Last week, Google’s TV aspirations surged dramatically when the company officially released its long-awaited Cast Software Development Kit (SDK).

Since launching Chromecast in July 2013, Google has been relatively stingy with the media apps it has included on the player, allowing Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO, and… that’s about it from the TV space. The company has almost seemed to flounder a bit with the new service, especially when compared to competitors like Apple TV, or Roku, which has more than 1,000 apps in its library.

Even so, Chromecast has been popular out of the gate in spite of its relatively small number of offerings, thanks to the power of Google’s brand and also a miniscule $35 price tag that many people were willing to pay to watch Netflix, Hulu, or HBO on the big screen. And now, with the Cast SDK in the world, this tepid buzz Google has been maintaining around Chromecast is poised to become a full-on swarm.

That’s because developers will now be able to install Chromecast’s streaming function into any mobile app. Where Roku or Apple TV have closed ecosystems, and therefore require apps to be designed specifically for their platforms, Chromecast compatability via the Cast SDK poses no such restrictions.

“The Google Cast SDK is simple to integrate because there’s no need to write a new app,” engineering manager John Affaki recently wrote on the Google Developers Blog. “Just incorporate the SDK into your existing mobile and web apps to bring your content to the TV.”

Every mobile experience from a network streaming app to a specific show app, to a mobile game based on a TV show, now has the option to pipe itself directly onto your TV screen with relative ease. Taken in with Google’s recent purchase of smart home thermostat company Nest, and it’s clear the online giant doesn’t just want to dominate your television set, but your entire home.

Tags:


  Save as PDF