Sadly, it’s time to say farewell to Chromecast

After 11 years and over 100 million devices sold, Google is ending production of the Chromecast. The device will still be available while supplies last, but Google is now focusing on its new device – the Google TV Streamer – and a future that will lean more heavily on devices without the well-known Chromecast moniker.

Chromecast was launched in 2013 as a simple and affordable way to cast content from your phone, tablet, or laptop to your TV and has remained a popular device ever since. It helped to pave the way for the streaming TV market and until the last few years, casting from a mobile device was 100% the way I preferred to consume shows on the big screen.

However, streaming technology has evolved dramatically over the past decade and streaming dongles are now incredibly common. We even have loads of TVs that are built and shipped with Chromecast technology built right in: no dongle needed. As a result, Google is shifting its focus to its latest streaming device: the Google TV Streamer.

Chromecast was a pivotal device for streaming

Though it is reaching the end of its life, the humble Chromecast was a groundbreaking device that helped to change the way we watch TV. Though tech has moved on from this way of doing things, the Chromecast cut the path for devices like the Google TV Streamer, Roku, Amazon Fire and more. From the original Chromecast to Chromecast Audio, Ultra, and then those with Google TV, Chromecast has been at the center of the streaming media landscape at every turn.

Though the name and the hardware will fade, the tech under the hood is here to stay. Google is already rebranding the Chromecast functionality to Google Cast for those TVs that have it built in, but the abilities are all still the same. With devices like the Google TV Streamer, you’ll still have the ability to open a video on your phone and throw it up to the screen with ease or mirror your device with the push of a button.

Still, seeing the name Chromecast go away will be sad. It’s a known entity in the streaming landscape, and I’m not 100% sure this is the right branding move from Google; but I do get it. Chrome is Google’s web browser and desktop OS. Placing that name on both a streaming device and casting functionality was always curious, and maybe the time is right to move on from it.

It’s been a good ride, though, and I’ll always look back very fondly on all the Chromecast devices I owned over the years as I transitioned fully away from cables and on to wireless ways of sharing media. So long Chromecast. You’ll be missed by many.