Google Chromecast

Started by DCurry, December 03, 2013, 09:31:00 AM

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DCurry

December 03, 2013, 09:31:00 AM
I picked up one of these little $35 Google Chromecast doohickies yesterday so my wife could give it to me for Christmas. Looks pretty cool as an easy way to stream content to a TV without requiring a box like Roku or Apple TV. I mainly got it so I can watch older seasons of series like "Game of Thrones" (already watched it once as it aired, but now I'm reading the books [halfway through the 5th one now] and want to see it all again) and "Eastbound and Down" on HBO Go.

Downside is you need OS X 10.7 (my iMac runs 10.6.8) to get it going from a Mac, but it also works from a smartphone so I'll just use the wife's (just got it for her last week - up until then we both had 2008 flip-style phones. I still do, but hers died.)

Looking forward to trying it out, but won't get it for another 3 weeks!
Prinect • Signa Station • XMPie

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a night. But set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life!

DigiCorn

#1
December 03, 2013, 10:11:30 AM
I bought two of these; one as a gift... but I haven't hooked it up yet. I have 4 hdmis on my tv and they are all in use (satellite, roku, bluray and dvd), but we are getting a new media stand, and when we do I am removing a few items I no longer use (read: VCR and DVD (since we have a bluray)). That will open up one hdmi port, and two plugs on my clean power system, so I can hook up this thing up, and maybe move my 360 out there too.

My aunt had one at Thanksgiving and I played with it using my phone. The sync was similar to a bluetooth/wifi sync, and the picture was incredible! Where the roku requires special file format, an app to interpret that data, etc., the Chromecast just requires you to open a webpage, and then click an icon and it just works.

I bought that VCR in 2003 as a backup for some tapes I still have (I lost all my hard copy photos from when I was in Japan, so all I have is a VHS), and I have used it a total of three times in 10+ years. Once to record a football game when my DVR was broken, once to play an old unmarked tape I found, and once to line in a camera for viewing, since the camera had RCA cables and the part of the tv where the component cables line in was inaccessible.
"There's been a lot of research recently on how hard it is to dislodge an impression once it's been implanted in someone's mind. (This is why political attack ads don't have to be true to be effective. The other side can point out their inaccuracies, but the voter's mind privileges the memory of the original accusation, which was juicier than any counterargument ever could be.)"
― Johnny Carson

"Selling my soul would be a lot easier if I could just find it."
– Nikki Sixx

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
― Ernest Hemingway

Joe

#2
December 03, 2013, 11:00:27 AM
I've been considering it. Amazon had them the other day for $29.99 and free shipping with Prime and I passed it up. I'm still not sold on the concept. You still have to have another device to launch the content in Chrome. And how do you control the video for pause, play, rewind, fast forward, stop, etc?
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

Grimace

#3
December 03, 2013, 11:13:42 AM
Quote from: DigiCorn on December 03, 2013, 10:11:30 AMI bought two of these; one as a gift... but I haven't hooked it up yet. I have 4 hdmis on my tv and they are all in use (satellite, roku, bluray and dvd), but we are getting a new media stand, and when we do I am removing a few items I no longer use (read: VCR and DVD (since we have a bluray)). That will open up one hdmi port, and two plugs on my clean power system, so I can hook up this thing up, and maybe move my 360 out there too.

My aunt had one at Thanksgiving and I played with it using my phone. The sync was similar to a bluetooth/wifi sync, and the picture was incredible! Where the roku requires special file format, an app to interpret that data, etc., the Chromecast just requires you to open a webpage, and then click an icon and it just works.

I bought that VCR in 2003 as a backup for some tapes I still have (I lost all my hard copy photos from when I was in Japan, so all I have is a VHS), and I have used it a total of three times in 10+ years. Once to record a football game when my DVR was broken, once to play an old unmarked tape I found, and once to line in a camera for viewing, since the camera had RCA cables and the part of the tv where the component cables line in was inaccessible.
Is the DVD really needed when you have a Bluray? I know it probably loads faster and all, but unless you have some vast library of DVD-Audio discs, I don't see the need for it.

