Is Chromecast Worth It?

Essay by martintzUniversity, Bachelor'sA-, July 2014

download word file, 2 pages 0.0

CP102 Group Online Discussion Assignment June 20, 2014

Is Chromecast worth the low price?

There are a number of factors to consider and comparisons to be made to determine if Chromecast can create value for the price of $39. Chromecast can effectively turn any regular television into a 'smart TV', however the use of a tablet, phone or laptop is necessary to control it. Whether or not Chromecast is worth the money is definitely a question of convenience rather than necessity.

Although Chromecast is the cheapest product in this market as compared to Apple TV, or Roku, one can substitute Chromecast by merely purchasing an HDMI cable and connecting it to their laptop or other streaming device. A decent HDMI cable can be purchased online from sites such as Amazon for as little as $2! In addition, the convenience of controlling Chromecast with a device can be replicated with a wireless mouse or even a remote mouse app.

From a Canadian perspective, the available content Chromecast offers is quite limited as compared to the United States. As Canadians, this lowers the attractiveness of Chromecast despite its 'cheap' price.

Another relevant factor to consider about Chromecast is the data collection potential, especially for customers who are more sensitive about privacy and their personal information. Google will stand to benefit not only from the profit they make on selling the product itself but also the data they collect. Google will be able to see exactly what you watch, when you watch it, and through which channels. This may make some people feel as if they've been ripped off or used. Perhaps in a not so distant future, devices such as Chromecast will be free as long as you're willing to log in and digitally identify yourself. This 'free' model would be no...