Will Sonos support Google Cast for Audio?
Userlevel 2
Just read the announcement of the new Google Cast for Audio (http://chrome.blogspot.com/2015/01/introducing-google-cast-for-audio.html). I don't see Sonos listed as an early supporter, though. Any chance something is in the works?
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Maybe SONOS will finally reduce the price on the grossly overpriced Connect.
Userlevel 1
It's already somewhat supported. I can open Google Play Music on my android and hit the cast button to send it to my Sonos.
It would be dreamy if the same casting was available in the YouTube app, or PocketCast, or better yet, from a web browser on a PC on the same wifi network.
How great would it be to have a little youtube video or netflix on you laptop and then cast that audio to a couple play speakers around you?!
It would be dreamy if the same casting was available in the YouTube app, or PocketCast, or better yet, from a web browser on a PC on the same wifi network.
How great would it be to have a little youtube video or netflix on you laptop and then cast that audio to a couple play speakers around you?!
Big news.
Google adds multi-room synch support today along with 96KHz/24bit lossless.
Makes those Connects even more absurdly expensive.
http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/10/google-fires-at-sonos-adds-multi-room-support-to-chromecast-audio/
Google adds multi-room synch support today along with 96KHz/24bit lossless.
Makes those Connects even more absurdly expensive.
http://techcrunch.com/2015/12/10/google-fires-at-sonos-adds-multi-room-support-to-chromecast-audio/
Userlevel 1
Some news from the German Multi-Room market.
The German company "Raumfeld" (part of Teufel) announced Google Cast for all their products coming in Spring 2016.
(https://www.raumfeld.com/google-cast.html) *Website unfortunately in German.
The German company "Raumfeld" (part of Teufel) announced Google Cast for all their products coming in Spring 2016.
(https://www.raumfeld.com/google-cast.html) *Website unfortunately in German.
Userlevel 1
Please please please allow my Sonos system to be a standard cast destination! I use my Chromecast a lot for viewing video content on my TV from my phone and love the simplicity of hitting the cast button in apps to getting a better experience of media. Sonos support would be excellent!
So another use case for Google Cast for Audio that the native Sonos app cannot do. I was listening to a two hour DJ mix on SoundCloud on my way home from work. Get home, and would like to resume it on Sonos. Except there is no way to sync the listening position from the SC app to Sonos. So I ended up casting it to the CC hooked up to my TV (which is not connected to my Sonos speakers). Simple stuff like this wins BIG on user experience, and the native Sonos app cannot do it.
Userlevel 7
+17
Google cast support.......YES PLEASE....my $99 relies on it ;O)
Six months ago I wrote this comment:
https://ask.sonos.com/sonos/topics/implement_a_chromecast_receiver
So it seems like Sonos will, along with everyone else, now have the opportunity to run with this if they choose to.
Since writing that comment, I learned that the current Sonos / Google Play Music android app integration doesn't actually use Cast Receiver API, but is a custom integration instead, although presumably it cannot be that much different so you would think much of the engineering groundwork would be in place for Sonos to support the new Cast for Audio functionality in some way if they chose to.
"If they chose to" being the big question. However, Cast for Audio looks to me like it has the making of being an "embrace or die" decision for Sonos...
I could imagine the initial version 1 Cast for Audio functionality from Google being simple and limited, falling well short of Sonos functionality (eg. multiroom); version 2 being pretty good; version 3 leaving the Sonos walled-garden confined to the dustbin of stuff that people no longer use.
The crucial functionality that Cast for Audio will allow is in-app beaming of audio from any app that supports the Cast for Audio API. This means that all the native-app functionality is retained, unlike the current Sonos approach of accessing the 3rd party audio sources via the Sonos app, thereby losing all the 3rd party native apps' functionality.
The future is quite obviously in-app beaming from native apps, kissing goodbye to the current frustration of not being able to get audio from an app to the high quality speakers you've already paid for. Google's Cast for Audio looks like it could be the enabling technology to allow this across a broad range of apps, so Sonos may well need to either embrace this or die...
https://ask.sonos.com/sonos/topics/implement_a_chromecast_receiver
"The Sonos / Google Play Music (GPM) integration is fantastic. The *key* feature, and what makes the integration fantastic, is the "Cast to Sonos" capability from within GPM, which means I can stay within GPM, using all its great functionality, while have Sonos focus on what it's great at: playing music wirelessly across all my rooms (not on creating apps).
