The second-generation video capable Chromecast Development on the product began in 2012 late that year, Bakar brought home a beta version of the product for Hindie to test. After joining Google in 2011 to work on products that 'would change how people used their TVs', Bakar pitched the idea for the Chromecast. Bakar found the whole process inefficient and wanted to build a phone-based interface that would allow video to play on a large display through a small hardware device. She took these steps because she found television interfaces difficult to use to search for content. Using her laptop, she would search for a film to watch on a streaming service and add it to her queue, before closing her laptop and using a gaming device to play the film on a television. His inspiration for the product came around 2008 after noticing the film-viewing tendencies of his wife Carla Hindie.

4.1 Google Cast SDK and compatible appsĪccording to Google, the Chromecast was originally conceived by engineer Majd Bakar.From Chromecast's launch to May 2015, it handled more than 1.5 billion stream requests. Over 30 million units have sold globally since launch, making the Chromecast the best-selling streaming device in the United States in 2014, according to NPD Group. According to Google, over 20,000 Google Cast–ready apps are available, as of May 2015. The Google Cast SDK was released on February 3, 2014, allowing third parties to modify their software to work with Chromecast and other Cast receivers. The latest model, called Chromecast with Google TV, was released in September 2020 and is the first in the product line to feature an interactive user interface and remote control.Ĭritics praised the Chromecast's simplicity and potential for future app support. A third generation of the HD video Chromecast was released in October 2018. A model called Chromecast Ultra that supports 4K resolution and high dynamic range was released in November 2016. The second-generation Chromecast and an audio-only model called Chromecast Audio were released in September 2015. The first-generation Chromecast, a video streaming device, was announced on July 24, 2013, and made available for purchase on the same day in the United States for US$35 (equivalent to US$39 in 2020). Alternatively, content can be mirrored from the Google Chrome web browser on a personal computer or from the screen of some Android devices.

The user controls playback with a mobile device or personal computer through mobile and web apps that support the Google Cast protocol, or by issuing commands via Google Assistant. The devices, designed as small dongles, can play Internet- streamed audio-visual content on a high-definition television or home audio system.

Micro-USB (1st, 2nd, 3rd gen, Audio, and Ultra)Ĭhromecast is a line of digital media players developed by Google.

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