Google Launches 'Google Cast' for Audio Streaming as AirPlay Alternative With a Twist

[bsmr]

Sounds like Denon Heos is the better choice than Sonos...

 

[ThisIsNotMe]

If i was in music streaming, i would obviously get this over an apple tv, being multi platform.

Likewise I'm gonna buy a chrome cast soon, as we have an iPad and a nexus 5 that we would like to stream to the tv

Just get an AppleTV and AllCast (Android) and you get best of both worlds.

 

[jwalker99]

Hi, i was considering Sonos given that the 'all in' setup that the offer but was put off by their price. Would you mind to share your setup that used to replace SONOS. Thanks

I used to have a mix of Airport Express/Apple TV/AirPlay speakers, but i found the system to be less than reliable. It worked great when it worked, but inevitably some part of the system would drop offline, or stutter, or require a power cycle, etc. Plus it required iTunes or an iOS device to be running in the background.

I hooked up Sonos about a year ago, and haven't had a single problem or drop out since. Not one! I assume it has something to do with the sub-network it creates, but whatever the technical advantage, or perhaps it's a technical disadvantage of my Wifi network (apple airport), Sonos has been 100% reliable.

 

[steve knight]

you don't have to use sonos speakers they have a amp and a connect for powered speakers. My wife has the amp in the living room and the connect with some Harmon kardon Bluetooth speakers in the bedroom. The setup on far more reliable then airplay or even Bluetooth. There is a bad bug that causes the mic not to work when using airplay and voiceover. Now my wife can play anything she wants from one app. Plus they connect to my home automation and they can pause when someone comes to the door and turn off when we leave

 

[slashkevin]

That's amazing. No, not the tech, the spin. So somehow streaming music from some other site on the continent is supposed to be better than streaming it from a local computer connected at gigabit speeds? Rii-ii-ight...
I'll continue to use AirPlay with the Remote App on my iPhone or iPad controlling my iTunes library locally, and NOT have to worry about asking GoOgle permission to stream music from their servers. Oh, and I'll stream it to all my AirPlay devices plus my computers speakers synchronously, filling my house with music.
And when I want, I'll also be able to stream straight from my device to my speakers without having to route it over the Internet. Sorry, GoOgle, you can't put ads in my music stream or track my listening habits.
Yet another lame me-too product from the folks who brought you Android.

The only spin here is coming from you. You've decided that whatever Apple does has been done the best possible way, and you ignore the drawbacks. If Google had blatantly copied airplay, you would have blasted them for copying. It's a no-win ssituation

If you're going to be streaming the content anyway (not all media is local) it's completely silly to route that through the phone. Direct streaming eliminates the phone as a point of failure. The phone is free to leave the network (for example, stepping into the basement for a moment, where WiFi is out of range for many people). Its also free to do anything else without having processing cycles taken away from by the stream. This approach also lowers battery usage. The drawback is the inability to play local media, but all of these products are likely to have Bluetooth streaming as well. I understand that airplay can also stream things directly, but it's never made clear to the user. Google's requirement that everything comes from the cloud requires devs to implement the superior direct-stream experience, and makes it much clearer to the user what is going on.

Also, your assertion that google is going to insert ads is assinine. The only ads that play over Google Cast are the ones that come from the streaming service. Google Play Music is 100% ad free.

 

[luceyandrew]

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Wait till spring is making me impatient as I was recently planning to buy a small wireless speaker now I will go for any one of these Google Cast compatible speakers Sony , LG or HEOS by Denon whichever suits my budget.

 

[SlCKB0Y]

That's amazing. No, not the tech, the spin....
Yet another lame me-too product from the folks who brought you Android.

It's a better solution than having your expensive Apple device be a brick whilst streaming...

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and NOT have to worry about asking GoOgle permission to stream music from their servers. Oh...Sorry, GoOgle, you can't put ads in my music stream or track my listening habits.
Yet another lame me-too product from the folks who brought you Android.

You must have missed the part where any non-Google service can support this.

 

[rhett7660]

I went 'all in' with Sonos last year. Multiple TV bars w/ surround and multiple peripheral speakers. Spent a TON of money. All Sonos gear is gone and I am back to Sony w/ Airplay, Marantz, and AppleTV.

I have been using Sonos for about a year now, however I did not buy into the home theater aspect of it for the reasons you mention in another post.

I us it strictly for music and nothing else, for this I absolutely love it. I don't mind having an app, in fact I purchased another app that integrates with my iRule app and runs my Sonos system.

 

[steve knight]

I have been using Sonos for about a year now, however I did not buy into the home theater aspect of it for the reasons you mention in another post.

I usu it strictly for music and nothing else, for this I absolutely love it. I don't mind having an app, in fact I purchased another app that integrates with my iRule app and runs my Sonos system.

I agree I use it for music and it excels at it. I only use one speaker for my home automation I use the receiver and amp to power bitter and better speakers that cost less. it is much more reliable then airplay and not as buggy.

 

[gotluck]

I primarily use AirPlay for local content. If I was an Android user I'd be disappointed.

there are ways to play local content straight to the chromecast like airplay fwiw, then plug chromecast into audio equipment