Google Chromecast

[AlNipper49]

I'm surprised the uber geeks are flocking to this (from my anecdotal poking around in various articles etc, I could be wrong).  Google doesn't necessary have a non-tarnished track record at this point (not saying they can't do it, but they're in "let's me verify this crap first" stage now) and stuff like the Rasberry Pi offers a way cooler geek project for about the same price.  

 

[jayhoz]

I'm surprised the uber geeks are flocking to this (from my anecdotal poking around in various articles etc, I could be wrong).  Google doesn't necessary have a non-tarnished track record at this point (not saying they can't do it, but they're in "let's me verify this crap first" stage now) and stuff like the Rasberry Pi offers a way cooler geek project for about the same price.  

I agree with not being an early adopter on Google AV type stuff.  Isn't the advantage the Chromecast has over the Pi the fact that app developers now have the Chromecast API making pushing content to the TV easy and standard across apps??  As I get older I appreciate simplicity and ease of use more and more.

 

[Foulkey Reese]

And it's $35.
 
There is no reason for anybody who has an Android phone, tablet, laptop not to get one of these.

 

[AlNipper49]

Why?

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Because it's $35 and fits in your pocket.
 
Even if I use it twice I will consider that well worth the small investment. 
 
Edit: I mean it's the price of a pizza and a 6 pack. Why not?

 

[Seven Costanza]

Mine should arrive today.  I got in on the Netflix thing, so my total expenditure will be 11 dollars.
 
I bought an umbrella yesterday for 29 dollars. 

 

[AlNipper49]

Because it's $35 and fits in your pocket.
 
Even if I use it twice I will consider that well worth the small investment. 
 
Edit: I mean it's the price of a pizza and a 6 pack. Why not?

 
Because for about the same price you can get a device that does a shitload more in a much more mature package (i.e. the Revo).  Plus the Revo doesn't require basically anything, so if your wife wants to stream Netflix, she just turns on the TV and changes an input.
 
I mean it's not like it's a horrible decision, it comes down to preference and I agree in terms of gadgets it's negligible cost, but I just don't see it as the "home run must buy"

 

[TFP]

How easily will this work if I don't have a google device but my default browser is Chrome? I have a MacBook Air, an iPhone 5 and an iPad 3. I use Chrome exclusively on the Macbook and the iPad, and occasionally on the iPhone. I imagine it would work pretty seamlessly in that instance? Or am I overshooting it here?
 
FWIW, on our big TV we have AppleTV (I didn't pay for it) but it's really annoying that it can't play local files or Amazon Prime. Would this solve that or not at all?
 
I'm honestly tempted to buy this just for when I'm traveling.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

How easily will this work if I don't have a google device but my default browser is Chrome? I have a MacBook Air, an iPhone 5 and an iPad 3. I use Chrome exclusively on the Macbook and the iPad, and occasionally on the iPhone. I imagine it would work pretty seamlessly in that instance? Or am I overshooting it here?
 
FWIW, on our big TV we have AppleTV (I didn't pay for it) but it's really annoying that it can't play local files or Amazon Prime. Would this solve that or not at all?
 
I'm honestly tempted to buy this just for when I'm traveling.

 
You can get local files on a computer to your Apple TV if you import them into your iTunes library and turn on Home Sharing, if that's not something you've already tried. You need to rip/transcode them into compatible formats if they're not already .mkv, but that's simple enough with Handbrake or something similar.

 

[AlNipper49]

It's a complete pain in the ass, I tried that for awhile before I said fuck it and went to XBMC

 

[TFP]

You can get local files on a computer to your Apple TV if you import them into your iTunes library and turn on Home Sharing, if that's not something you've already tried. You need to rip/transcode them into compatible formats if they're not already .mkv, but that's simple enough with Handbrake or something similar.

A) The files aren't on my computer but on my hard drive connected to a crap laptop (which is connected to our wifi).
B) No way in hell I want to import them into iTunes
C) Converting them via handbrake takes forever in past experience and leaves me with two copies of the file (I thought .mkv wouldn't import into iTunes?)
 
Are any of these assumptions/conclusions incorrect?

 

[TFP]

It's a complete pain in the ass, I tried that for awhile before I said fuck it and went to XBMC

I've played around with using Plex a lot, and I love the format/UI, but ran into a lot of issues trying to sync offline files to my iPad or play through another device.

 

[AlNipper49]

That's exactly my experience, down to the shitty laptop. I ended up putting XBMC on top of my old ATV v1 but I just didn't have enough juice. I bought a Boxee box which has served me well. With the number of streaming services out there it's getting less and less concerning to own the media files ( exceptions do apply of course)

Three years ago 90% of our out TV was watched via local streams, now it's probably 90% on Netflix/Amazon mixed with the ever-improving DVR and massive increase in storage space available to retain that crap.

