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  • jjj - Monday, October 5, 2015 - link

    Marvell's Kinoma HD dev device is using the SoC and they list it at 1.2GHz http://kinoma.com/buy/hd-reserve.php Funny that at 25$ it's cheaper than the Chromecast, lesser RAM but still, dev devices tend to not be cheap.
  • Zok - Monday, October 5, 2015 - link

    Nice find. Could be that the Kinoma stick also has 256 MB of RAM vs 512 MB on the Chromecast (2).
  • thepaleobiker - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    Kinoma HD has 256 MB of RAM, is connected with Wi-Fi g/n/ac, and has HDMI output of 1080p/720p. Kinoma HD is built on Marvell’s 88DE3006 1.2GHz dual core system-on-chip, which is part of Marvell’s ARMADA 1500 family of video processors found in mainstream consumer electronics products by Google, LGE, Swisscom, and more.

    Marvell SoC - 1.2 GHz dual core
    Linux
    256 MB RAM
    Connected with Wi-Fi g/n/ac
    HDMI output of 1080p/720p
  • amdwilliam1985 - Monday, October 5, 2015 - link

    The original chromecast is one of the best buy item in the livingroom, my family uses it all the time. I was hoping the newer version of the chromecast can give up the microUSB charger and just pull power from the HDMI port, that will make it a much "cleaner" device.

    ps: if Google can get mirror/screen cast working for all devices instead of just Nexus devices(and selected devices) then it'll be an awesome plus too :)
  • twangansta - Monday, October 5, 2015 - link

    i think screencasting works for all AOSP roms (i have cyanogenmod on my galaxy s4 and tab S and it works perfectly). i haven't touched OEM skins for a while so not sure on that front.
  • Ukyo - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    I thought even the older chromecasts can draw power from HDMI port as long as the TV or connected device supports supplying the power. Works for me on my Vizio TV. I don't have the micro usb power bricked plugged in.
  • KidneyBean - Wednesday, October 7, 2015 - link

    I think you're referring to MHL ports. My Sharp TV has an MHL 2.0 port which provides 900mA, but my Chromecast 1.0 device doesn't power on.
  • syxbit - Monday, October 5, 2015 - link

    Seeing as all of Youtube is now using VP9, It would be a real missed opportunity if it didn't support it.

    I get they don't want fragmentation, but it would be simple to have the chromecast just use the best codec available (like when using Plex, Netflix or Youtube).
  • aryonoco - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    Agreed. VP9 support is much more important for Chromecast than HEVC.

    Considering that this SoC is more or less custom built for Chromecast, I'd be very surprised if it doesn't support VP9.

    But fact remains, if you want a device that supports all codecs right now, an is future proof, the answer is the Nvidia Shield Android TV, and well, that's not $35.
  • syxbit - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    Yep, the Shield is great. But can you use the cast protocol to view vp9 or HEVC? I'm guessing no. I think you can only use those codecs through regular apps.
  • zepi - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    It is almost certan streaming services will move to use HEVC or VP9 even for HD / SD streaming to reduce costs.

    Licensing issues, cost of transcoding, decoding, playback device support etc. will play role in deciding which of the two (HEVC / VP9) wins or if both get used. But it is almost certain that H.264 will be abandoned eventually, because it will allow these companies to reduce bitrates / storage costs. This lowers their costs -> streaming companies will go for it as soon as possible.
  • thepaleobiker - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    The "Alliance for Open Media" is working on a joint future Codec to replace all current licensed codecs, and is supported by all the big guns - Google, Amazon, Netflix, Mozilla, etc

    --> http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/01/amazon-netflix-go...

    Regards,
    Vish
  • Ryan Smith - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    For what it's worth, the most recent ARMADA 1500, the Ultra, does support VP9. However there's no guarantee the Mini Plus supports it.
  • adriangb - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    Considering the hardware supports Bluetooth, I would've liked to see 1 single device that does audio and video and outputs 3.5mm and HDMI. Usage case: stream any audio from iPhone, Android, etc. without needing Chromecast support. I understand that Google wants to push their ecosystem but I've found that most people wouldn't buy a Chromecast until they've used one, and in that regard enabling Bluetooth audio streaming could open the door to many homes.
  • Bigd60 - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    Will it be possible to cast Sky GO from phone or tablet to TV. This was the only downside of Chromecast 1.
  • PrinceGaz - Tuesday, October 6, 2015 - link

    Probably not: Sky want to limit Sky Go as being only able to be watched on the screen of the computer, tablet or phone which is playing it. For instance, their Android app detects and prevents playback if screen-casting is enabled or if the device is rooted. The best way to watch Sky Go on a TV is to use an old or dedicated home-theatre PC for that purpose.

    The reason Sky do this is because they want you to pay for a multiroom subscription for the additional TVs in the account holder's home (and they definitely do not want friends or family of the Sky subscriber using Sky Go to watch at a different address for free). If you want the freedom to watch Sky content on pretty much any device or screen, they do offer NOW TV which is a subscription service, but rather expensive for what is on offer.
  • JesseKramer - Wednesday, October 7, 2015 - link

    It is very frustrating that google has decided to release two products, when they could have just added an extra output to the chromecast 2.

    I'll probably buy a Chromecast Audio, because that is the functionality I want. But it seems incredibly arbitrary that these are two separate products.
  • velanapontinha - Wednesday, October 7, 2015 - link

    That was my first though when I read upon the CC2 launch. They are blatantly going for the "buy both" approach. Irritating, to say the least.

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