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Google Chromecast Audio Discontinued


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This sounds like a bargain!  However, I have absolutely no idea of what it does!  I've tried a quick google, but what comes up assumes you know what they are talking about.  I get the idea that it might work with a mobile phone, which I don't have.  I have no idea what Roon or squeezebox is, and isn't streaming where a device plays music from the interweb wirelessly? (I recall that at one stage wireless meant a radio). 

 

But I am curious.  Could someone please  give me a plain-language explanation of it's primary purpose.  Gee, I'm feeling quite old now! 

Thanks.

 

 

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Android is a system made by Google that's why every software or hardware made or design by or for google works the best on devices with android system. As example google maps works much better on Motorola smartphones than on IPhone. Motorola used to belong to Google. The best or very popular software for music streaming from Laptops/PCs is Roon ($500). So basically besides Laptop + wifi dongle + DAC you need some software to use the hardware. 

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39 minutes ago, audiofeline said:

This sounds like a bargain!  However, I have absolutely no idea of what it does!  I've tried a quick google, but what comes up assumes you know what they are talking about.  I get the idea that it might work with a mobile phone, which I don't have.  I have no idea what Roon or squeezebox is, and isn't streaming where a device plays music from the interweb wirelessly? (I recall that at one stage wireless meant a radio). 

 

But I am curious.  Could someone please  give me a plain-language explanation of it's primary purpose.  Gee, I'm feeling quite old now! 

Thanks.

 

 

This probably best explains it:

 

 

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10 minutes ago, audiofeline said:

Could someone please  give me a plain-language explanation of it's primary purpose. 

Basically, a Chromecast Audio is an audio source you connect to your hifi. It does not store any music internally, or have any hardware controls, or a physical remote. What it does have is WiFi - you connect it to your network, and it shows up on compatible phones and computers and tablets as a device that you can transmit digital music to (called "casting").

 

The catch is that you can only cast from specific applications compatible with the Chromecast device - rather than just any audio your phone or computer can play. There is a reason for this, however.  Once you "cast" (essentially give the Chromecast an instruction to play something from a service it understands), the Chromecast takes over the job of fetching the music. For example, once you "cast" a playlist from the Spotify app to your Chromecast Audio, you could turn your phone off, or run out of battery, or close the app, and the music would still play because the Chromecast is still following the last instruction you gave it (e.g. play Cosmo's Factory from Spotify) .

 

This is the major point of difference between Chromecast and Bluetooth. If you send audio from your phone to a Bluetooth receiver via Bluetooth, you can play anything you like, but you have to be in Bluetooth range, and your phone is doing all the work of transmitting the audio information to its destination (which drains battery, among other things). 

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6 minutes ago, joz said:

So with this product being withdrawn from sale will it still function in years to come?

ie is it a service as well as a product?

That's the question, isn't it? Chromecast as a service/concept/feature is built into a lot of receivers, network streamers etc. etc. now, so I'm hoping so. It'd be like how Apple Airplay still exists even though the Airport Express is discontinued.

 

It looks like the strategy is:

1 - introduce cheap device with cool capabilities

2 - get everyone hooked on the ease of use

3 - licence out the capabilities to third parties, who will gladly incorporate it to plump out their device feature set

4 - withdraw from hardware entirely now that your cash flow is established.

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1 hour ago, Batty said:

So, similar to Yamaha's MusicCast?

Might just grab one before they disappear from sale.

Yes and no. They need an app that uses the cast feature like Plex or they are Roon ready, I use them for music in garage and outdoor area, they are voice controllable if you have the google home. Just much better than a so called smart speaker as you can use dac or amp or speakers of your own choice.

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We do have a google home mini, I received that with my mobile plan, but I would just want it to cast my Nas music or internet radio., mind you I do have 5 streamers in the house already :)

3 squeezeboxen inc 1 of the original Slim Devices, Raspberry Pi running Volumio and the Yamaha WXC-50.

These would just be an excess.

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12 hours ago, joz said:

So with this product being withdrawn from sale will it still function in years to come?

ie is it a service as well as a product?

I don't see a reason why not.

No.

 

 

The actual "chromecast" technology isn't being discontinued.... just this device.    So things like portable speakers, phones, AV receivers, TVs, etc. etc. will still continue to have chromecast technology built into them in the future.

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  • 5 weeks later...

FWIW, I've just connected one of those UGreen Ethernet Adapter thingos people talk about to my Chromecast Audio. Connection time for casting halved immediately, and I've experienced zero dropouts.

 

Hooray for low latency!

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Sad to see these go, I got on the streaming bandwagon last year after visiting a friend with a Sonos system.  For $150 I got two audios and a video chromecast, and used them in conjunction with Plex (freeware) on my NAS to evaluate the whole streaming thing.  That tiny investment added a huge featureset to my old (& not particularly good) equipment and made me see this was the only way to play music in the future (ok, phono is different).

I since scoped things out and went with Bluesound/NAD for my streaming devices.  Enormously more expensive, and the software is not quite there, but a great end result all the same.

 

One thing I hated about chromecast - if you didn't have a connection to the wider world, you couldn't even play anything from your local NAS.  I live rural and occasionally lose the internet, when that happened I couldn't play music.  That really annoyed me! :)  The implication of course is that everything you listen to or watch goes back to google to be added to your metadata.  Bluesound plays from my NAS fine with no external connection?

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  • 4 weeks later...

I own a CCA and love it. I have it connected to a Schiit Bitfrost DAC via optical. I think the sound quality is great. I will be sad to see these go from the market

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