I'm assuming much of this Sonos/GPM integration was built by implementing the Google Cast Receiver API within the Sonos boxes...
If so, then I assume it's a short step further to allow Cast to Sonos from ANY Cast client, such as from any Chrome browser, Netflix app, BBC iPlayer app, etc. This is such an obvious next step, and fits with John MacFarlane's comments last year about Sonos really pursuing in-app beaming. I mean, why reinvent the wheel when the Cast Receiver API is already there and presumably has already been used for the flawless GPM integration?
At the moment it's very frustrating to be running an app or running a web app within Chrome, and to have no way to get the sound from my crappy tablet/laptop/Chromebook speakers and onto my excellent multi-room Sonos sound system instead.
Sonos players are, in many use cases, still an inaccessible island, which is a tragedy. Can we expect general Cast support to appear in the near future in order to fix this?"
So it seems like Sonos will, along with everyone else, now have the opportunity to run with this if they choose to.
Since writing that comment, I learned that the current Sonos / Google Play Music android app integration doesn't actually use Cast Receiver API, but is a custom integration instead, although presumably it cannot be that much different so you would think much of the engineering groundwork would be in place for Sonos to support the new Cast for Audio functionality in some way if they chose to.
"If they chose to" being the big question. However, Cast for Audio looks to me like it has the making of being an "embrace or die" decision for Sonos...
I could imagine the initial version 1 Cast for Audio functionality from Google being simple and limited, falling well short of Sonos functionality (eg. multiroom); version 2 being pretty good; version 3 leaving the Sonos walled-garden confined to the dustbin of stuff that people no longer use.
The crucial functionality that Cast for Audio will allow is in-app beaming of audio from any app that supports the Cast for Audio API. This means that all the native-app functionality is retained, unlike the current Sonos approach of accessing the 3rd party audio sources via the Sonos app, thereby losing all the 3rd party native apps' functionality.
The future is quite obviously in-app beaming from native apps, kissing goodbye to the current frustration of not being able to get audio from an app to the high quality speakers you've already paid for. Google's Cast for Audio looks like it could be the enabling technology to allow this across a broad range of apps, so Sonos may well need to either embrace this or die...
I only bought my Sonos kit fairly recently - and did so solely because of the integration with Google Play Music. Having experienced how superbly that integration works, it makes it very frustrating not to be able to similarly beam audio from any other app to my Sonos speakers.
In-app beaming from native apps is obviously the way forward. I can see that, everyone else can see that, and I presume John MacFarlane is very, very aware of that!
Sonos' current approach of accessing 3rd party audio sources via the Sonos app has no long term future, because this approach loses all the rich functionality of the native apps themselves. This is such an obvious and massive limitation of the current approach that no one can rationally argue that this is anything other than a temporary workaround until a proper solution is put in place. Ideally, a proper solution would involve open standards, but absent that, Google's Cast for Audio looks like it could have the making of a viable solution, which a raft of Sonos competitors will eagerly embrace.
It'll be interesting to see how Sonos responds. Their willingness in the past to abandon their hardware controller and embrace software app (Android) controllers even though that cannibalised some of their own sales shows that Sonos can make sensible strategic decisions so perhaps gives grounds for some optimism.
Alternatively, if they choose to retain the Sonos walled-garden in order to differentiate themselves and protect margins, and if Cast for Audio proves in time to be highly functional, then Sonos could quickly wither on the vine, as potential new customers turn elsewhere...
I assume John MacFarlane is nobody's fool, so the probability must favour Sonos (eventually) making a wise decision, but we shall see!
If Cast for Audio takes off and proves eventually to be highly functional, I would (sadly) ditch my Sonos kit and turn elsewhere. In the meantime, I will hold off recommending Sonos to anyone until the picture becomes clearer.
In-app beaming from native apps is obviously the way forward. I can see that, everyone else can see that, and I presume John MacFarlane is very, very aware of that!
Sonos' current approach of accessing 3rd party audio sources via the Sonos app has no long term future, because this approach loses all the rich functionality of the native apps themselves. This is such an obvious and massive limitation of the current approach that no one can rationally argue that this is anything other than a temporary workaround until a proper solution is put in place. Ideally, a proper solution would involve open standards, but absent that, Google's Cast for Audio looks like it could have the making of a viable solution, which a raft of Sonos competitors will eagerly embrace.
