Chromecast

[claphamsa]

Ok, Im a technonotunderstander... whats the deal with the chromecast? You can stream TV through your computer, onto the TV? why not just plug in the comp to the TV?

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Chromecast - Front Office Football Central

[ISiddiqui]

Why go through the hassle of plugging in your computer / tablet / phone?

Especially if you can sit on the couch and control the playback?

Chromecast is a fantastic device (and the 2013 Nexus 7 is fantastic 'remote' for it)

[DaddyTorgo]

All I know is I'm sitting here watching Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda on Youtube through my Chromecast, and it's not available on Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Instant.

So hells to the yeah. And early reviews is it's great quality-wise, so why wouldn't I use it for Netflix rather than turn on my PS3?

[claphamsa]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Chromecast - Front Office Football Central

thanks!

[Marc Vaughan]

Word of warning Chromecast is incompatible with also being connected to a VPN which makes it useless for what I had intended to use it for.

(I purchased one recently and while it works well normally as soon as you connect to a VPN it disconnects from Chromecast)

[saldana]

how is the playback when you are mirroring your browser (as opposed to using the icon from inside an app)...i had read it was pretty low quality.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by saldana

how is the playback when you are mirroring your browser (as opposed to using the icon from inside an app)...i had read it was pretty low quality.

It's lower in quality it seems like. I don't know necessarily how to quantify it, but the one time I tried it it was noticeable. But how much of that was the one particular website I tried or what I don't know.

[claphamsa]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

All I know is I'm sitting here watching Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda on Youtube through my Chromecast, and it's not available on Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Instant.

So hells to the yeah. And early reviews is it's great quality-wise, so why wouldn't I use it for Netflix rather than turn on my PS3?

thats a question for me, I watch netflix through my blueray... so is the chromecast better?

[Easy Mac]

no

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by saldana

how is the playback when you are mirroring your browser (as opposed to using the icon from inside an app)...i had read it was pretty low quality.

Mine is fairly high quality. Then again, I also have an 801.11ac router, so YMMV if you have an 801.11n one.

[terpkristin]

Weird. My dad got one for Christmas, and I really can't see the appeal based on his experience. He couldn't control it from his Android phone (some large Samsung, relatively new, don't remember which) and then took 5 tries to configure with Chrome on his computer. But then, still not everything works...and he has to have his computer on and controlling things?

I think he wishes my mom got him a newer Roku box, but I think as a tech toy it could be fun...but very odd.

/tk

[DaddyTorgo]

Weird. I'm streaming stuff from my Samsung Galaxy SIII just fine (although I've mostly been using my iPad so far to be fair), not sure why the newer models would be different.

[ISiddiqui]

Yeah, I don't see why he's having a problem - does he upgrade his apps?

[terpkristin]

I presume he does, though he doesn't have many apps on his phone in general. He plays solitaire, mostly. And he has a couple of sailing-related apps.

Though I have to say, having to have it "tethered" to a computer or phone and requiring wifi makes it a little sad for me, though if it worked while I was in a hotel....maybe I can get my hands on it this weekend and play with it. If he lets me...it could easily be operator error. Of course, who am I to talk, I can't figure out my MBP.

/tk

[Kodos]

We love our Chromecast, particularly my wife.

[PilotMan]

I think my (3) roku(s) is(are) better.

[terpkristin]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

I think my (3) roku(s) is(are) better.

Well, I have 3 Roku's myself (just retired my Roku 1 and got a Roku 3), so I definitely like them (and the lack of tether). But I suspect that the Chromecast allows greater flexibility (such as watching Showtime stuff, since SHO doesn't have a Roku channel) overall, for those capable of using it (which may or may not include my dad and his rocket scientist daughter....)

/tk

[Scoobz0202]

Maybe you guys got a dud? I don't know. It was about the easiest thing I've ever had to set up....

Plug it in.. go to the website from my phone.. follow prompts to set it up.. wait for it to update itself.... load netflix on my phone.. start a show.. hit chromecast button..

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Scoobz0202

Maybe you guys got a dud? I don't know. It was about the easiest thing I've ever had to set up....

Plug it in.. go to the website from my phone.. follow prompts to set it up.. wait for it to update itself.... load netflix on my phone.. start a show.. hit chromecast button..

Yeah - maybe you have a busted one. What Scoobz said perfectly replicates my setup experience.

[Izulde]

Yep, it was incredibly easy for me to set up as well.

[Autumn]

My dad set his up himself, so that tells you something.

[ISiddiqui]

Also, it doesn't necessarily have to be "tethered" to a phone or computer. All you need is for the device to be on the same wifi router as the chromecast.

[DanGarion]

The fact that it can't play most local content on it's own and it needs transcoding turns me off of the product.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by DanGarion

The fact that it can't play most local content on it's own and it needs transcoding turns me off of the product.

Wow you're a geek

I don't even know what transcoding is.

To each their own though.

[DanGarion]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Wow you're a geek

I don't even know what transcoding is.

To each their own though.

I have a network that works great the way I want it. I have a NAS with all my content that I can play locally on my GoogleTV device and my Ouya via XBMC without having to have another device to transcode it (convert it to an understandable format for the device that is "streaming" it.)

[stevew]

Got one of these for Christmas, and I'm still not sure exactly what the limit of what it does is. Is there a separate HBO Go App for the chrome web browser, because when i tried to cast GoT from the web browser it looked like garbage. It looks great on my phone though.

[ISiddiqui]

Why don't you cast it from your phone?

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Why don't you cast it from your phone?

This. It's how I cast Hulu+ since I can never get it to go from my desktop/laptop.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

Why don't you cast it from your phone?

Because my phone was dead and the charger was up a flight of stairs and shit just went down in GOT

[ISiddiqui]

LOL, ok.

Personally, I've had no problems with casting my Chrome tabs. Then again, I also have an 802.11ac router.

[stevew]

I would guess the difference is that casting tabs requires your PC to send a signal to the chromecast through your router and network, but with the phone you just ping the server directly and then it streams from the internet down to your chromecast? That would make sense as to why it would be slow.

[ISiddiqui]

Yeah, that's about the gist of it.