Participant Observations 10/11/17 - Chromecast is a lesser viewing experience

Some observations about streaming to Chromecast over the last few months:

It's unfortunately a lesser product. I ran some tests with it, streaming sport to Foxtel Now on my laptop and to the Chromecast via the app on my tablet at the same time, and observed:

• Latency: The Chromecast runs about 15 seconds behind the online portal.
• Instability: This may be the fault of the app, but I have had the signal drop out once or twice going to the Chromecast, especially when streaming NBA
• More vulnerable: The signal to the Chromecast is a lot more likely to pixelate or drop off if I start running other screens and apps.

Granted, I ask a lot of my Chromecast - I stream most, if not all, of my content through it, and it's not the latest model. i expect the highest quality in terms of fidelity, and it relies on a strong WiFi signal.

And overall, in the longer run, I don't think the Chromecast is the optimal way to watch content, especially sports content. It's been a good way for me to get OTT content onto my television, and it's basically forced me into realising that my internet plan was probably inadequate for what I need, but I think it is soon to become obsolete.

Players in the OTT space are working on ways to get content to consumers directly - either through building apps into software (i.e., my smart TV came with Netflix and YouTube installed), or making them increasingly available in app marketplaces, or by building specific devices to replace it (i.e., the Foxtel Now STU).

There will always be a place for it, especially for those apps that haven't been able to achieve one of the other solutions, and I may need to buy a newer model that can handle better speeds and deliver a better picture, but ultimately it is a lesser way to get content via the internet.