Google announced the game changing Chromcast dongle over a year ago now, and it’s seen a massive turn around in fortunes for Google in the living room. With yesterdays announcement of the Nexus Player, most people though that was the end of it, but it appears that Google could be about to release an updated version of the low-cost HDMI dongle.
Android Police have spotted the dongle on its way through the FCC, where it’s spilled some of the technical specs, including an updated model #. The device will be A4RH2G2-2A – the original is H2G2-42 – and will possibly come with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz wifi support – something that will please many current Chromecast owners struggling to find free spectrum.
The Nexus Player will be arriving soon, but it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for Google to dump an updated Chromecast model into the Play Store at exactly the same time. We’ll have to wait and see.
What other features would you like in a new model Chromecast?
Can someone explain to me the difference between Chromecast and Nexus Player?
Chromecast is purely a receiver from other devices, has no direct interface to load up a specific application
Nexus Player is a self-contained media hub with it’s own navigable interface not requiring a desktop / phone or other device to “cast” to it in order to use it.
Also means you can play games on the big screen without the lag you experience from the Chromecast.
Glad to see that the chromecast might get a refresh and not just fade away… due to its size i can see it playing a great companion role.
the 5GHz support is welcomed and brings it inline with the Nexus players specs.
Would be nice, but it would also be nice to include Bluetooth at the same time. That way you could pair bluetooth remotes/keyboards with it – and practically be able to do much of what the Nexus Player can do.
nope it is a receiver only so nothing you could do apart from the remote to pause play etc which in the end the device you initiated the stream from is it. If you want to do that get the player which also is a chromecast receiver.
Actually there is a hell of a lot you could do, with the right firmware and a bluetooth based input device.