Chromecast firmware update: Chromecast now works with your TV’s remote control

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Google has done a spectacular job of improving and adding features to Chromecast. The low-cost streaming dongle continues to get better, even as it starts to close in on it's 2nd birthday. The latest change makes it possible for Chromecast to receive commands from a TV remote, but it may not work on a lot of older televisions. This means users can finally enjoy the convenience of pausing and resuming with the push of a physical button without first turning on the casting device.

This is possible through the use of HDMI-CEC, the protocol that allows multiple devices on an HDMI chain to communicate between each other. Chromecast has been using CEC since launch to turn on televisions (if powered) and take control of routing to set itself as the current source, but there are many other things possible through this interface. The 27946 firmware update to Chromecast added support for "Deck Control" commands (e.g. play, pause, next, etc.), and passes these instructions on to the currently running app to control playback. Many video and music streaming apps should already support this if they implement the Media Player controls.

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