Chromecast

Android TV's latest update brings background Chromecast audio streaming to the platform. For most users, the idea that one might like to "cast" audio to one's TV wasn't much of an issue. If you were using the Spotify app for Android TV, you could've potentially sent your favorite songs to your television and listen to that song while other apps are open in the foreground - but now you can do it with all SORTS of music apps.

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Stadia just got a big boost for web browsers - just so long as you're using Chrome, of course. This week the streaming video game platform Stadia was boosted to 4K in web browsers, and the rest of the necessary graphics power and hardware. Those requirements include - for starters - a proper internet connection speed.

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A rumor today suggests that Google may finally have an answer for the Amazon Fire TV Stick and other dongle-like smart TV platforms. This device would be a follow-up to the Google Chromecast Ultra, a relatively small device that plugs into an HDMI port at the back of a television and requires its own power source - generally provided by a power cord also included in the box. That device does not run Android TV - this new device might.

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There are still many who doubt the long-term viability of Google's game streaming service but it's hard to deny that, at least for now, Stadia is the talk of the gaming town (right next to the Xbox Series X). Part of its appeal is the promise of being able to play graphics-intensive AAA games on almost any device but it really proves that point with the Chromecast Ultra, the primary and blessed Stadia "console". It was, to some extent, a rather cunning strategy to sell more Chromecast Ultras through the Founders' Edition but now Google has opened the doors for any ordinary Chromecast Ultra to finally be Stadia-ready.

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Live and on-demand streaming service Hulu has finally added voice control support for Chromecast and Google's smart displays. With this new capability, Hulu users can tell Google Assistant to play a particular show or movie on their preferred Google smart display device or television with Chromecast. This marks the latest expansion of Google voice control support with Hulu joining competitors like Netflix and CBS.

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Stadia is already off to a rough start and the last thing it needs are reports of potential hardware problems with its "primary" device. While the appeal of Google's Stadia game streaming platform is that you can play on almost any device and operating system, the tech giant is positioning the Chromecast Ultra and the Stadia Controller as the best way to enjoy the service. That, however, flies in the face of reports that the Chromecast Ultra gets too hot to touch until its forcibly shuts down and boots users out of their game.

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Vizio is rolling out software updates for its SmartCast HDTVs that'll make it possible for Disney Plus subscribers to access the new streaming service. Rather than making the Disney Plus app available on its smart TVs, Vizio is using something like a workaround solution involving casting (for now). Select models have already received new Apple AirPlay support and Chromecast built-in will arrive next month.

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In just a few days, less than a week actually, a few avid gamers will finally be able to see for themselves what all the fuss around game streaming is about. Or at least Google's brand of game streaming, which is essential PC games streamed to web browsers. Google Stadia is, admittedly so new that some might still be confused about how it will all play out. Fortunately, Google recently held a customary Reddit AMA to let fans and interested future gamers ask the hard questions.

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In the excitement around Google's rather novel game streaming service, few people may have been able to read the fine print regarding the Stadia controller. Granted, the details about its wireless functions probably won't deter gamers from jumping on the new platform but some still would have preferred that Google was more upfront about the controller's limitations. The company is now indeed breaking its silence to leave some hope for the future of the Stadia Controller.

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You might be excited over Google's promise of PC gaming anywhere on any device, in which case you might be pretty excited for Stadia's launch on November 19. Maybe you've even invested in a Founder's Edition bundle to get the best TV gaming experience. If you were, however, hoping to experience Stadia from your Pixel phone or Pixel Chromebook, there is one caveat you might have to keep in mind: you will need a USB cable to use that Stadia Controller on those devices.

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At long last, and hopefully forever, Google and Amazon's video-centric product and services battle seems to be at an end. Amazon Prime Video is now able to utilize casting with Chromecast and Android TV. So supposing you've got the Android Prime Video app, and a subscription to Amazon Prime, and an Android TV and/or Chromecast device, you'll now be able to tap one and watch a show on the other.

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For years now, Google and Amazon have been embroiled in a feud that saw the services of one company removed from the platforms of the other. Back at the beginning of last year, for example, Google decided to block devices like Fire TV and Echo Show from accessing YouTube. Amazon, meanwhile, has restricted its Prime Video app on Chromecast and Android TV. It was a particularly petty retail war that ultimately gave consumers fewer options, but today, it seems to be coming to an end.

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