Thoughts and opinions: Chromecast, DRM, and Google TV... (jump-in)

frankly1100

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Mar 9, 2013
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With the announcement of the Chromecast, many including myself are wondering if this means Google will soon pull the plug on Google TV. Though Google has come out and said they wont do such a thing (yet), some are still skeptical. Now I'm not even sure if I'll make any sense, but feel free to add your own thoughts and opinions. Anyway, now that Android 4.3 has been announced with the addition of Google's DRM APIs, does the future of Google TV look a bit brighter? I'd like to think or even hope that with these DRM APIs available, more content partners might (finally) be open to the idea of providing content for Google TV. Another thing is the Cast capabilities implemented in Google TV but something else to consider is that Google just released the Google Play Games app with leader boards and achievements, and this comes at a time when the media reported that Google is working on a gaming console. Throw all of that into a Google TV device made by Google (or with a partner), and Mountain View might have a beast of a gaming/media device for the living room. Chime in guys (and gals).
 
Sundar Pichai on the Difference Between Chromecast and Google TV - Liz Gannes - Product News - AllThingsD

So why two different devices? The new Chromecast dongle will be a sort of lightweight way to stream video on a television. Google TV, you probably already know about ? though you probably don?t own as it?s not super popular. Soon, ?it will be a full-fledged Android for television,? Pichai said, noting that he expects to announce many more partners at CES early next year.

These features aren?t limited to the Chromecast device, Pichai said. Google TV will also support Google Cast, Pichai said today.
Google?s two-pronged approach actually parallels competitors like Roku, which offers both boxes and streaming sticks for certain TVs. However, where Google might have an advantage on the works-like-a-browser front, Roku is ahead on the content deals. In addition to Netflix and YouTube, it has Amazon, Hulu, HBO Go and other channels. Chromecast doesn?t yet.
?I fully expect more partners to join us, because it makes a lot of sense for their content to be seen on the television,? Pichai said.
 
Wow hadn't even seen this. Thanks for the article. But yeah awesome. All things aside, I'll still be getting a Chromecast.

The beauty of Chromecast is the cost of admission is so little and the simplicity in setup. I'm sure it'll be an impulse buy for a lot of people whereas they'd never have tried it if they had to buy a more expensive box to setup.

Having said that, I ordered 2 yesterday. I also have a Sony Google TV (thanks to a contest on this very site) so I'm happy to hear they plan on continuing to develop for Google TV as well.