CES 2024: Amazon Unveils Matter Casting Standard as Interoperable Alternative to AirPlay
Amazon today announced Matter Casting, an interoperable rival to Apple's AirPlay feature, at CES 2024 (via Bloomberg).
Matter Casting will initially only support streaming content from Amazon's Prime Video app to Echo Show devices, but the feature will support Fire TV in the coming months. Later in the year, it will work across a range of other video services, including Plex, Starz, Pluto TV, Sling TV, and ZDF.
AirPlay allows Apple device users to wirelessly stream video from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to an Apple TV or another Mac, as well as stream audio from almost any Apple device to any HomePod, Apple TV, or compatible third-party speaker. Google has a similar equivalent for its Chromecast devices called Google Cast. Both AirPlay and Google Cast are proprietary technologies, so Amazon's new feature is designed to be interoperable across platforms.
Apple and Google worked with Amazon on the Matter home standard, but they have not yet announced any plans to support Matter Casting and could choose to remain uninvolved. Nevertheless, it is clearly Amazon's wish to make video streaming apps and TV accessories work together more seamlessly, regardless of their platform.
Popular Stories
At its Spring Update event, OpenAI announced that it will be releasing a desktop app for the Mac, as seen in the screenshot below. The app will be rolling out to ChatGPT Plus subscribers starting today, ahead of a wider launch "in the coming weeks." "With a simple keyboard shortcut (Option + Space), you can instantly ask ChatGPT a question," OpenAI's press release says. In addition, Voice...
There are concerning reports on Reddit that Apple's latest iOS 17.5 update has introduced a bug that causes old photos that were deleted – in some cases years ago – to reappear in users' photo libraries. After updating their iPhone, one user said they were shocked to find old NSFW photos that they deleted in 2021 suddenly showing up in photos marked as recently uploaded to iCloud. Other...
Apple today released iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5, major updates to the iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 operating system updates that came out last September. The 17.5 updates come more than two months after the launch of iOS 17.4 and iPadOS 17.4. iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. In the European Union, ...
Apple today previewed new accessibility features coming with iOS 18 later this year, and this includes some new options for CarPlay. Apple highlighted three new features coming to CarPlay: Voice Control: This feature will allow users to navigate CarPlay and control apps with just their voice. Color Filters: This feature will make the CarPlay interface visually easier to use for...
Apple today released tvOS 17.5, the fifth update update to the tvOS 17 operating system that came out last September. tvOS 17.5 comes two months after the release of tvOS 17.4. tvOS 17.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the Apple TV. Go to System > Software Update to get the new software. Apple TV owners who have automatic software updates activated will be upgraded to ...
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.5, the fifth update to the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.5 comes more than two months after the launch of macOS Sonoma 14.4. The macOS Sonoma 14.5 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.7...
Top Rated Comments
MacRumors: "Amazon today announced Matter Casting, an interoperable rival to Apple's AirPlay feature"
The Verge: "Amazon, one of the founders of Matter, is the first to add support for Matter casting, a feature of the Matter smart home standard"
Elsewhere (Techhive): "The new open casting standard is called Matter Casting, and yes, it’s part of the Matter smart home standard. At CES this week, Amazon announced that it will roll out Matter Casting to Fire TV and Echo Show 15 devices."
Seems like sloppy wording at the top of this article.
We have Google Nest audio at our house... I can't send music with Apple Music, from my phone, to the device (I use Spotify now). I have an Homepod in my office, but my wife can't send music to it with her Pixel.
It's a garbage landscape, currently.
Anyway, here's hoping Apple adopts this without necessarily giving up its own tech, the same way they are broadening the use of Messages.