Google has announced a new iteration of their streaming device Chromecast and Chromecast Audio.
The Chromecast is still a USB that stick (albeit a fancier one now) to the back of your TV which streams whatever is displayed on your smartphone to your TV. But now Google has made significant improvements, to ensure your experience is made smoother.
Google have improved the Wi-Fi architecture via built in adaptive antenna system, which basically means it can now stream at a higher resolution with lower buffering time. Speaking of buffering time Google also announced Chromecast Fast Play, a new feature for the device that buffers and pre-loads content for you before you even select it. Netflix was used in Google’s demonstration which showed how with Fast Play on, Netflix was being pre-loaded, hence eliminating load times when launching Chromecast. In Google’s own field test app load times were reduced up to 80%. In loading actual shows from Netflix, Google displayed how Netflix uses Fast Play to detect previous viewings and would immediately pre-load the next episode of whatever was last watched. Buffering had been completely eliminated, contributing to Google’s aim to be “faster than live TV.”
Google have also announced Chromecast Audio, a streaming device for music speakers. Works the same way Chromecast does by plugging the device in the USB port of your speaker instead of your TV. Chromecast Audio is unique as it streams through Wi-Fi and does away with the hassle of bluetooth, and more importantly it saves you battery by doing so. Chromecast Audio supports multiple devices including tablets, laptops and of course phones. It also supports multiple devices at the same time, with playlists seamlessly being shared to all devices connected when using Spotify.
Chromecast is available now in Google Store for £30. Coral red and lemonade yellow are exclusive to the Google Store whilst the standard black will be available in high street retailers soon. Chromecast Audio however is unavailable in the UK for order at the moment but will retail at £30.
For more on Google, visit What Mobile’s dedicated Google page.