 

[AlNipper49]

I've played around with using Plex a lot, and I love the format/UI, but ran into a lot of issues trying to sync offline files to my iPad or play through another device.


Yeah I had similar issues with Plex, if I remember correctly it also hammered the shit out of my laptop with on-the-fly conversions.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

That's exactly my experience, down to the shitty laptop. I ended up putting XBMC on top of my old ATV v1 but I just didn't have enough juice. I bought a Boxee box which has served me well. With the number of streaming services out there it's getting less and less concerning to own the media files ( exceptions do apply of course)

Three years ago 90% of our out TV was watched via local streams, now it's probably 90% on Netflix/Amazon mixed with the ever-improving DVR and massive increase in storage space available to retain that crap.

 
Yup, it really is all about streaming now, which makes life easier. If I had to use Handbrake/desktop iTunes for *everything*, I would go nuts, but it's fine for the occasional torrented season catch-up kinda thing. I used to use some program which would fool my Xbox into thinking my Mac was a Windows Media Center PC, which worked alright and removed the need for Handbrake from the equation, although it meant using a noisy Xbox rather than a quieter, nicer streaming only box.

 

[jayhoz]

My boxee has taken every file I have thrown at it.  No conversions, no buffering, just clear HD.

 

[Jimy Hendrix]

A) The files aren't on my computer but on my hard drive connected to a crap laptop (which is connected to our wifi).
B) No way in hell I want to import them into iTunes
C) Converting them via handbrake takes forever in past experience and leaves me with two copies of the file (I thought .mkv wouldn't import into iTunes?)
 
Are any of these assumptions/conclusions incorrect?

 
I think you're right on all counts there (and I think my fingers typed mkv where my brain meant mp4 or whatever the actual iTunes compatible format is). Only thing I might disagree on is Handbrake not being too bad, but that really depends on your machine, video-encoding hammers the CPU pretty hard. With those constraints though, Home Sharing is probably not the solution for you, it was the only non-hacking thing I could think of for local files with just an Apple TV though.
 
Looks like Chromecast might not be your solution either though, from what I'm reading about how it handles local files (http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/25/4556978/can-chromecast-succeed-where-google-tv-failed).
 
If you're dealing with local files enough that the iTunes type solutions are too much of a pain in the ass, then something like a Boxee box or XBMC is probably the way to go.

 

[SumnerH]

I think you're right on all counts there (and I think my fingers typed mkv where my brain meant mp4 or whatever the actual iTunes compatible format is). Only thing I might disagree on is Handbrake not being too bad, but that really depends on your machine, video-encoding hammers the CPU pretty hard. With those constraints though, Home Sharing is probably not the solution for you, it was the only non-hacking thing I could think of for local files with just an Apple TV though.
 
Looks like Chromecast might not be your solution either though, from what I'm reading about how it handles local files (http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/25/4556978/can-chromecast-succeed-where-google-tv-failed).
 
If you're dealing with local files enough that the iTunes type solutions are too much of a pain in the ass, then something like a Boxee box or XBMC is probably the way to go.

WDTV Live also deals with local files well (as well as all kinds of streaming stuff, including netflix/youtube/hulu/mlb/etc).

 

[FL4WL3SS]

Because for about the same price you can get a device that does a shitload more in a much more mature package (i.e. the Revo).  Plus the Revo doesn't require basically anything, so if your wife wants to stream Netflix, she just turns on the TV and changes an input.
 
I mean it's not like it's a horrible decision, it comes down to preference and I agree in terms of gadgets it's negligible cost, but I just don't see it as the "home run must buy"

I think for non-technical people it is sort of a home run, though. For others like you and I we think "I can think of 10 other ways to do the same thing and I don't have to spend $35, I think I'll go get pizza and a 6 pack".

 

[SumnerH]

I think for non-technical people it is sort of a home run, though.

It makes sense if you're going to use it a lot, but if it's Foulkey's "just use it twice" crowd then it's not worth the cost just to avoid having a cable (which is also simpler for the non-technical folks).

 

[Foulkey Reese]

Yea I guess the idea of going to a hotel or my inlaws with my phone and something the size of a flash drive and being able to watch Netflix in HD is worth way, way more than $35 to me.
 
I guess I'm their target customer.

 

[Corsi]

Yea I guess the idea of going to a hotel or my inlaws with my phone and something the size of a flash drive and being able to watch Netflix in HD is worth way, way more than $35 to me.
 
I guess I'm their target customer.

 
I'm with ya.  I actually take my Roku with me when I travel.  It's not the largest piece of hardware in the world, but the Roku, HDMI cord, and remote does take up some space.  For $11 net, I'm all about this product.  
 
