Avid Contributor I

Chromecast functionality

Forum|Forum|7 years ago
May 25, 2019
164 replies
76568 views

Why is Sonos lacking the Chromecast functionality, which basically every 100€ WiFi speaker has. It makes it impossible to use YouTube music ( you have to open the Sonos controller and control it from there instead of just pressing the cast button) and it makes using the Google Assistant unnecessarily cumbersome. You have to specify the speaker after a voice command instead of being able to simply set Sonos as a default speaker. That not enough, it also makes it impossible to cast all audio to Sonos. Sonos always talks about being open and support all platforms, yet after waiting a year longer than Airplay 2 users (which got supported as soon as the service got released), we get a shitty, half-assed service lacking basic functionality. Sonos basically incentivizes people to switch to Google Home Max et al, to use get the full capability from the services.

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hope752

Contributor II

fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands

Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.

People don't want to use the Sonos app... maybe back in the day, but now people want to open their favourite music app and just cast.

Speak for yourself.

Casting directly from Spotify or most other services will not allow me more than one simultaneous stream. I want to be able to have different music streaming to different rooms.

Casting from TuneIn will include the ads.

Google cast groups are static, cannot change the members of the group dynamically.

Chromecast will not allow me mixed playback from different services and local media.

...

Dude, it's really simple. Apple has iplay or air play or what ever, Andoid wants chromecast. It's really simple! No Sonos app replaces that.

H

hope752

Contributor II

fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands

Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.

People don't want to use the Sonos app... maybe back in the day, but now people want to open their favourite music app and just cast.

You can do, with some:

https://support.sonos.com/s/article/3549?language=en_US

VLC?

C

ChiGuy121

Contributor I

Echoing others, lack of Chromecast integration in my Sonos One is a big disappointment. Many competitors offer this. I would buy additional Sonos Ones if it had this functionality. I am giving serious consideration to selling my Sonos One and buying the Harman Kardon Citation One MKII. The MKII version adds Airplay 2 in addition to Chromecast. Having both gives me the flexibility that I want. I’d be happy to stick with Sonos, but at some point I’ll get tired of waiting.

D

Durães

Lyricist II

Welp.…

Add another one frustrated customer here.…

Came out of ikea today with 3 of theirs Sonos speakers…

Only to arrive at home, and discover that the "Google assistant" suport on the Sonos lineup does not means what it should meant…

I have other speakers on the house and was hoping to up my sound quality with those... But I'm really considering returning them…

It was an impulse buy, they sound great on the demo stand, quick Google search shows GA suport, no brainier I thought...

A real shame....

Sjoop1985

fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands

Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.

People don't want to use the Sonos app... maybe back in the day, but now people want to open their favourite music app and just cast.

Speak for yourself.

Casting directly from Spotify or most other services will not allow me more than one simultaneous stream. I want to be able to have different music streaming to different rooms.

Casting from TuneIn will include the ads.

Google cast groups are static, cannot change the members of the group dynamically.

Chromecast will not allow me mixed playback from different services and local media.

...

Dude, I am an Android user. I listed a number of reasons why I think Chromecast (or Airplay, for that matter) is inferior to the features already offered. You just respond with "we want what we want because we want it". That is not going to convince me, nor will it convince Sonos or Google to do something about it.

I see a lot of people on here asking for Chromecast that only have one speaker. I know I sound like a purist, but I get the feeling that they don't "get" what the Sonos ecosystem is actually about, and would maybe have been happier with an upmarket Bluetooth speaker.

In my day to day, I have not seen any use case that has me say "I need Chromecast on this thing". Mind you, streaming YouTube and splitting the audio from the video cannot be done on Google Home speakers either. Full YT videos can only be casted to video Chromecasts, it has to do with YT's terms and conditions.

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

D

Durães

Lyricist II

fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands

Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.

People don't want to use the Sonos app... maybe back in the day, but now people want to open their favourite music app and just cast.

Speak for yourself.

Casting directly from Spotify or most other services will not allow me more than one simultaneous stream. I want to be able to have different music streaming to different rooms.

Casting from TuneIn will include the ads.

Google cast groups are static, cannot change the members of the group dynamically.

Chromecast will not allow me mixed playback from different services and local media.

...