It'll be interesting to see how Sonos responds. Their willingness in the past to abandon their hardware controller and embrace software app (Android) controllers even though that cannibalised some of their own sales shows that Sonos can make sensible strategic decisions so perhaps gives grounds for some optimism.
Alternatively, if they choose to retain the Sonos walled-garden in order to differentiate themselves and protect margins, and if Cast for Audio proves in time to be highly functional, then Sonos could quickly wither on the vine, as potential new customers turn elsewhere...
I assume John MacFarlane is nobody's fool, so the probability must favour Sonos (eventually) making a wise decision, but we shall see!
If Cast for Audio takes off and proves eventually to be highly functional, I would (sadly) ditch my Sonos kit and turn elsewhere. In the meantime, I will hold off recommending Sonos to anyone until the picture becomes clearer.
Userlevel 1
+1
I think we would all agree that a Google Cast parnertership similar to what LG and Sony have In place with Google would be the perfect multi room setup.
We have all stayed away from these other "newbies" going down the route that Sonos invented and brought to the market way before anyone else.
Hopefully Sonos have a great relationship with Google and the Cast option will be rolling out soon.
By the way my moto stream is working a treat connected to my play 5! I think I would keep it connected just to have the added bonus of nfc connection.
We have all stayed away from these other "newbies" going down the route that Sonos invented and brought to the market way before anyone else.
Hopefully Sonos have a great relationship with Google and the Cast option will be rolling out soon.
By the way my moto stream is working a treat connected to my play 5! I think I would keep it connected just to have the added bonus of nfc connection.
Userlevel 1
I've invested heavily in Sonos, but that has stopped for now. Moving into a new house next week, and will likely wait for more casting support from Sonos, or just leave all together. I can't justify spending so much money on a closed system when so many new options are coming to the market. Being able to cast directly from original native apps is simply just easier and faster in most cases when compared to using the Sonos app. I think the Sonos app is fine, and probably useful in certain situations, but I've literally decided to not listen to music at times because of going through 2 or 3 extra steps. Lazy? Sure! But we've paid a lot of money to have the best.
No news yet on Sonos supporting Chromecast audio?? Come on SONOS, what are you waiting for!!
Userlevel 7
+22
I have a good friend and neighbor who wanted to add audio from his computer and phone to his crestron system. I told him to add a Sonos to it. His installer talked him in to AirPlay because he could use the Spotify app he had been using. He had it for a month and kept complaining about how audio drops out all the time.
One night I brought one of my connects down and swapped out the airport express.
Needless to say after using a week he went out and bought a connect. Not only has he not had any more dropouts but he said sound quality is amazingly better.
However. Native Google casting gives you both. Flexibility and pulling music direct from Internet vs via device.
One night I brought one of my connects down and swapped out the airport express.
Needless to say after using a week he went out and bought a connect. Not only has he not had any more dropouts but he said sound quality is amazingly better.
However. Native Google casting gives you both. Flexibility and pulling music direct from Internet vs via device.
Userlevel 7
+22
Everyone trying to get into the casting party - airplay, google cast, Bluetooth, spotify connect ....
no wonder Sonos has trouble jumping on one bandwagon. They need to come up with some kind of simple / expandable means to incorporate various casting protocols.
no wonder Sonos has trouble jumping on one bandwagon. They need to come up with some kind of simple / expandable means to incorporate various casting protocols.
I would love to see this feature enabled as well. With how much time Sonos puts into their app this would bypass it and realistically it’s mostly all available via the app anyway. But it would defiantly simplify things and would like to have the option, especially with access to YouTube music just around the corner.
Userlevel 2
It would be dreamy if the same casting was available in the YouTube app, or PocketCast, or better yet, from a web browser on a PC on the same wifi network.
How great would it be to have a little youtube video or netflix on you laptop and then cast that audio to a couple play speakers around you?!
Yeah, I was surprised _not_ to see Sonos listed in the announcement. I based my purchasing decision -- in part -- on the implied close relationship between Sonos and Google when they added the ability to "cast" music from the Google Play Music app directly, as well as via the Sonos app. Unfortunately, that doesn't look to have been expanded at all (yet).
