Question

Chromecast in S2 / Honest timeline for Chromecast

Show first post
This topic has been closed for further comments. You can use the search bar to find a similar topic, or create a new one by clicking Create Topic at the top of the page.

34 replies

melvimbe

Sonos has already written the API for this, as you noted that others have implemented it. It’s down to the folks at Google to implement what’s already been written. Feel free to be angry with Sonos, but they’ve done their part of the code base. 

They've built a non standard API adding more work for every integration.  Many services don't support it because it's not a standard Chromecast implementation.

 

 

Sounds like you’re saying that Google defines the standard API? Kinda odd way of looking at it.  Also not sure what ‘many services’ you’re referring to.  And yes, Sonos has their own APIs, but they shown willingness to use others, like airplay 2, when it makes sense to.  That makes me think lack of chromecast with Sonos isn’t due to disagreements on what API to use. 

 

  Google seems to have no interest in supporting non standard integrations anymore. Google Play Music is official dying this year and the replacement, YouTube Music, which has been out for a while, has no Sonos Casting support. Most of the Sonos "casting" implementations I've used are flakey at best too vs a real Chromecast implementation.

So if Google defines the standards and won’t work with non-standard, i.e. not their own, integrations, you’re saying they won’t do integrations unless it’s done their way.  And not sure what casting implementations you’re referring to.  Most of casting done to Sonos is an actual transfer of playback from a device to Sonos, so that the original device is no longer needed for playback.  I’ve done with Amazon, Pandora, SXM, and never run into issues.

Danny
F
Userlevel 3
Badge

@Smilja 
Yes - I have tested this in the past with Chromecast Audio - I was able to play music from Youtube and quit/minimise the app - the app just acted as the remote control.

Smilja

Another question, how would you control playback (skip, stop, changing source, volume level) when the phone is being switched off?

»And the world is like an apple whirling silently in space, Like the circles that you find in the windmills of your mind.« (›Windmills Of Your Mind‹ [1967]. Music by Michel Legrand ; English lyrics written by Alan & Marilyn Bergman)
Sjoop1985

I don't know if the Chromecast Audio works differently, but from the normal Youtube app, I can only cast to video Chromecasts, not to Google Home speakers. I don't see how that would be any different if Sonos were to implement the Cast protocol on their speakers.

Just using the Cast protocol to do what already be achieved natively in the Sonos app, or in Spotify, Pandora et. al. is really not what I would be looking for, and potentially confusing for users, difficult to support for Sonos. The only added value of Cast would be to cast audio directly from your device, which, as mentioned before, would drain your battery. I have never seen any necessity for it.

 

I either search for something within the Sonos app, or if I find something on a native app that I want to play on Sonos, I will add it to a playlist or favorite, or any other construct from the service that is easily accessible in Sonos and then initiate play through Sonos. Yes, it requires a few more clicks, but generally, streaming natively through Sonos provides me with the smoothest, most reliable way of streaming.

 

Of course, my 3 bullet points in the original post stand - if anyone has any info on those - appreciated.

You are not going to get any answers on those here. Like any sensible company, Sonos does not share roadmaps publicly. Any employee or programmer that went on these communities to disclose information, would quickly find themselves no longer working for Sonos, I presume.

A users perspective on the business reason for not having Cast on Sonos:

Google.

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans (John Lennon) --- Living room: Arc, Sub, 2x One - Kitchen: One - Bedroom: Play 3 - Office: Beam - Bathroom: Play 1
chicks

“Nest Hub Smart Display with Google Assistant”, or any Google/Nest Home device, can use your Sonos device as its Default Speaker.  No ChromeCast required for this, and, IME, much more reliable than ChromeCast.

melvimbe

Just using the Cast protocol to do what already be achieved natively in the Sonos app, or in Spotify, Pandora et. al. is really not what I would be looking for, and potentially confusing for users, difficult to support for Sonos. The only added value of Cast would be to cast audio directly from your device, which, as mentioned before, would drain your battery. I have never seen any necessity for it.

 

I either search for something within the Sonos app, or if I find something on a native app that I want to play on Sonos, I will add it to a playlist or favorite, or any other construct from the service that is easily accessible in Sonos and then initiate play through Sonos. Yes, it requires a few more clicks, but generally, streaming natively through Sonos provides me with the smoothest, most reliable way of streaming.

 

With Amazon casting, you can basically do the same thing with less steps.  You won’t have to add to playlist/favorite  then go to the Sonos app to playback.  You can just press the cast button and select the speaker you want it to play on.  I find myself casting at times because I was listening through the phone away from home, and now I want to finish playback on Sonos.  I also want the ability to add a track to Amazon’s ‘My Music’ not just to be able to play it on Sonos more easily, but for all device everywhere.  I can also download tracks to a USB more easily later, for use in my vehicle.

 

I don’t always use it, even fact I find myself using Sonos Radio often, or voice controlled requests, but it’s nice to have as an option.

Danny
M
Userlevel 1
Badge +2

Actually, I am fairly confident that Chromecast will not be part of SONOS at all. The reason is that S2 includes a casting mechanism similar to Chromecast. Call it “SONOScast”  :grimacing::grinning:

 

Are you sure about this?  Specifically something called ‘SONOScast’?  googling the word references a 3rd party app.  Casting to Sonos speakers from various streaming apps has been around from quite sometime now.  I’ve seen and used casting from Amazon, Google, Pandora, and SXM before, but never heard it referred to as Sonoscast.  

 

My understanding was that the various servious just used the existing Sonos APIs to transfer playback from a device to Sonos speakers on your WiFi network, or through the cloud when applicable.

I gave it the name SONOScast, I don’t know what the official name is. I had never noticed it on TIDAL, and I can tell you that SoundCloud, MixCloud, Bandcamp, or Qobuz do not support this right now. It might be it was always there on TIDAL and I never noticed it.

 

The only API I am aware of to send music to a SONOS speaker is what Roon is using - but in that case you’re constantly pushing music to the SONOS speaker rather than the SONOS speaker fetching the data itself with the iOS app acting as a remote. This is not the same as playing any of these streams through the SONOS app obviously.

melvimbe

Google built the Chromecast. So yes, they define the standard. Not complying to the standard won't get you Chromecast support. This is fully on Sonos to comply to get it working.

As I stated before, I doubt disagreement on the API is the reason there’s no chromecast/Sonos integration.

Danny
M
Userlevel 1
Badge +2

Google built the Chromecast. So yes, they define the standard. Not complying to the standard won't get you Chromecast support. This is fully on Sonos to comply to get it working.

As I stated before, I doubt disagreement on the API is the reason there’s no chromecast/Sonos integration.

Correct. SONOS would have to implement some Google hardware which Google would have to want to give to them. I personally don’t see this happening. the only solution I see is the one I just detailed.

Terms & ConditionsCookie settings