Chromecast - Google's HDMI Streamer-majiggy

**Kaisha** · 2013-07-27 11:42

Originally Posted by Jamison

Any Chrome tab can be cast and so far that works well. There's an experimental feature for entire PC sharing, but it's not available for everyone yet. Phones/tables don't yet have screen sharing (just media streaming).

I don't use Chrome, so no go for me.

Any word if the Chromecast has to 'call home' to verify it's getting stuff streamed from an authorized source? If not, I'm expecting some programmer to write their own PC client to stream video/audio to the device freely from your PC, at which point I'll be all over this.

**Jamison** · 2013-07-27 14:56

I saw some references that Google has to approve apps before they work on Chromecast, although the API for sender and receiver devices are available (but not public, it sounds like?). On the other hand, one group already has unsigned code running on the thing, so we'll see how that all pans out.

Edit:

Here's one of the better explanations of how it does what it does:

http://www.androidauthority.com/html...mecast-248968/

**Pikarya** · 2013-07-27 15:14

I'm probably alone when I say this. But I don't see the true value that sets this item apart due to how many limitations it has, even @ $35.00 dollars.

Similar technology/designs have been on sale for years now. Some of the generic Chinese-produced dongles actually have more features than the Chromecast, at almost the same price.

Is this a guinea pig to see if the market bites just because it has the Google name stamped on it?

**Gryffes** · 2013-07-27 15:53

Originally Posted by Pikarya

I'm probably alone when I say this. But I don't see the true value that sets this item apart due to how many limitations it has, even @ $35.00 dollars.

Similar technology/designs have been on sale for years now. Some of the generic Chinese-produced dongles actually have more features than the Chromecast, at almost the same price.

Is this a guinea pig to see if the market bites just because it has the Google name stamped on it?

The public didn't buy into smartphones or tablets even though they'd been around for years before some marketing cunt stuck an apple logo on and sold it to them.

**Jamison** · 2013-07-27 16:05

Originally Posted by Pikarya

I'm probably alone when I say this. But I don't see the true value that sets this item apart due to how many limitations it has, even @ $35.00 dollars.

Similar technology/designs have been on sale for years now. Some of the generic Chinese-produced dongles actually have more features than the Chromecast, at almost the same price.

Is this a guinea pig to see if the market bites just because it has the Google name stamped on it?

I agree to a degree, but mine cost me a grand total of $11, not $35, as did anyone who ordered on day one and has Netflix. Rumor was they cut off the promotion after 250,000 were sold so that's no small thing right there. Since they've done a receiver API, it's a logical assumption they want to get a market for these things rolled out and then start having other companies produce their own hardware or integrate it in existing A/V equipment. Apparently some new LG TVs and Sony Blu-ray players already have it and it's been "live" (if unadvertised) for a couple of weeks now.

I'll admit, even at $35, I was buying the potential of what devs might do with it down the road more than what it can do right now. Also I now find almost no need to put together the HTPC I had intended to... that's some $350 in parts sitting in the back room I probably won't use. (I'll swap a couple of things into my main PC but I've got a lot of stuff I have zero use for now, ugh!).

Everyone has different needs, but the one thing that I truly love about this is when I want to show something to the family, its no longer a "gather around the computer screen" ordeal, it's "hey, watch the TV" ... and it's quite quick at doing that to boot.

**Outlaw** · 2013-07-27 16:05

I have a hard time believing it displays instantly on your tv like it does in the video. Also getting your device to connect to it is probably not as easy as it sounds. Still, pretty slick.

**octopus** · 2013-07-27 16:19

Originally Posted by Outlaw

I have a hard time believing it displays instantly on your tv like it does in the video. Also getting your device to connect to it is probably not as easy as it sounds. Still, pretty slick.

I don't see what's so hard to believe... AirPlay already does this. It's a good thing that a Google competitor to give us an alternative.

**Outlaw** · 2013-07-27 16:27

I just expect there to be some lag. I never have used something like this though. Don't have a smartphone or tablet.

**Jamison** · 2013-07-27 16:31

Originally Posted by Outlaw

I have a hard time believing it displays instantly on your tv like it does in the video. Also getting your device to connect to it is probably not as easy as it sounds. Still, pretty slick.

Casting a Chrome tab from PC takes a hair under one second. A YouTube or Netflix stream starts to buffer in 1-2 seconds, then starts playing a couple of seconds after that.. Starting a stream from a phone or tablet seemed to take about 5 seconds, plus buffering. Play/pause/volume controls from PC was all snappy (under a second); from a device was longer (about 3 seconds).

*Snappy for these kinds of things. Obviously this isn't for gaming.

Setup is admittedly a little wonky. The Chromecast actually starts its own ad-hock wireless network. You take a wireless device of your own (again phone, tablet or laptop), disconnect it from your home wifi, and connect it directly to the Chromecast. Then you put in your access point info.

Once the setup is done though, and everything is on the same network, it all really does "just work".

