Chromecast Stops By FCC, 5GHz WiFi May Be Coming

google's Chromecast is a tiny wonder, and has claimed the "HDMI 1" port on many TVs across the globe. Our favorite app-to-TV dongle is getting a bit of an upgrade it seems, sopping by the FCC to show off some new stuff. The overall makeup looks the same, hardware-wise, but there's one small uptick that will have some existing users grabbing a new one. Adopting the 5GHz WiFi standard in addition to the 2.4GHz signal is going to make streaming a pure joy.

The lack of 5GHz support for WiFi was always a niggle the Chromecast had to deal with, but at $35 — and as powerful as it is — most of us just forgave it. The FCC documents don't suggest any new features outside of that, and there seems to be no physical changes to the overall design.

It's tough to see why Google is making the change outside of component availability/cost. The Nexus Player looks to be the new Google powerhouse for streaming. Perhaps Google is simply suing the same WiFi card in both products.

While it might seem like encroachment, it's not. Chromecast and the Nexus Player occupy different places in your TV viewing scheme. One redirects app content, while the other wants you to enjoy Android TV — a new platform. It seems Google is just improving on an already awesome product, and that's alright by us.

Source: FCC

Via: Android Police