Chromecast Returns to Amazon.com

Three years after it banned them from its online store, Amazon is once again selling Google’s Chromecast video dongles. Our national nightmare is over.

Amazon had pulled Chromecast—along with Apple TV and Google’s now-abandoned Nexus Player—from its store in a blatant act against its chief media streaming competitors. But it couldn’t say that publicly, of course.

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“Over the last three years, Prime Video has become an important part of Prime,” an Amazon statement at the time explained. “It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion. Roku, XBOX, PlayStation and Fire TV are excellent choices.”

I assume it’s obvious that the inability of Prime Video to “interact well” with Android TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast was, in fact, Amazon’s fault. But after weathering two years of complaints, Amazon last year started selling Apple TV again. And it promised that it would begin selling Chromecast again.

We’ll never really know what took so long. But you can now purchase the Google Chromecast ($35) and Google Chromecast Ultra ($70) from Amazon.com. The Chromecast Audio, alas, is still unavailable.

 

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Conversation 11 comments

  • dontbe evil

    13 December, 2018 - 9:33 am

    <p>google doesn't deserve it, after its usual behavior against amazon</p>

    • waethorn

      13 December, 2018 - 10:05 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#381475">In reply to dontbe_evil:</a></em></blockquote><p>Both companies need to die, along with Facebook.</p>

      • Jeff Jones

        13 December, 2018 - 12:15 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#381486">In reply to Waethorn:</a></em></blockquote><p>Dying is unnecessary. They just need to conduct themselves with honor.</p>

  • MikeGalos

    13 December, 2018 - 12:03 pm

    <p>Somebody's being proactive about anti-trust litigation…</p>

    • BeckoningEagle

      Premium Member
      13 December, 2018 - 3:18 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#381527">In reply to MikeGalos:</a></em></blockquote><p>Exactly what I thought.</p>

  • chrisrpatterson

    13 December, 2018 - 12:20 pm

    <p>It would be nice if Google would put YouTube on the FireTV. Seems both companies are acting stupid and generally hurting consumers with their childish behavior.</p>

    • alabamaboy

      13 December, 2018 - 2:50 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#381543">In reply to chrisrpatterson:</a></em></blockquote><blockquote><br></blockquote><blockquote><em>Just use the browser on the Fire TV to pull up Youtube</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

    • Bill Russell

      13 December, 2018 - 5:18 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#381543">In reply to chrisrpatterson:</a></em></blockquote><p>Amazon didn't bring amazon video support to Chromecast, then said they wouldn't sell streaming devices that didn't support amazon video. That's where it started. This was in the name of "not confusing consumers", meanwhile allowing any sort of chromecast puck lookalike to sell there. </p><p><br></p><p>Google absolutely wanted Amazon video – they weren't blocking it, why would they?</p><p><br></p><p>Also, Google created the Android platform, which powers perhaps 90% of Fire OS, dev tools and SDKs, etc. Amazon Silk wouldn't even set Google search as default as a small "thanks", instead defaulting to Bing.</p><p><br></p><p>Then after years of this and not selling Chromecast, nor Google Home's, Google finally had to do some "tough love" and said, guess what, your Youtube app is not up to our standards and blocked it. I think there's a point where its not being "childish" and you have to take some action.</p><p><br></p><p>I personally don't buy from amazon anymore. Not so much as a protest but they don't take Pay Pal, because they are pushing Amazon payment systems, with higher interest rates of 30% as a "thanks". </p><p><br></p><p>They are an shopping platform first and foremost and once a platform of any kind begins pushing its own products and services to where they are blocking others, that's when I am all set. Reminds me of Microsoft in the past. </p><p><br></p><p>Walmart is pretty good for a lot of things and I have the option of free local pickup too and take Paypal at least online.</p><p><br></p>

  • m_p_w_84

    13 December, 2018 - 12:28 pm

    <p>‘<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I assume it’s obvious that the inability of Prime Video to “interact well” with Android TV, Apple TV, and Chromecast was, in fact, Amazon’s fault.’</span></p><p><br></p><p>Is it obviously Amazon’s fault? </p><p><br></p><p>Apple are notoriously obstructive, and Google don’t seem to be getting on very well with Sonos. I think Google and Apple are quite rightly worried about Amazon expanding into their territories.</p>

  • kroembke

    13 December, 2018 - 12:32 pm

    <p>Big media/retailing/streaming vs Big tech/media/retailing, this can only be better for consumers. Let's hope ALL of these players slug it out and bloody each other until we have the best available options. This is what capitalism is all about! May the best platform win… for awhile at least. </p>

  • slerched

    Premium Member
    13 December, 2018 - 2:33 pm

    <p>The Chromecast Audio is a dying product. Google has a fire sale going right now in fact. Why waste time and effort putting a dead product up on Amazon?</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

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