**Necronus** · 2013-07-27 18:03

So I've recently begun looking into streaming stuff to my TV and of course this caught my attention ... but still doesn't seem to be what I'm looking for. This may be kind of a tangent, but is there a GOOD piece of software or hardware that will simply stream the video output being sent to your monitor and send it to a TV or device hooked to the TV? I mean, I'm really not getting why devices seem to only want to stream video or specific apps when ... at least to me ... it seems like it'd be just as easy to send the final monitor output across the network. Basically your desktop would be the video .. right ? (Assuming you kept it to 1080p resolution)

**octopus** · 2013-07-27 18:59

Originally Posted by Jamison

A lot of folks, including myself, misunderstood this to be completely powered from the HDMI. Fortunately my TV has a USB jack right beside that can power it just fine.

Just read that if your TV supports HDMI 1.4, USB power is not required.

**Ratatapa** · 2013-07-27 19:11

Originally Posted by Necronus

So I've recently begun looking into streaming stuff to my TV and of course this caught my attention ... but still doesn't seem to be what I'm looking for. This may be kind of a tangent, but is there a GOOD piece of software or hardware that will simply stream the video output being sent to your monitor and send it to a TV or device hooked to the TV? I mean, I'm really not getting why devices seem to only want to stream video or specific apps when ... at least to me ... it seems like it'd be just as easy to send the final monitor output across the network. Basically your desktop would be the video .. right ? (Assuming you kept it to 1080p resolution)

Easiest way like people said

Plug hdmi from your pc or laptop to your tv screen

**Totien** · 2013-07-29 09:08

Interesting article on hacking the ChromeCast here.

Soon as my paycheck comes in, I'm gonna be ordering me one of these.

@Jamison: I may be misunderstand what you said about setting it up. If you have to disconnect your wifi and create an adhoc connection, how do you stream from an internet connection?

Also, I know there is a VLC plug in for chrome, but I don't know how to tell stored files to play in a chrome tab rather than the media player itself. That would make this pretty handy.

**octopus** · 2013-07-29 09:20

http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/29/45...omecast-review

In the article it says:

You can also drag files from your desktop into Chrome and they'll play as well, as long as Chrome supports them natively. (Video in .mp4 format and .mp3 audio files work great.)

Google says the tab casting feature is in beta, and it shows. Even at the highest quality video playback isn't perfectly smooth, and there are some glitches here and there. You'll also need a decently powerful machine: performance on my older Samsung Series 5 Chromebook was so terrible it was unusable, and I occasionally got performance warnings on my Core i7 MacBook Pro as well.

I can't wait until xbmc has a "send to chromecast" option...

**Ratatapa** · 2013-07-29 10:41

Well my Chrome can read .mkv so this might help my parents things

So here some stuf

1) I need USB to power on the Chromecast? If yes does a TV USB port (for service) will work?
2) Will i be able to connect the chromecast to my local WIFI network? (If yes does it support 5GHZ or just 2.4)

**Lucki** · 2013-07-29 10:48

Originally Posted by Ratatapa

Well my Chrome can read .mkv so this might help my parents things

So here some stuf

1) I need USB to power on the Chromecast? If yes does a TV USB port (for service) will work?
2) Will i be able to connect the chromecast to my local WIFI network? (If yes does it support 5GHZ or just 2.4)

Yes
Yes - I think it's only 2.4 (edit - "Wi-Fi use requires 802.11 b/g/n access point (router).*"

* - https://play.google.com/store/device...?id=chromecast

**Ratatapa** · 2013-07-29 10:50

Good gonna talk about it with my dad then

**octopus** · 2013-07-29 12:04

As for #1, you may also want to check if the USB port on your TV will continue providing power after the TV is turned off. Not really a big deal unless you want the chromecast dongle to be able to turn on your TV...

**SephYuyX** · 2013-07-29 12:11

It comes with an AC adaptor too.

**Jamison** · 2013-07-29 14:04

Originally Posted by Totien

@Jamison: I may be misunderstand what you said about setting it up. If you have to disconnect your wifi and create an adhoc connection, how do you stream from an internet connection?

This is just to do the initial setup. While doing this you put in your router info, then it automatically switches over to your wifi network.

Originally Posted by Ratatapa

1) I need USB to power on the Chromecast? If yes does a TV USB port (for service) will work?
2) Will i be able to connect the chromecast to my local WIFI network? (If yes does it support 5GHZ or just 2.4)

1 - The service port, offically, does not work, but I have read at least one person post online that theirs does. Otherwise you can go straight to a wall plug with it

2 - It's only 2.4, although I don't think I've seen any complaints that it can't be controlled from a 5ghz device. Sometimes it takes a router setting to be sure they are all seen as part of the same network.

Originally Posted by SephYuyX

It comes with an AC adaptor too.

And that's the reason this is the "recommended" setup. With CEC, assuming it is powered all the time, it can turn your TV on when you start a cast which can be useful.

-----------------------

This thing has already been rooted. There's a rudimentary receiver program being written in Python. Several podcasting apps are looking into support. Plex is working on support. I think we've got even better things to come down the road and I'm pretty excited. I spent the afternoon with Twitch streaming Summer Games Done Quick while I did work around the apartment. Pure. Awesome.

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