Google Chromecast Is an Entertainment Game-Changer: 10 Reasons Why

By Don Reisinger

Customers looking to bring Web-based applications to their televisions will need to pay at least $1,000 to pick up an Internet-ready set. If they’d rather opt for a set-top box, they’ll spend around $100 for an Apple TV and approximately $60 for a Roku unit. The Chromecast is just $35. In other words, it’s a great deal.

Although it’s nice to have products like the Apple TV or Roku and televisions that can connect to the Web, it’s not so easy to bring those products with you to other homes. The Chromecast is just a USB dongle connecting video and audio to any television. In other words, it’s light and portable enough to go anywhere.

The Chromecast is effectively capitalizing on one of the most important trends impacting the industry right now: the availability of the Web in the living room. Chromecast isn’t as high-powered at the moment as some might like, but it comes with enough Web-based features to make it a practical, interesting Internet-ready product.

Although the Chromecast will allow for mirroring (more on that in a bit), it also supports several native applications, including Netflix, YouTube, and the Google Play marketplace. Granted, it would be nice to see native Amazon Prime Instant Video and HBO Go apps, but for the money, all the apps the average person needs to get started are right there.

Google made the intelligent decision not to just support Android with Chromecast. In fact, the Chromecast will support Android smartphones, iPhones, iPads and many other mobile products. Plus, it doesn’t come with a remote, so all those devices can easily control the entire experience.

Current Apple TV owners might still keep the device around, but the truth is, those who want simpler functionality will actually be able to toss out their existing TV connectivity for the Chromecast. If all those customers are after is Netflix streaming and the ability to play music on the television, the Chromecast delivers.

Let’s not forget that this is the first run for the Chromecast. For Google, the device is little more than a test to see how customers will respond to such a product, and Google can’t be unhappy about that. Since it’s proven so popular, Google will probably dedicate more resources to add all kinds of features to the product. Can you say full TV control?

Before the higher-end products, such as full TV control and channel guides, come to Chromecast, expect more companies to allow their native apps to run with the streaming device. Companies like Amazon, Apple, and other providers like popular products, although they might fear it as a competitive threat. But they can’t deny Chromecast is popular. This factor should make it easier for Google to attract more partners.

Chromecast comes with full support for screen mirroring. So, while some popular applications, like HBO Go, aren’t supported out of the box, users can simply open up the platform on their handset and mirror that image to their televisions. Screen-mirroring is a hugely popular feature and something that more devices should be using. It’s nice to see such a cheap product supporting the feature.

Simplicity is ultimately what drives customers to products. That’s why touch-screen-based products are so popular and why Google has tried to reduce the complexity of its many products. Chromecast is arguably the simplest home-entertainment device out there and that is why people are quickly embracing it.