I’m not defending Google but I think the change is just an admission that the old “Chromecast” branding is outdated. It wouldn’t surprise me if less than 5% of users still regularly cast from a desktop browser.
All I know is I appreciate their slow roll. Everytime they break something I replace it with the non-Google option. I’ve got a small nuc as my main HTPC tied into my plex. Been waiting for an excuse to swap my first Gen Google hockey Puck from like 2012 in my bedroom.
Imo the old UI was way less clunky than the new one with the remote. You didn’t need to log into anything, just cast to the screen. EZPZ. The new one, you need to install the app on the Chromecast, log in on the Chromecast, then you can cast n it will work maybe 60% of the time with casting. Casting’s broken, but hey, it’s cool, we have apps and a remote now, just use those. The stupid remote gets lost all the time, which obviously wasn’t an issue before because your phone/ laptop was the remote. Google thought ahead though, and added remote functionality to the home app that also works about 60% of the time.
I’m not defending Google but I think the change is just an admission that the old “Chromecast” branding is outdated. It wouldn’t surprise me if less than 5% of users still regularly cast from a desktop browser.
All I know is I appreciate their slow roll. Everytime they break something I replace it with the non-Google option. I’ve got a small nuc as my main HTPC tied into my plex. Been waiting for an excuse to swap my first Gen Google hockey Puck from like 2012 in my bedroom.
Imo the old UI was way less clunky than the new one with the remote. You didn’t need to log into anything, just cast to the screen. EZPZ. The new one, you need to install the app on the Chromecast, log in on the Chromecast, then you can cast n it will work maybe 60% of the time with casting. Casting’s broken, but hey, it’s cool, we have apps and a remote now, just use those. The stupid remote gets lost all the time, which obviously wasn’t an issue before because your phone/ laptop was the remote. Google thought ahead though, and added remote functionality to the home app that also works about 60% of the time.
Tl;dr new Chromecast sucks.