google-site-verification=rELuVVyS5Y8o0Ezst8ITY3su3PIT5khzDgo-anRp4o8 Google Chromecast: The Latest in Streaming Media ~ Tech Senser - Technology and General Guide

20 Aug 2013

Google Chromecast: The Latest in Streaming Media

On the surface, Google's new Chromecast streaming device may seem just like a wide variety of other streaming products that are available like Slingbox or Roku. Watching various Internet streaming services on your home TV set is something that technology-savvy pop culture fans have been doing for years.

However, there are a few key features that set Google's device apart from the competition in a very significant way. Let's see what the Chromebox is all about, as the product page on Google outlines:

Streaming Media Boxes

Google Chromecast is very similar to streaming media boxes that are already available like Roku or Slingbox in that it lets you enjoy content that is traditionally obtained on the Internet via your home TV. Where Chromecast surpasses those services, however, is in its ease of setup and use.

The Chromecast does not require an additional remote control for your home theater, for example, as Google's Chromecast page notes. Once the device is plugged into a USB port on your TV set, it can be configured and controlled entirely from a computer or even a tablet device like an iPad.

It is also significantly cheaper than competing services. The newest Roku retails at $99, while the Chromecast is only $35.

Streaming Media Sites

Google Chromecast is compatible out of the box with a wide variety of different streaming services like Hulu Plus, Netflix, HBO GO and more, as Google notes. You can download new apps as you want them to expand the device's overall compatibility with certain services, which is a feature only provided by periodic software updates to services like Roku, according to the manufacturer's website.

Google Chromecast

Other streaming services that are supported include YouTube, which provides free streaming content regardless of whether or not you have an existing account.

If you don't already have a broadband Internet connection in your home, the process of signing up for one has gotten much easier in recent years. During the early days of high speed Internet you needed an existing phone line for services like DSL.

You can now get a high speed Internet connection installed in your home, regardless of whether or not you have an existing phone line, from sites like www.hughesnetinternet.net. The site offers satellite Internet connections which make broadband possible even in areas where geography might hinder types of connections like DSL, cable or fiber optic.



On-Demand

One of the main advantages that the Chromecast has over on-demand services like those offered by DirecTV comes by way of title availability and cost. Movies and TV shows rented by a TV service provider are done so on an "on-demand" basis. In other words, if movies cost $4.99 each, you would pay that amount to watch each movie that you were interested in watching at given time.

The Chromecast, on the other hand, offers subscription services like Netflix and Hulu Plus. In exchange for a monthly fee, usually around $7, you can watch as many movies or shows as you want as often as you want for the duration of your subscription.

Certain services between providers like DirecTV also overlap with the Chromecast. If you are an HBO subscriber, for example, you will have access to basic HBO on-demand content via DirecTV. As a Chromecast owner, however, you have access to HBO GO. HBO's own streaming service includes full access to their entire catalog at no additional cost.

Faizan Ahmad

About the Author:

This article is posted by Faizan who is the Author and Founder of TechSenser. He is a Professional Blogger from India and a passionate writer about Technology, Gadgets, How-to-Guides, etc. You can connect him on Google+.