Is The Apple TV App On Chromecast with Google TV? It Will Be Soon
Can Apple's movie and television streaming app help Google's latest Chromecast device better compete with its competitors, Roku and Amazon?
Google has confirmed Apple TV will soon be available on Chromecast with Google TV. This news comes shortly after another announcement from the two companies confirming Apple Music is available on Google Assistant-enabled devices, such as smart speakers. While this is good news for owners of the HDMI streaming stick who wished to avail themselves of Apple's movie and TV catalogue, it remains to be seen if it will help drive consumers who don't already own one to purchase a Chromecast with Google TV.
Chromecast with Google TV launched earlier this year and is the first Chromecast device that allows users to install apps directly onto the device, making it much closer in design to other streaming devices from competitors, such as Roku and Amazon. Available for $49.99 in the U.S. (or $89.99 when bundled with a six-month Netflix subscription), the device comes with 8GB storage and can handle HDR10+ video in 4K at up to 60fps.
However, one app that was noticeably absent from Chromecast with Google TV at launch was Apple TV. This not only meant Apple TV+ subscribers were unable to watch the company's own original content, such as The Morning Show with Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon or Defending Jacob with Chris Evans and Michelle Dockery, but they also couldn't buy or rent current movies or TV shows. Now, that's about to change. Google said in a blog post that Apple TV will roll out to Chromecast with Google TV early in the new year and through Family Sharing, up to six people can share subscriptions to Apple TV channels.
Certainly, it's a good thing that Apple TV is coming to Chromecast with Google TV, especially for Apple TV+ subscribers. However, both Roku and Amazon Fire devices already have access to the Apple TV app. So, in some ways, Google is just playing a bit of catch up here. Not to mention, Apple is far from the only service that offers digital rentals and purchases of video content.
In design, Chromecast with Google TV has a similar UI to Amazon Fire TV, the main difference being that Fire devices are built around Amazon Prime Video and Chromecast with Google TV is built around Google Play video content. Both of those streaming services also sell and rent digital copies of movies and TV shows. While Amazon streaming devices, such as the Fire TV Stick, don't come with the Google Play Store, it's also not impossible to watch movies and shows purchased from Google. The app can be sideloaded or content can be watched via the YouTube app.
That being said, the process is obviously a lot easier with Chromecast with Google TV, where it comes preinstalled. Combined with the addition of Apple TV, Chromecast with Google TV does get a bit of a leg up here. It should also be mentioned that Chromecast with Google TV is the more powerful device. With a 1.9 GHz quad-core CPU and 2GB of RAM, it has better specs than both Amazon and Roku's HDMI streaming sticks. Roku and Fire TV devices still offer some advantage over Chromecast with Google TV. Roku still has the most apps overall and Fire TV offers the best options for browsing the web, with both Amazon's own Silk browser and access to Firefox. However, since Apple and Google are such heavy hitters in the world of tech, the simple inclusion of Apple TV could give Chromecast with Google TV an edge over its competitors in the streaming device market.
Source: Google