Google's Chromecast

[ajnl]

There are a couple topics on the forums about the chromecast, but I haven't seen any of people on this site actually having/using one.

 

I put one on my Christmas list and my brother-in-law ended up getting it for me for Christmas.

 

Chromecast basically does what the apple tv does. It streams Netflix, hulu, youtube, and some other services to your tv. There are some differences though. At the moment there aren't a lot of apps that are supported, because it is pretty new and some of the software is in beta. Google is bring out updates regularly though, adding apps or other abilities.

The major difference between the chromecast and the apple tv (or other devices like the apple tv) is that the apple tv is stand alone. You do not need a computer or an iphone/ipad/ipod to use the apple tv. With the chromecast it is different, everything is run off of your andoird/apple phone/tablet/computer. So if you want to watch a youtube video, you open the app the your phone, find the video, and then click on the Cast button. The chromecast then pulls up youtube and shows the video.

 

Here are the current apps supported by google chromecast: Link

 

The current thing in beta is the ability to cast you're chrome browser screen to the tv.

 

I think you can only buy the chromecast in the USA and it is only supported in the USA. I live in the Netherlands though, so I have a VPN running on my router which makes it look like the chromecast in the USA. So far netflix, hulu, google music, pandora, and youtube all have worked pretty much flawlessly.

 

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Today was a google example of why I love the chromecast. I watching a video on my computer in my room, but I thought it was an interesting video for my father to see too. I paused the video, grabbed my phone and went down stairs. Because I use the google chrome browser, I was able to easily pull up the youtube video that was on my computer and play the video on the tv where my dad was. Also, if your tv is off and you send a video to your chromecast, it will turn the tv on and put it in the correct source to watch from the chromecast.

[Dare2BeFair / Captain.]

OK now I want to get one! Can u use amazon instant video with it? Also, will it still wake up the TV if its pluged in thru a HDMI to VGA cable?

[Latino555]

OK now I want to get one! Can u use amazon instant video with it? Also, will it still wake up the TV if its pluged in thru a HDMI to VGA cable?

Well, I'm pretty sure you wont have sound.

[ajnl]

OK now I want to get one! Can u use amazon instant video with it? Also, will it still wake up the TV if its pluged in thru a HDMI to VGA cable?

I don't know if it would wake up the tv if you plugged it thru VGA.

 

plus (like Latino said), you probably won't have sound.

 

And no, it doesn't look like it supports amazon instant video yet*

[LaGg3r]

it sucked my tv has everything it has plus it did not work in Estonia -.- just crashed my tv

[Dare2BeFair / Captain.]

Ok I don't want to get one any more lol

[JoeDirt]

I have a few somewhere in the office. Some eager Google guy thought that my kids would like them.

[ajnl]

it sucked my tv has everything it has plus it did not work in Estonia -.- just crashed my tv

it'll only work if you have VPN

[LaGg3r]

it'll only work if you have VPN

i did have but still id wouldve crashed our internet and tv