If it catches on with developers, I think it can take off.

 

[InsideTheParker]

It makes sense if you're going to use it a lot, but if it's Foulkey's "just use it twice" crowd then it's not worth the cost just to avoid having a cable (which is also simpler for the non-technical folks).

Well, if it turns out that you can send mlb.tv from your Chrome browser to your telly, that's worth having even at home. I have moved my laptop to the tv, wrangled the hdmi cord into the back of the telly, and it's unsightly.  It also seems that you can look at your own videos and photos on your TV screen (http://www.droid-life.com/2013/07/25/tip-you-can-play-local-video-files-through-chromecast/) Also, it seems as though for travel it can't be beat. I just got back from a trip. It was only as far as VT, and they had NESN. But if I were somewhere further afield and I'd had this gadget, I'd have tried the mlb via browser route. Of course that's not as handy as the at-bat app, which I have on my phone, but if it works. . .Someone up thread said they were going to try the browser extension with mlb.tv. Did that happen?
 
Edit: I realized that I don't have the Chrome browser on my android phone. I suppose one can download it?

 

[Corsi]

Someone up thread said they were going to try the browser extension with mlb.tv. Did that happen?

 
That was me.  I'll have the Chromecast tonight and I'll check it out and report back.

 

[SumnerH]

It makes sense if you're going to use it a lot, but if it's Foulkey's "just use it twice" crowd then it's not worth the cost just to avoid having a cable (which is also simpler for the non-technical folks).

And actually "avoid having a cable" isn't true; you need to run a cable to a USB port (or wall outlet) somehow. With my setup, that's much more of a PITA than just plugging the HDMI from my phone to the TV is. If you happen to have a smart TV you probably have USB ports to plug into--but if you have a smart TV, there are a lot fewer reasons to need this.

The more I look at this, the less appealing it is.

 

[Rasputin]

Might be time to step away from the computer for a few minutes (hours?)

 
I meant travel. 

 

[Corsi]

And actually "avoid having a cable" isn't true; you need to run a cable to a USB port (or wall outlet) somehow. With my setup, that's much more of a PITA than just plugging the HDMI from my phone to the TV is. If you happen to have a smart TV you probably have USB ports to plug into--but if you have a smart TV, there are a lot fewer reasons to need this.

The more I look at this, the less appealing it is.

 
Most HDMI ports have enough available power to run the dongle without the need for a USB or wall outlet. Also, your televisions USB outlet is literally right next to the HDMI, so the cords are hidden behind the television.
 
Anyway, I can confirm that MLB.tv works with this.  I've been casting the game to my television without issue.

 

[Fishercat]

I hooked mine up too. The iOs implementation needs to actually happen (I can run it from the iPad apps but not from Chrome's browser on the iPad, and I needed a laptop for initial set-up) but it's pretty sweet right now.

 

[SumnerH]

Most HDMI ports have enough available power to run the dongle without the need for a USB or wall outlet. Also, your televisions USB outlet is literally right next to the HDMI, so the cords are hidden behind the television.
 
Anyway, I can confirm that MLB.tv works with this.  I've been casting the game to my television without issue.

As I said, if your tv has a usb port then you don't need this for a lot of things (tvs with usb are also mostly smart tvs). I was under the impression that unlike the Roku stick the chrome device can't power itself from the hdmi port; that's what all the reviews are saying, but if they're wrong that changes things some.

Mlb.tv also works fine with my phone's hdmi port.

 

[Curll]

Because for about the same price you can get a device that does a shitload more in a much more mature package (i.e. the Revo).  Plus the Revo doesn't require basically anything, so if your wife wants to stream Netflix, she just turns on the TV and changes an input.
 
I mean it's not like it's a horrible decision, it comes down to preference and I agree in terms of gadgets it's negligible cost, but I just don't see it as the "home run must buy"

Uhhh, the Revo is about $400...

 

[AlNipper49]

Oops Revo on the mind (it's a great HTPC box). Meant Roku

 

[SumnerH]

As I said, if your tv has a usb port then you don't need this for a lot of things (tvs with usb are also mostly smart tvs). I was under the impression that unlike the Roku stick the chrome device can't power itself from the hdmi port; that's what all the reviews are saying, but if they're wrong that changes things some.

Mlb.tv also works fine with my phone's hdmi port.

 
This is apparently incorrect, despite some reviews to the contrary; it will use an MHL-powered HDMI source and only needs the USB plugin if you have an older HDMI port.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

As someone with iOS/Mac and a roku and and Apple TV on my two TVs (and xbox live on one as well), would this be worth it?

 

[SumnerH]

As someone with iOS/Mac and a roku and and Apple TV on my two TVs (and xbox live on one as well), would this be worth it?


