I hate that Google has done nothing to enable me to stream things to my Chromecast.

Unless I use Chrome. Which I don't. Or Android. Which is annoying if I look at something on my laptop.

Just providing some helpful homebrew solutions.

Personally Recommended (due to no having zero issues using):

    https://github.com/muammar/mkchromecast

Others that i've used successfully with varying results (usually problems relate to finding the chromecast):

    https://github.com/xat/castnow
    https://github.com/Pat-Carter/stream2chromecast

I agree it would be nice to be able to cast without Chrome on a laptop (looks like VLC had experimental cast support but removed it), but it's literally in the name...

As for Android, I was fairly certain iOS at least can cast as my Apple fanboy roommate was having fun messing with the volume and pausing playback.

Use SodaPlayer.

I didn't know that app.

But it's a crutch AND doesn't allow the same stuff: If I watch a YT video, it's in my browser. No way to throw it at the TV. If I watch Twitch, it's in my browser. No way to throw it at the TV.

Maybe it can handle URLs. But if I have to copy the URL, paste it somewhere, fiddle to get to the same spot in the video ... then I can just launch Chrome and curse just as much.

(Highly ironic that the player offers the option to install a Chrome extension to open movies in SodaPlayer. For me the whole selling point of the thing would be to .. not need Chrome ofc)

Sounds sort of like the lack of Youtube on Windows Phone.

Isn't it different though?

Publishing YouTube app on Windows Phone requires Google to put extra effort into developing an app for a completely new platform which I assume requires lot of engineering effort.

Selling Chromecast on Amazon probably does not cost Amazon any extra engineering effort. So, I do not believe that the two situations are equivalent.

Microsoft put out their own YouTube app, no development needed from Google. Google then blocked that app: https://www.theverge.com/2013/8/15/4624706/google-blocks-win...

Sure, since Microsoft didn’t show any ads for google. I think Microsoft might be pissed if google started hosting free copies of their software on their servers.

And allowed downloads, putting Google at billions of dollars in liabilities on their music license agreements.

Funnily enough, MetroTube does both as well and continues to work.

It unquestionably requires engineering effort. And business effort to clear the rights.

It's fairly straightforward as these things go, but to suggest it doesn't require anything is flat out wrong.

Personally I resent the fact that [Google] has done everything in their power as a company to make it so I cannot stream [YouTube] to my [Fire Stick].

That alone has tarnished my opinion of the company.

They had a nice YouTube app, too. Then, just took it away. Even has casting from the YouTube iOS app.

__________________________________________

It's like deciding who gets to sit at the Cool Kids table at lunch.

If a competitor removed your products from their store and banned your applications/services from running on their product would you not consider doing the same?

It's amazing how once Google retaliated Amazon finally allows chromecast on their store (but no streaming!)

It's just a pissing match.

Too bad our services vanish from thin air when it happens, instead of any actual resolution.

My bigger complaint is Amazon banning anyone in their marketplace from selling the Chromecast or the Google home.

But now that Amazon purchased Twitch they removed the Twitch app from the Roku. Use to be a fan of Amazon but this is ridiculous behavior in their part.

What do you think about Google not allowing iOS or Firefox to become cast sources, or FireTV to act as a cast target? Does that piss you off, or are your feelings of outrage only limited to our own personal convenience?

  What do you think about Google not allowing iOS or Firefox to become cast sources, or FireTV to act as a cast target

FireTV is not an open platform anyone can design for and use. It's closed and your app needs to be submitted through their dev shop.[0]

I just opened firefox up and had no issue casting from it. According to the below support thread[1] you may need to enable a flag in the about:config page. Although I didn't need too.

  Does that piss you off, or are your feelings of outrage only limited to our own personal convenience?

Nope. Amazon can and has support Cast in the past. They are the ones doing their best to block it, not Google. FireTV is not a free and open platform, Cast is. Great comment though..

[0] - https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-tv/faq-general.html

[1] - https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/1171141

It's Google not Amazon.

No that's on Amazon. Chromecast is open and free to use. On top of which Amazon has shutdown any homegrown solutions sooo.

https://developers.google.com/cast/

Amazon is the one banning it.

Amazon doesn't want to support being a cast source because it's products are not allowed to be cast targets.

Which Amazon brought upon themselves by doing the exact same thing years (read: YEARS) before any retaliation by Google.

Amazon is the one stopping casting from their devices. Not Google. Google Cast is free to setup for. https://developers.google.com/cast/docs/design_checklist/

Nothing needs to be sold through Google Cast, no royalties, etc. All Amazon has to do is SUPPORT it. Or atleast allow homegrown solutions to thrive.

I agree this is a stupid 'feud' that only hurts consumers and I have my likes and dislikes for both companies but if you cannot see the difference here then I'm not sure how to help.