Larry Magid: Google To Expand Chromecast Programming
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Google has been slowly working its way onto your television set since introducing its Chromecast device. Now there are reports that the amount of programming users can watch will expand as a result.
Google is opening up Chromecast to developers. Up until now a developer had to have an invitation to develop an application for Chromecast. Netflix is part of it, HBO Plus, Hulu as well as Pandora. Of course Google's own products like YouTube are there as well.
There's not much programming if you were to compare it to say, a Roku which has about 170 channels. By creating open-interface that means just about anyone who has a video program or audio stream or anything else that can be streamed to a TV set could be on-the-air so to speak.
As far as hardware goes, Chromecast is a small dongle that plugs into the HDMI portal of a television set and it only costs $35. Between the price and the power of Google it could be a major player. Gaming could get involved in this as well.
Whether it be a small screen in your pocket, or if you're using your TV screen and running apps on that, the convergence of media through the Internet is definitely becoming more clear.