Google muscles in on Roku’s turf with hardwired Chromecast play
Google is all set to take its Chromecast streaming stick to the next level after striking a deal with television manufacturer Vizio to build the dongles functionality directly into the fabric of individual sets.
The move places Google in a head to head tussle with rival streamers such as Roku which has already signed manufacturing partnerships with the likes of Haier and TCL to produce licensed smart TV’s in return for a licensing fee.
This approach has seen so-called ‘Roku TV’s’ capture an eight per cent chunk of the US smart TV market since their launch two years ago but the company will now be anxiously looking over its shoulders at the impending price and marketing blitz heading its way courtesy of Google.
Analysts expect Google to push Chromecast as a loss leader, losing money on the installation in return for longer term gains by railroading consumers onto its Chrome browser and bolstering its own content distribution.