Everything you need to know about Amazon’s open casting standard

The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) gives all the tech giants a chance to unveil the newest innovations, and at CES 2024, Amazon had quite a few surprises to reveal. For one, its new partnership with Panasonic means Fire TV will be built right into Panasonic televisions, combining one of the best streaming devices with one of the best TV manufacturers. The company also demonstrated new AI applications, including boosts to Alexa’s AI technology. And for A/V enthusiasts like us here at Pocket-lint, Amazon’s announcement regarding Matter Casting is one of the most exciting.

Matter Casting is a technology that allows you to cast content from your smartphone or tablet to your TV. It’s basically the same thing as AirPlay and Chromecast with one major difference: Matter Casting is open-source. That means it’s a free casting standard, allowing any developer to implement it into its products. It also ensures wider-spread compatibility between devices of different manufacturers. And the proof is in the pudding: both Android and iOS devices are compatible.

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Of course, integrating new standards takes time. Matter Casting isn’t a household name yet, but Amazon’s pioneering push for its implementation might just change that. It’s already available for use with the Echo Show 15, and Fire TV devices will prove compatible in the coming months. That way, you’ll be able to stream content on your phone or tablet and cast it right onto your TV with a simple tap.

How do I use Matter Casting?

First, sign in to your Amazon Prime Video account on both devices, making sure that they’re connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Then, open the Prime Video app on your mobile device, tap the “cast” icon, and select your TV from the list. Once you see the “Ready to cast” message, you can start streaming any Prime video you want, and it will appear instantly on your TV. It’s really that easy.

For further support, check out Amazon’s official guide.

Which devices are compatible with Matter Casting?

Just about any smartphone or tablet with a recent version of iOS or Android is compatible with Matter Casting. However, the current list of compatible displays is limited. At the time of writing this article, only the Echo Show 15 supports it.

Fortunately, a firmware update for Fire TVs is expected in the near future that will enable Matter Casting. If you have a Fire TV, keep a lookout for updates in the coming months.

Is Matter Casting widely available yet?

Unlike AirPlay and Chromecast, Matter Casting is open-source and freely available for manufacturers to implement in different products. But because it’s so new, you won’t find it on many products for a while. Amazon funded its development, and they only just recently released it for the Echo Show 15. The firmware update for Fire TVs will be rolled out in the coming months. We expect it will be at least several more months until other developers start adding it to devices.

As far as compatible streaming apps go, the selection is also limited to Amazon Prime Video. However, Amazon has stated that its, “working with Plex, Pluto TV, Sling TV, STARZ, and ZDF to add Matter Casting support later this year.” This may be the dawn of a widespread technology standard, and it may be the twilight of another big tech gamble. Either way, we’re eager to see where it goes from here.