Chromecast Streaming Vs. Apple AirPlay Vs. Google TV

has received a ton of hype for the AirPlay feature in Apple TV.

In short, it allows consumers to wirelessly stream the content of an iOS device to any HDTV. Chromecast,

new Apple TV competitor, is attempting to offer a similar set of features for Android -- and a whole lot more. "Essentially it provides…[something] far more powerful than what even AirPlay was able to do," Anis Abdul, Chief Technology Officer of CodeLathe, told Benzinga. CodeLathe is the developer behind

, which Abdul described as "platform cloud enablement software."

Up until Chromecast arrived, AirPlay was the only way for Tonido users to send their files to a TV. "AirPlay required the data to be routed through the device, so [if] a connection between the device and the source goes down…then the video quality drops," Abdul explained. "Here it is not the case because we just send the actual URL to Chromecast, which will contact the Tonido server and play that video." Abdul had nothing but praise for Chromecast, which he said is a "good way for customers to get access to their videos in a very simple way." "I have to say, both in terms of its setup and in terms of the developer support, I think it is extremely good," he said. "The actual quality is extremely good. Connecting to it is extremely simple from an end point. "On top of [that], adding support to enable different applications has been well done. I can only see this becoming more superior in terms of its experience as we go forward." Abdul was less enthusiastic about Google's previous effort in home entertainment. "Google TV, have to say, was a mixed bag," he said. "It was a lot more cumbersome to work with. We've been looking at developing applications for Google TV and it is absolutely not straightforward. In fact, it is nowhere near as good…compared to Chromecast." Abdul referred to Google TV's performance as being "spotty" in comparison to Chromecast.

Another problem was that Google TV developers were required to focus their efforts on that one specific platform. "The beauty [of Chromecast] is that they have standardized the receiver application terms on Google Chromecast using the Chrome browser, which uses HTML5 technology," said Abdul. "So it is a lot easier for developers to develop and test and make sure you're going to get consistently good quality." Abdul said that he "absolutely" thinks Chromecast could have a large marketplace of apps. "That is, in fact, the biggest draw," he said. "You are free from having to work with a specific set of infrastructures." In the near future, Abdul expects to see apps for slideshows, screen mirroring and other things that consumers may want to project on a larger display. "As we go forward, people are going to find more and more new, novel ways to send their data that works well in the TV form factor," said Abdul. With regard to the potential for copycats, Abdul does not expect to see many formidable competitors to Chromecast. "The main attraction is the software support," he said. Thus, the copycats may not even bother coming to market. And if they do, they may not succeed.