Google’s Chromecast and the Apple TV both bring the best of the internet to our televisions, but they’re very different beasts. Which device deserves a precious HDMI slot on your television?
Google’s tiny Chromecast streaming media stick is finally available to Australians, selling for $49 from the Australian Google Play online store as well as retailers Dick Smith and JB HiFi.
At these prices, adding a Chromecast to your lounge room is far more economical than splashing out on a new Smart TV, games console or internet-enabled Blu-ray player – but what you get in return might not be what you expected.
Unlike a traditional set-top box, the Chromecast is nothing more than an HDMI dongle designed to plug into to your television and connect to your home Wi-Fi network. Apart from this, all the Chromecast needs is power via its micro-USB port – either from your television’s USB port or via the supplied AC adaptor.
There’s no remote control in the box and you can’t sit back on the couch and drive the Chromecast with a magic wand. It also doesn’t offer a suite of onscreen apps like the Apple TV, and instead it waits for a video stream from your smartphone, tablet, notebook or desktop computer. Compatible apps display the Chromecast icon when they detect the device on your network, similar to Apple’s AirPlay icon.
The Chromecast is nothing more than a wireless bridge between your television and your other gear. Without a gadget by your side from which to stream content, it’s dead in the water. If you’re a fan of the Apple TV then the Chromecast might sound rather underwhelming, but don’t be fooled by its simplicity.
The Chromecast’s strength is that you don’t need to reach for a remote control, navigate menus or launch apps. You simply find what you want to watch on your smartphone or tablet and press one button. The Chromecast takes care of the rest. You can keep using your gadget for other things, as after the initial connection the Chromecast often pulls video straight from the source. This arrangement often offers better picture quality than if you were streaming video from an iGadget to an Apple TV.
In some ways the Apple TV is more family-friendly, because it lets children flop down on the couch and start watching their favourite shows without the need to commandeer a smartphone or tablet. In other ways the Chromecast is more family-friendly, because it lets parents drive the television from anywhere in the house – pausing the video from the next room when they demand everyone’s undivided attention.
Choosing between the Chromecast and Apple TV for your lounge room requires considering what you already own and what you want to watch. The Apple TV offers easy access to the iTunes store and seems a natural fit for iGadget owners. But if you’ve got a mixed household then you might appreciate that the Chromecast works with the Google Play Movies & TV app and the Google Play Music app – both available for Android and iOS.
Both devices support Netflix, HuluPlus and HBO GO, although it’s much less work to get these working in Australia on the Apple TV than it is on the Chromecast. Meanwhile if you’re interested in Australian video services then the Chromecast is more likely to please.
Foxtel Presto, Quickflix and ABC iView have all committed to adding Chromecast support to their apps in the coming months, with Bigpond Movies and other services expected to follow. Meanwhile apps like Presto deliberately disable AirPlay video streaming from iGadgets so you can’t get the movie onto the television.
While the Apple TV works hard to cater to US viewers, it’s a wasteland for Australians once you roam beyond the iTunes store.
Quickflix is aiming to be the first Australian video service on the Apple TV, hoping to launch later this year, but there’s no rush from other local services – especially now the Chromecast offers an alternative. Chromecast owners will have a lot more Australian video services to choose from, plus there’s already Chromecast support for apps like Rdio, Pandora and Plex.
If you live an iCentric lifestyle then you might lean towards the Apple TV, but even iGadget owners could find that the Chromecast is more useful when it comes to getting non-Apple content onto their televisions.
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