Chromecast in 2014: an open SDK, big international plans and maybe even new devices
Google landed a bit of a coup with Chromecast this year, launching a device that no one saw coming but that has proven to be very popular. Next year, the company plans to take Chromecast even further …
Context & Ripple Effects
Chromecast launched in July 2013 as an unplanned hit — Gigaom's launch-week analysis framed it as a bigger deal for Google than for the $35 hardware itself, and a direct threat to Apple's AirPlay lock on the living room [[a:1199767]]. A December 10 app update added Plex, Vevo and Viki to the cast lineup [[a:1201143]], but third-party support still ran through Google's curated whitelist.
The confirmed 2014 plan reported here changes that: an open SDK plus a major international rollout would turn Chromecast from a closed accessory into a platform any developer can target — with new devices floated as a possibility. The story travelled widely, picked up by CNET, Engadget, Wired.co.uk and five other outlets within days.
First-order effects
- Developers no longer need Google's approval to add casting to their apps; the open SDK makes every Android and Chrome app a potential remote control for the TV.
- Chromecast's international availability expands beyond the US in 2014, putting it in direct price competition with local streaming sticks in markets Apple TV barely reaches.
Second-order effects
- Apple's AirPlay advantage erodes: as casting apps multiply on iOS and Android alike, the differentiator shifts from device ecosystem to which cheap dongle developers default to.
- TV makers and set-top rivals (Roku, Amazon) face pressure to open their own SDKs or match the $35 price point to keep app catalogs competitive.
Third-order effects
- If the SDK opens the platform while Google keeps the receiver standard, Google repeats its mobile playbook in the living room: commoditize the hardware, own the protocol — the gatekeeper position Gigaom flagged at launch.
- An open casting standard could fragment around competing protocols (AirPlay vs. Cast vs. proprietary sticks), forcing content providers to support multiple targets rather than one.
The trend: The TV is becoming just another second screen for the smartphone, and whoever owns the casting protocol — not the box — collects the platform rent.