Userlevel 7
+17
Another sad day for sonos - supported by Denon Heos on day 1 but not Sonos ! Along with the absence of Spotify Connect support this is yet another example of Sonos falling behind. You can't hide in your walled garden forever Sonos - please take some action here.
Userlevel 1
But let's don't go crazy on Sonos. WE haven't seen anything released yet. Knowing the versatility of the protocol, I can imagine all sorts of products being released. Home theatres, amplifiers, standalone speakers, car audio, and why not a standalone dongle that can be plugged into your Sonos input port similar to the way how chromecast works with any TV with HDMI input. It would be the best if we have native support but probably won't be essential.
And the native apps are cool, I often go into individual apps to subscribe to a playlist or the artist to make it available to play on Sonos, but having the app with all the services combined is also cool. How else would I be able to search multiple services at the same time, have the playlists combined of music from multiple sources, etc, etc. We are really spoiled for choice, and if Sonos gets onboard it would be great, but if not, I am pretty sure it is not going to be the end of the world. Chromecast is still lagging behind Apple TV and Roku so there is a market for everyone. Sonos was fulfilling all my music needs yesterday, today is not much different, only there is a promise that it can do so much more with not a lot of effort. Seems like we are becoming greedy here....
@jabbba It's great Sonos is fulfilling your needs prior to this announcement and after. I'd like support for this because I've basically had to change my audio listening behavior in order to "fit in" with how Sonos works. Prior to Sonos, we played music on our laptop from random YouTube videos, websites of music artists that had their own built in player, GrooveShark, and local media on our phones. I'd like to get back to listening to music how I'd like and sourced from wherever I'd like.
I don't see this request for Cast Audio support as greedy. I'm probably biased. I develop software which has the sole purpose to implement many different communications standards to neutralize them down to a standard api for our internal products to communicate through, so we can still "speak" many different technical languages with external systems. In this day of interconnected devices and software (internet of things), it's becoming increasingly important to consumers that they can use whatever device they want with whatever software/app they want. Our clients are constantly bringing new standards to us to support. They have legitimate business need for such support, and we would likely lose contracts with them if we didn't add such support.
In this Business-to-Consumer model, I don't have the voting power to get a desired communication standard implemented the way our clients do in a Business-to-Business model. The fact that I paid a lot of money for these devices still impassions me to speak up about my desires here, hoping attention will be focused on this request based on all the feedback we are generating here. It's not greedy to desire more from my devices after the investment I made in them.
My main gripe after switching over the Sonos a month ago has been that I cannot simply play whatever is on my phone or laptop at the given moment. We don't need bluetooth to do this. Chromecast accepts instruction to play something via WiFi and can do so without a constant stream being "beamed" from the device requesting the playback. Sonos does essentially the same thing, but in a less flexible manner, requiring existing accounts within music streaming services, etc.
Userlevel 2
+7
I thought (well, rather hoped) that when Google launched their own Play Music app which did allow you to 'Cast' to individual Sonos speakers directly from their app - that this would be available to other content providers, but sadly this didn't pan out. Some time after that Google made their Cast Audio announcement and I guess focus has been elsewhere.
However, the Google (lets call it) experiment - does prove that Casting is technically possible on existing equipment - so there is hope for the future.
However, the Google (lets call it) experiment - does prove that Casting is technically possible on existing equipment - so there is hope for the future.
I agree, I am holding off on any more speakers until I hear more on this, I really hope they are working with Google to try and add support for cast, would make their system the best out there, also Sonos is starting to add other features (ie Truplay) which would still help set them apart from other hardware manufacturers. I think even if you could cast between many different brands I would still choose Sonos.
I installed my first CC at my daughter's new home yesterday. She is on a budget and doesn't need multi room music that is in sync, and is presently quite content with a Rotel stereo amp that drives a pair of speakers each in two adjacent rooms, with a front panel A/B/A+B switch, that was in use at my home before I moved to Sonos.
And fortunately, her CC can be located just about 5 feet away from the WiFi router.
Connect was too rich for her budget, and CC was launched at just the right time for the right price from her point of view.
Findings:
I have found the sound with dynamic setting on, 2 volts, to be just as good as from Sonos or a CDP. With the setting off, the sound levels drop and the sound becomes congested. However that may be just a function of the signal level dropping to 1.4 volts, leading to a big drop in sound levels.