Dude, I am an Android user. I listed a number of reasons why I think Chromecast (or Airplay, for that matter) is inferior to the features already offered. You just respond with "we want what we want because we want it". That is not going to convince me, nor will it convince Sonos or Google to do something about it.

I see a lot of people on here asking for Chromecast that only have one speaker. I know I sound like a purist, but I get the feeling that they don't "get" what the Sonos ecosystem is actually about, and would maybe have been happier with an upmarket Bluetooth speaker.

In my day to day, I have not seen any use case that has me say "I need Chromecast on this thing". Mind you, streaming YouTube and splitting the audio from the video cannot be done on Google Home speakers either. Full YT videos can only be casted to video Chromecasts, it has to do with YT's terms and conditions.

I can give you my reason to want to cast…

I use nest minis, and I want to shout an GA command to start songs on my speaker system… without cast suport I cannot assign the Sonos as default speaker to my mini's...let alone integrate them on my groups...

And as stated above, we can clearly use speakers to play selected services, but if you do not subscribe to them for any reason, you are out in the Cold…

Also as stated before, guests are unable to control media without logins, major inconveniences for the price point and general market feature set state.

A

amun

Dude, I am an Android user. I listed a number of reasons why I think Chromecast (or Airplay, for that matter) is inferior to the features already offered. You just respond with "we want what we want because we want it". That is not going to convince me, nor will it convince Sonos or Google to do something about it.

Well, actually, it might… Sonos always insisted that hires wasn’t worthwhile and wouldn’t be supported, but looks like they’re going to do a complete about face on it. Marketing pressure works, if the numbers are high enough.

Sjoop1985

fact is - sonos needs also chromecast support, otherwise it’s wasted money for the buck for most android users and we better switch to other brands

Sonos offers pretty much every major streaming services streamed directly without the use of chromecast, airplay, or any other mechanism in between. They also offer Tune In and their own Sonos radio as a means of accessing hundreds (thousands?) of radio stations. I think you might be overstating the necessity of chromecast support for android users.

People don't want to use the Sonos app... maybe back in the day, but now people want to open their favourite music app and just cast.

Speak for yourself.

Casting directly from Spotify or most other services will not allow me more than one simultaneous stream. I want to be able to have different music streaming to different rooms.

Casting from TuneIn will include the ads.

Google cast groups are static, cannot change the members of the group dynamically.

Chromecast will not allow me mixed playback from different services and local media.

...

Dude, I am an Android user. I listed a number of reasons why I think Chromecast (or Airplay, for that matter) is inferior to the features already offered. You just respond with "we want what we want because we want it". That is not going to convince me, nor will it convince Sonos or Google to do something about it.

I see a lot of people on here asking for Chromecast that only have one speaker. I know I sound like a purist, but I get the feeling that they don't "get" what the Sonos ecosystem is actually about, and would maybe have been happier with an upmarket Bluetooth speaker.

In my day to day, I have not seen any use case that has me say "I need Chromecast on this thing". Mind you, streaming YouTube and splitting the audio from the video cannot be done on Google Home speakers either. Full YT videos can only be casted to video Chromecasts, it has to do with YT's terms and conditions.

I can give you my reason to want to cast…

I use nest minis, and I want to shout an GA command to start songs on my speaker system… without cast suport I cannot assign the Sonos as default speaker to my mini's...let alone integrate them on my groups...

And as stated above, we can clearly use speakers to play selected services, but if you do not subscribe to them for any reason, you are out in the Cold…

Also as stated before, guests are unable to control media without logins, major inconveniences for the price point and general market feature set state.

Actually, you can set them as an audio target - I did that for the rooms that don't have a voice enabled Sonos.

Are there services that are not on Sonos? Or do you mean free services?

You do not need to login, but you do need to download the app. Generally, in my house, my guests don't control anything.

To each their own, apparently.

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

D

Durães

Lyricist II

Actually, you can set them as an audio target - I did that for the rooms that don't have a voice enabled Sonos.

Oh, I think I found it, probably you are talking about the integration directly with “Sonos” service on the google assistant, currently not available to me at Portugal, for what reason I dunno, since I have other products on my house integrated with GA… another frustation, i guess...

Are there services that are not on Sonos? Or do you mean free services?

Basically, anything that supports cast and is not on the Sonos shortlist of services… ranging from local media to other stream services.

H

hope752

Contributor II

How do I communicate using VLC player? This is what I have always used for personal music. There's a chromecast button.......

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