Google Ended First-Gen Chromecast Support And No One Noticed
Google's Android TV interface powers millions of smart TVs around the globe, thanks to early successes in streaming tech prior. Before the company started licensing Android TV to other manufacturers, it toyed with making its own streaming devices that converted non-smart TVs into smart ones. The first-gen Chromecast, launched in 2013, was one such device that allowed you to stream media from the internet or cast it from your phone and laptop.
Despite its legacy, Google is now dropping support for Chromecast (first-gen devices) just a couple of months before its 10th anniversary. This means Google will no longer be sending software or security updates to the streaming stick. Besides notifying the end of software support, Google also warns users of some degradation in performance.
The end of firmware support was quietly updated on a Chromecast support page. Notably, the last software update came in November 2022 after a gap of nearly three years, 9to5Google notes.
Effective price and a handful of features
The first-gen Chromecast pretty much set the stage for the more recent streaming sticks. Slightly bigger than a USB thumb drive, the Chromecast looked like a keyfob and plugged into TVs over HDMI. On the other side of the HDMI plug was a microUSB port for power input.
Although the Chromecast was not the first streaming device from Google, the erstwhile Google TV set-top box and the Nexus Q were either too difficult to operate, or had reliability issues. More importantly, these devices were pretty expensive. In contrast, the first-gen Chromecast offered the ease of a plug-and-play design and a low price of just $35.
The Chromecast wasn't an independent streaming device, but allowed media streaming from apps such as YouTube, Netflix, and Google Play Movies through Android or iOS devices. Instead of playing media off the phone, the Chromecast streamed media directly using a Wi-Fi connection while letting you use the phone independently. You could also stream any website onto the TV using the Chrome browser on the desktop.
The features and the incredible price helped drive its sales for the next few years after its launch, as the first Chromecast became one of the most popular streaming devices with millions of users.