I would also say that the 1.4 volts is a compressed setting and the 2 volts, what Google calls high dynamic range, is normal. I have my 2 volts selected signal going into the analog aux input of the Rotel, but cheaper kit/boomboxes may find that too hot to handle without clipping and hence may need the 1.4 volts setting that is all they can handle. That's my theory, at any rate.
But listening and using the CC has proved to me that Google hasn't oversold the device. And while the USD 35 seems a steal, it now seems too much when the gadget is handled, it is like a small plastic hockey puck. But that doesn't impact what it delivers, which is excellent quality sound source, worthy of any downstream appliance one may use it with. IMO, even via analog route.
The promised multi room upgrade will take it to the next level - provided that WiFi reach and range don't get to be deal breaking issues.
CC was up and running in the same time that Sonos boxes are - five minutes from unboxing.
For people with significant Sonos investments, and at least one unit with a line in jack, CC seems to be a worthwhile add, preferably added in the room where the WiFi router is located - for those people that must have the native app access to their service of choice. Cheap way to get off the "Why won't Sonos do this" complaint threads. It does not make sense to me because I am fine with the Sonos versions of the interfaces.
For Sonos, time to reflect certainly.
And fortunately, her CC can be located just about 5 feet away from the WiFi router.
Connect was too rich for her budget, and CC was launched at just the right time for the right price from her point of view.
Findings:
I have found the sound with dynamic setting on, 2 volts, to be just as good as from Sonos or a CDP. With the setting off, the sound levels drop and the sound becomes congested. However that may be just a function of the signal level dropping to 1.4 volts, leading to a big drop in sound levels.
I would also say that the 1.4 volts is a compressed setting and the 2 volts, what Google calls high dynamic range, is normal. I have my 2 volts selected signal going into the analog aux input of the Rotel, but cheaper kit/boomboxes may find that too hot to handle without clipping and hence may need the 1.4 volts setting that is all they can handle. That's my theory, at any rate.
But listening and using the CC has proved to me that Google hasn't oversold the device. And while the USD 35 seems a steal, it now seems too much when the gadget is handled, it is like a small plastic hockey puck. But that doesn't impact what it delivers, which is excellent quality sound source, worthy of any downstream appliance one may use it with. IMO, even via analog route.
The promised multi room upgrade will take it to the next level - provided that WiFi reach and range don't get to be deal breaking issues.
CC was up and running in the same time that Sonos boxes are - five minutes from unboxing.
For people with significant Sonos investments, and at least one unit with a line in jack, CC seems to be a worthwhile add, preferably added in the room where the WiFi router is located - for those people that must have the native app access to their service of choice. Cheap way to get off the "Why won't Sonos do this" complaint threads. It does not make sense to me because I am fine with the Sonos versions of the interfaces.
For Sonos, time to reflect certainly.
Userlevel 7
+22
Google cast would be a software update and way to early fit that. Bluetooth. Why would they add Bluetooth now. They never did before.
But it's time for Sonos to make a statement. Sony, LG, ... are supporting Google Cast. Even more are supporting Spotify Connect. And I'm sitting here and am still waiting. Just a yes or a no, so that I know whether I can buy my next Sonos product or have to switch to a different product.
If I had to guess, the biggest problem with Sonos supporting GCA is technical and has to do with the amount of RAM in the Sonos devices (or more specifically, the lack thereof). GCA requires the device to run effectively run a 'headless' web browser in which the 'server' component of the GCA streamer runs. They don't have much flash storage, either, to store the web client code and I doubt they'd want to try downloading that from the Internet every time you started up GCA as that would cause a noticeable delay when you first hit play.
No denying that GCA would be really awesome to have on Sonos devices, though.
No denying that GCA would be really awesome to have on Sonos devices, though.
It would be dreamy if the same casting was available in the YouTube app, or PocketCast, or better yet, from a web browser on a PC on the same wifi network.
How great would it be to have a little youtube video or netflix on you laptop and then cast that audio to a couple play speakers around you?!
Yeah the cast button from the Android Google Play Music app is great. When this was introduced a few months ago, its what convinced me to purchase a Sonos. But I want to be able to cast from other music services as well and from Google Play web app on my laptop. The Sonos app just doesn't offer the rich experience you get from the apps provided by the music services.
If Sonos don't move forward in this area, I can see myself jumping ship to a full Google Cast compatible speaker when they hit the market.
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