Starting today, you can pick up either one of Google’s new Chromecast devices in Australia for $59.
The new Chromecast Video features upgrades in WiFi connectivity and gaming support. Chromecast Audio, which is making its debut today, is a system designed to turn your house in to a wireless, WiFi-based audio mecca.
Chromecast Audio
The Audio variant of Chromecast is definitely the most exciting new addition. All you have to do is plug the 3.5mm headphone jack in to any speaker and you have a Chromecast-enabled audio unit. Open up Spotify, Pandora, Google Play Music, or any other supported app and hit the Cast button. Your music will start playing through whatever speaker is connected.
This is a fantastic way for people with 'dumb' speakers, or who can't justify the expense of something like the Sonos range of products, to turn an ordinary audio setup in to one controlled with your phone.
Even better: buy multiple Chromecast Audio units and you can link them together, creating a house-wide audio network linked to your WiFi.
Eventually any Google Cast-enabled speaker will also be able to pair with Chromecast Audio units (so long as you have at least one Chromecast Audio to act as the brain), to join in on your audio network. Unfortunately, exactly when that will be is still up in the air.
The Chromecast Audio will be available in Australia through the Google Play Store, JB Hi-Fi, and Harvey Norman for $59.
Chromecast Video
Not a whole lot has changed for this generation of Chromecast Video, AKA the Chromecast 2; if you already own one there’s a good chance it won’t be worth the upgrade. That’s not to say that there aren’t some cool new features, but they mightn’t be useful for everyone.
First, things that are not improvements:
- Still a maximum resolution of 1080p video
- Still plugs in to HDMI, and is powered by USB
- Same old UI when syncing an app to the Chromecast
- More expensive at $59, rather than $49
Of course, it still casts your Netflix, Stan, Presto, YouTube, or any other Cast-enabled video app to your TV at a fraction the cost of a media PC or set top box.
Now, things that are better
- Funky new design in three colours
- Three-antenna system that automatically picks which antenna is best for your network
- Dual-band 2.4GHz support
- 5GHz support
- WiFi 802.11ac support
- Gaming
Mostly, the new Chromecast is just better at handling your home's WiFi connection, and supports a wider range of WiFi technology. However, there's also the new gaming features to consider.
Rather than just stream whatever is on your phone's screen to the TV, when gaming you can now use your phone as a controller with custom-designed controls made by the game's developer. Demoed at a press conference yesterday afternoon were Angry Birds, where the phone screen simply became a slingshot icon, and Just Dance, which effectively turns the phone in to a Wii-style controller, relying on its motion sensors for input.
Just Dance is also a multiplayer game. So long as you're both on the same network, you and a friend can both connect to the Chromecast and have a dance-off, even if one of you is on iPhone and the other on Android. This multiplayer support exists for any other game whose developers choose to include it.
The new Chromecast video unit is available from JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, and Bing Lee for $59. If you want the Coral or Lemonade colours you'll have to go through the Google Play Store.
Alex Angove-Plumb
Digital Content Editor
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