AllCast gives Android users streaming skills, but no Chromecast support yet

By Caleb Denison Updated December 24, 2013

allcast android streaming chromecast support coming screenshot

Shortly after Google launched its Chromecast HDMI dongle, app developer, Koushik Dutta, released AllCast, an app which allowed Android users to stream video and images from their gallery, Dropbox or Drive folders to compatible devices, including Chromecast. Unfortunately, AllCast’s capabilities were cut short when Google updated the Chromecast, rendering it incompatible. But AllCast is back, and although it won’t work with Chromecast yet, it works with pretty much any device that supports DLNA.

Today, AllCast returned to the Google Play Store in the form of a free version and a $5 premium version. While the free version will allow photo sharing, it limits video streaming lengths. The premium version also ditches all ads, Compatible devices include just about anything that supports DLNA, including Apple TV and Roku set-top boxes, Samsung and Panasonic smart televisions, Xbox consoles, Google TV devices and more. The app provides easily accesible controls via a pull-down screen a seek bar for quick video scrubbing. It’s important to note that, in order for the app to work, the device must remain awake, potentially drawing a lot of power.

Dutta seems confident that one day AllCast will be compatible with Chromecast. With Google’s recent announcement that it intends to open up an SDK to developers at large, that does seem feasible. Then again, Google almost certainly has its own ideas about the future of casting. Time will tell. For now, check out Dutta demonstrating it below.

Topics

Editor at Large

Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…

Audio / Video

What is Chromecast? Google’s wireless streaming tech explained

Chromecast icon seen on a smartphone screen.

In 2013, Google debuted a small gadget called Chromecast. The device could wirelessly link people's TVs and other devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers. The versatile dongle that you simply plugged into an HDMI port on your TV was far more affordable than other streaming media devices like Roku and Apple TV, but it had less robust streaming offerings. Chromecast added a new meaning to the word "casting," virtually emulating the casting of a fisherman's line by wirelessly casting an image from one screen onto another.

Today, Google's Chromecast is on more than just a stick. It's implemented on a wide variety of smart devices, from TVs to soundbars and smart speakers. As the technology gains popularity, it's worth understanding what exactly Chromecast is, what it does, how to use it, and how it compares to similar wireless technologies. That's what we'll do here.
Is Chromecast hardware or software?

Audio / Video

AT&T is renaming its streaming video service yet again

AT&T TV rebrands as DirecTV Stream

AT&T is going to rename its streaming video services, which include AT&T TV, AT&T TV Now, and AT&T Watch TV, to "DirecTV Stream" on August 26, according to The Verge. Why the name change? It appears to be part of an effort to establish a new brand for the company's video properties, which were formally spun off into a new company earlier in August.

And while that might be a perfectly legitimate reason to change the service's name, it's enough to make our heads spin. Since 2019, AT&T has engaged in a confusing set of product launches and rebranding efforts that have used both AT&T and DirecTV names. The company's original effort at a cable TV alternative streaming service was called DirecTV Now. You could use it with your existing broadband internet connection and it didn't require a set-top box. This service was rebranded as AT&T TV Now, but ended up eventually being absorbed by AT&T TV, a service that still delivered live TV content over the internet, but required a dedicated Android TV set-top box, making it the logical successor to AT&T's U-verse TV service. All the while, the company kept alive its AT&T Watch TV service, which is a very lightweight package of more than 35 live TV channels.

Audio / Video

What’s the difference between Google TV and Android TV?

Google TV Interface

In September, Google unveiled its next-generation interface for Android TV, dubbed Google TV, which made its debut running on the company's latest Chromecast and is available as a mobile app for Android devices. The Chromecast with Google TV was the first of the company's streaming devices to have a user interface with a separate remote. It was well-reviewed, helping the Google TV platform gain traction against competitors such as Apple TV and Roku.

Built on top of Android TV, the shiny new overlay is set to be Google's flagship TV user interface by 2022, replacing Android TV in thousands of devices such as streaming sticks and set-top boxes like the Nvidia Shield to smart TVs from the likes of TCL, Sony, and more.