JW Player has integrated Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Chromecast support into its platform, making it possible for viewers to watch content from sites such as Rifftrax and Snagfilms on their TV sets through the device's cast feature.
Other online-video sites that use JW Player as their streaming platform, such as Baeblemusic and GamerSyde, have made the leap to supporting Chromecast as well or could add support soon, according to Gigaom. That's because JW Player is used by a number of major content providers.
The Chromecast support gives online-video viewers a way to watch video from sites that aren't typically supported by other streaming devices.
For example, veteran MSTers wishing they could lean back and watch new episodes of their favorite snark-filled show now have a way to do so, thanks to the Chromecast integration announced Thursday. Rifftrax, the online site started by former Mystery Science Theater 3000 cast members, offers full-length feature films overlaid with their "iconic commentary," as JW Player aptly puts it in a release. Although users still have to buy and download the movies, and sync them with the commentary, they can now cast that content onto a TV screen.
Erik Peterson, Rifftrax's art director and lead Web engineer, said the ability to provide that lean-back experience "is huge for our business."
Social-video-viewing platform Snagfilms sees the Chromecast integration as another way to build its audience. "Anyone who does long-form video has to give its audience an easy way to view content on the large screen," said Manik Bambha, CTO of SnagFilms. "For us, the improved visual experience our users see on the big screen plays an important role in growing our audience base and keeping them engaged." He added that all 5,000-plus videos on the ad-supported platform are Chromecast compatible.
Meanwhile, although Rifftrax's website noted that its Chromecast support is still in the beta stage, it's likely to be a long-term affair. Rifftrax posted a photo of the Chromecast device's power supply, noting that the model number is MST3K-US. "Who are we to argue with Google?" Rifftrax blogged in a section titled "It was meant to be."
For more:
- see the release
- GigaOm has this story
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