and would like to support all types of apps, including those for local content. It's still early days for the Google Cast SDK, which we just released in developer preview for early development and testing only. We expect that the SDK will continue to change before we launch out of developer preview, and want to provide a great experience for users and developers before making the SDK and additional apps more broadly available.

There you have it. An SDK in “early development”, for “developer preview”, and meant for “testing only”. When considering the case of AllCast, it’s safe to say the proverbial gun had been jumped. By all of us. Just because an app which lost functionality in a time when the SDK was in its infancy doesn’t mean Google has withdrawn the feature forever. In the meantime, we can stream Dropbox or Drive content from the Chrome browser, so all is not lost.

We’ve reached out to Dutta for comment via Google+, but have not received a response. We’ll keep you updated, should we hear more.


sounds like a drama queen trying to stir up popular opinion and support for his little existence without FIRST seeing if there was a reason it got blocked/stopped...
 
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