Google updates Chromecast to block the AllCast (AirCast) app?

Google's Chromecast HDMI stick was a bit of a surprise announcement alongside the 2013 Nexus 7 tablet at the end of July. This $35 2-inch long gadget, with a built-in Wi-Fi antenna, promised to make your dumb HDMI TV into a Smart TV for a very competitive price. The device initially launched with support for Netflix, YouTube, Google Play, and Chrome with a promise of it working with "a growing number of apps".

Google made a bit of an error in judging the popularity of Chromecast as the devices 'sold like hot cakes' and it ended the Netflix promo in the US launch market within one day of launch. The original 3 month free subscription offer had made the Chromecast gadget itself into almost a freebie.

Just over a week ago An Android app called AllCast (changed to AirCast due to naming patent) was released. This app had been shown off a few weeks earlier and was eagerly anticipated by Android fans with Chromecast devices. AirCast enabled Android users to stream videos from many sources other than Google approved streaming providers; you could stream to your TV from your Android gallery app, Dropbox, or Google Drive.

AirCast's developer Koushik Dutta had "reverse engineered the Chromecast protocols to let you stream content without using Google’s Chromecast or MediaRouter SDKs" says Liliputing. Videos from your Android device could be watched and controlled just like a YouTube or Netflix video, via supported handsets. Another developer made an app called 'Fling' that had similar functionality with the Chromecast HDMI stick.

Now neither of this apps work. An update to the Chromecast software has disabled this extra streaming-from-a-device functionality. Google never said Chromecast would be open to this kind of jiggery pokery so it might not be a surprise that this 'loophole' has been closed. Google is working with big brand media streaming providers who like to control the content delivery and are jumpy about these kinds of device hacks, reports Android Central.

So this $35 Chromecast device is for now a bit more limited but it still allows lots of video content to be shown on your HDMI TV including local videos from your PC and any Chrome browser tab content using the Google Cast extension. After installing this extension on a PC, Liliputing explains, just "drag and drop a video into a browser tab. Then hit the Cast icon in the Chrome toolbar and choose to display that browser tab on your TV. If you have a reasonably fast computer, it’ll transcode the video in real-time and send it your Chromecast over your WiFi network at resolutions up to 720p." Also for more openness you can pick up a 'Miracast' wireless display adapter for your HDMI TV for not much more than the Chromecast (which isn't yet available in the UK but is due this year for £30).

An almost-as-cheap Miracast dongle

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One thing that confuses me is do miracast receivers work with Intel WiDi transmitters? If not, why do people recommend miracast only receivers when WiDi ones would work with both technologies?

From Wiki

“As of Intel Wireless Display version 3.5, the Miracast standard is additionally supported”

I was considering Chromecast for streaming my local media from laptops, smartphones etc to to my large screen monitor (no speakers). Until the ‘do no evil’ kill local, I thought the only problem was, Google didnt think to include audio-out sockets for those that prefer to hear the audio through a separate Hi-Fi audio system. (most TV's have lousy speakers, certainly not High Fidelity).

I also wantto use the ‘sink’ to stream just music albums to a stereo Active Speaker system (RCA input only) without having to power up the co-located Monitor.

Until hearing of Chromecast, I had searched for a ‘Miracast’ sink dongle to connect video to the Monitor, and audio via preferably RCA plugs to the adjacent Active Speakers, but was surprised to find a dearth of information on such a sink, and then a few posts stating that Miracast had lots of interoperability issues and was NOT easy to use !

Having given up on both Chromecast & Miracast, have searched amongst the many more general purpose ‘Android TV boxes’, with separate Audio & HDMI outputs, which are typically of the 5“x5”x1.5" size with 3 or 4 USB in addition to SPDIF-Out, eg Minix NEO X7. However, I then read they usually suffer from 2 probs: a) 1080p films stutter unless transcoded down to 720p, although they may have both Audio-Out, and Video-Out sockets, you cannot use both at same time !! i.e connecting a Monitor to the HDMI-out, disables the Audio-out sockets.

Can anyone suggest any economical solutions for streaming over WiFi (preferably sender agnostic platform, no lockin) either just sound to my RCA-input Active Speakers when listening to music only, or video to my Monitor, with soundtrack to my Active Speakers when watching films ?

I saw a ‘HDMI passtthrough’ dongle that extracts audio to a 3.5mm headphone socket but it is quite expensive compared to a Chromecast or v. cheap ‘tv box’, makes the livingroom look messy, which is why I prefer a single sink dongle to feed both the monitor and the active speaker system.

The hexus link to the alternative miracast device has 2 dire reviews on amazon….

*Still* not there yet… why am I not surprised?

Is this device controlable over TV remote control or does it uses its own controller? Would be fine wathing full movies over youtube…

Google updates Chromecast to block the AllCast (AirCast) app?

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