Google Chromecast Is Released

Google released the first Chromecast in July 2013 for $35. The small HDMI dongle did not behave like a traditional streaming box with its own large interface and remote control. Instead, phones and computers acted as controllers.

When a user selected a video, the phone usually did not stream the media through itself. It sent the Chromecast a URL and control instructions, allowing the device to fetch content directly over Wi-Fi. Google’s Cast protocol separated discovery and control from the actual media transfer.

That architecture made the hardware cheap and simple while taking advantage of screens users already knew how to operate. The approach became influential in smart TVs and speakers, where phones increasingly act as control surfaces rather than as the source of every data stream.