Google Launches Chromecast In UK, Europe

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Google Launches Chromecast In UK, Europe

Google’s device-to-TV casting dongle, Chromecast is launched in Europe, with the help of deals with local content services, while Google Play Music and Movies arrived in the Nordics. Chromecast plugs into the TV’s HDMI port and is charged by the set through a USB cable. It is used to cast content on to the TV from any device, YouTube and a few other content services. It connects with the user’s Wi-Fi network and allows streaming programs, music, movies from the TV using a device like phone, tablet or laptop as a remote control. It has no remote control of its own.

London: Its functions are similar to low-cost Now TV from Sky, the Roku streaming box and Apple TV. The key is what exactly you watch with all this connectivity. Somewhat similar but not quite like Apple’s AirPlay, when you are on an enabled web page of a Chrome browser like Netflix or YouTube, Chromecast will help you to cast that content on to your TV with a single click.

You can cast any web page for that matter on to your TV. Of course it needs a solid Wi-Fi connection with enough bandwidth to cope. If one can watch any of the web pages from a chrome browser, one can watch any of the other services if they have web-based players and cast them on to one’s TV.

In the UK Chromecast launched with support from the BBC’s iPlayer. In Sweden it is launched with Netflix. Google also launched PlayMusic and Movies in the Nordics. The availability of Chromecast follows Google’s international launch of the cast’s Software Development Kit (SDK), to allow developers to build support for the technology in their own applications. The SDK allows developers to build the cast in to existing Android, iOS and Chrome apps to help define what to stream.

Google launched its low-cost streaming dongle Chromecast in the US last year. The Chormecast is a simple and cheap way to stream a number of catch-up and on-demand services on to your TV. It is dearth cheap at Pounds 30. When Chromecast was launched in the US some Europeans bought it from Amazon and used it to cast content to TV from Smart Phones, YouTube etc. But third party services were unavailable. The launch of the Chromecast in Europe has enabled support of third party services in these countries.