Comparing Chromecast and AirPlay

Google this week introduced Chromecast, a US$35 dongle that lets users wirelessly access a humble array of entertainment options on their HDTV.

Google writes:

The big story here is that Google is making yet another push for the living room after Google TV failed to really do much of anything in the marketplace.

So just how does Chromecast measure up to Apple's AirPlay?

Not that well, apparently.

The Verge recently compared the two and put together this informative chart.

AirPlay has, of course, been around for much longer and not surprisingly has many more options with respect to content. Indeed, the lack of support for apps like Hulu Plus and HBO Go on Chromecast is rather stark. You'll also note that Chromecast doesn't have much in the way of anything when it comes to supporting audio streaming from popular apps like Pandora and Spotify.

From the looks of it, the only real advantage of the Chromecast is that it works on devices outside of the iOS realm.

Chromecast is only $35, which making it more affordable than a $99 Apple TV, but as Steve Jobs used to like to say when asked about Apple's premium pricing, sometimes you get what you pay for.

It will be interesting to see how well Chromecast actually sells in the long run given that Apple TV sales are seemingly accelerating with each passing year.