Only if you're planning on traveling with it. It's inferior to a well configured roku as an in-place device, but on the move it might be a great choice depending on your needs.

 

[RingoOSU]

And it's $35.
 
There is no reason for anybody who has an Android phone, tablet, laptop not to get one of these.

My reason is my apartment is small enough that my PC is within 6 feet of the television.

 

[mt8thsw9th]

Only if you're planning on traveling with it. It's inferior to a well configured roku as an in-place device, but on the move it might be a great choice depending on your needs.

 
Alright, though given the price, I may get one sooner or later just to play around with it. Seems like it's still in "hobby" territory at this point, but intriguing nonetheless.

 

[saintnick912]

I have a TV that I really only use once a year for the Super Bowl as a second set with HD antenna, and otherwise only via an HDMi cable from my Nexus 10.  Previously used DVD player on it but who uses DVDs anymore.  So I figured for such a low price this would save me having to trip over a cable from the tablet to the TV, and well worth it.  Anything with its own UI and its own remote and needing any sort of config at all is a non-starter given that I use it very infrequently and I don't have time to set shit like this up anymore.

 

[Time to Mo Vaughn]

Heading on a work trip tomorrow and was wicked psyched to bring my Chromecast, then I found this page:
 
http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/07/31/sorry-travelers-chromecast-wont-be-supporting-public-wi-fi-networks-any-time-soon/
 
This would really suck. Certainly seems like a big potential issue with the Chromecast.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

I believe a lot of hotels have HDMI inputs disabled on their TV's as well. I've run into it a couple times when traveling.

 

[Curll]

So, should I just get a Roku 3? Or just keep using my HDMI cable?

 

[ScubaSteveAvery]

Just got mine in the mail today and love it. Setup is super easy and it streams HBO Go from the browser seamlessly. As a casual user, it's perfect for me at the price point.

 

[bschase2]

Just arrived today, and my video streaming from the laptop is very choppy. Basically not usable.  Any advice on how to change that?

 

[Nite Vizhun UV]

I got mine at the beginning of the week and love it. I've streamed netflix, youtube, and porn from open chrome tabs. video quality is surprisingly good, but not perfect. I think I prefer using my phone for netflix & youtube because it becomes a pretty sweet remote for the playback controls.
 
bschase, if I had to guess, I'd say you need a better wifi signal in your house. How far is the chromecast from your router? How old is your router? Do you get choppy video when watching on your laptop? If yes you may need to upgrade that area.

 

[bschase2]

I have the airport extreme, and no problem steaming anywhere else.  I have a roku in the same room, apple tv elsewhere... no issues except here.  HBO Go is not happy, nor is the streaming from a tab.

 

[bschase2]

OK.  So, it seems the power of the computer makes a big difference.  I have a macbook air (late 2010 make) that is my laptop, and I use it in the bedroom, where the chromecast is.  When I streamed from there, it was not good.  I tried streaming for the iMac downstairs (only a few feet away, just separated from the TV by a few feet, and a concrete floor) and it works fine.  (The iMac is older still, but seems to be fine. I am using Mountain Lion.)
 
Now, this means I am using chrome remote desktop to control the downstairs iMac from the upstairs MacAir.  A bit of a work around, but it makes it work. 

 

[The_Powa_of_Seiji_Ozawa]

OK.  So, it seems the power of the computer makes a big difference.  I have a macbook air (late 2010 make) that is my laptop, and I use it in the bedroom, where the chromecast is.  When I streamed from there, it was not good.  I tried streaming for the iMac downstairs (only a few feet away, just separated from the TV by a few feet, and a concrete floor) and it works fine.  (The iMac is older still, but seems to be fine. I am using Mountain Lion.)
 
Now, this means I am using chrome remote desktop to control the downstairs iMac from the upstairs MacAir.  A bit of a work around, but it makes it work. 

 
Yeah, I guess I'm not surprised. The 2010 Macbook Air is way underpowered, especially on graphics, if you are going to mirror from Chrome.

 

[CaptainLaddie]

Really impressed with it.  Currently watching the Sox on MLB.tv on my MBP on my 47" as I surf the web in Firefox.  I've found that using the PS3 app can be 2-3 minutes behind which is a bummer.

 

[PortlandSoxFan]

finally hooked it up and configured it, and enjoyed playing with it for a few minutes...until my 12 year old daughter figured out how easy it was to chromecast from her Android phone.  I've now seen One Direction's "Best Song Ever" video 7 times.

 

[Corsi]

Left it in the freaking hotel!

 

[Jinhocho]

Liking mine so far - never imagined youtube videos could ook so good on a big screen.  Appears amazon content is blocked though