OOPS! I didn't read your post very carefully... :embarrassed:

DCurry

#4
December 03, 2013, 11:19:35 AM
Quote from: Joe on December 03, 2013, 11:00:27 AMI've been considering it. Amazon had them the other day for $29.99 and free shipping with Prime and I passed it up. I'm still not sold on the concept. You still have to have another device to launch the content in Chrome. And how do you control the video for pause, play, rewind, fast forward, stop, etc?

Yeah, it was in my shopping cart at 29.99, then the next time I looked it was back up to 35. I wound up getting it at Best Buy only because I had an old gift card that still had ten bucks left on it and I rarely got to BB, so I wanted to unload it.

As far as I can tell, you do control it completely with the secondary device (laptop, tablet, or smartphone.)
Prinect • Signa Station • XMPie

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a night. But set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life!

DigiCorn

#5
December 03, 2013, 11:25:18 AM
Quote from: DCurry on December 03, 2013, 11:19:35 AM
Quote from: Joe on December 03, 2013, 11:00:27 AMhow do you control the video for pause, play, rewind, fast forward, stop, etc?
As far as I can tell, you do control it completely with the secondary device (laptop, tablet, or smartphone.)
100% accurate.

Joe, did you see now on the Directv smartphone app, you can turn your smartphone or tablet into a directv remote control, and also you can now watch (some) content when not at home?
"There's been a lot of research recently on how hard it is to dislodge an impression once it's been implanted in someone's mind. (This is why political attack ads don't have to be true to be effective. The other side can point out their inaccuracies, but the voter's mind privileges the memory of the original accusation, which was juicier than any counterargument ever could be.)"
― Johnny Carson

"Selling my soul would be a lot easier if I could just find it."
– Nikki Sixx

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
― Ernest Hemingway

Joe

#6
December 03, 2013, 11:49:41 AM
Quote from: DigiCorn on December 03, 2013, 11:25:18 AM
Quote from: DCurry on December 03, 2013, 11:19:35 AM
Quote from: Joe on December 03, 2013, 11:00:27 AMhow do you control the video for pause, play, rewind, fast forward, stop, etc?
As far as I can tell, you do control it completely with the secondary device (laptop, tablet, or smartphone.)
100% accurate.

Joe, did you see now on the Directv smartphone app, you can turn your smartphone or tablet into a directv remote control, and also you can now watch (some) content when not at home?

Yeah I can use my phone as a remote on DirecTV but it is still better to use a remote as a remote. XBMC also has an app to turn your phone into a remote for it. And it is still better to use an actual remote.

Here is a list of what you can watch on DTV either within your home network or stream from outside your home network.

What TV channels are available to watch live on my computer, tablet, or phone?

Not all that impressive actually. With XBMC I can download any TV Show I might want to watch and then I can watch it anywhere with internet access on any device using a PLEX client.
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

DigiCorn

#7
December 03, 2013, 12:02:31 PM
Essentially, all Chromecast is is a bluetooth/wifi adapter to mirror your screen as an extra monitor without any wires.
"There's been a lot of research recently on how hard it is to dislodge an impression once it's been implanted in someone's mind. (This is why political attack ads don't have to be true to be effective. The other side can point out their inaccuracies, but the voter's mind privileges the memory of the original accusation, which was juicier than any counterargument ever could be.)"
― Johnny Carson

"Selling my soul would be a lot easier if I could just find it."
– Nikki Sixx

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."
― Ernest Hemingway

Joe

#8
December 03, 2013, 12:20:05 PM
Quote from: DigiCorn on December 03, 2013, 12:02:31 PMEssentially, all Chromecast is is a bluetooth/wifi adapter to mirror your screen as an extra monitor without any wires.

Yes, and since I have a Windows 8.1 PC connected to the TV I can watch any content in any browser (plus XBMC, Plex, etc...) which is why I've resisted buying the Chromecast.
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

DCurry

#9
December 03, 2013, 12:31:07 PM
Quote from: DigiCorn on December 03, 2013, 12:02:31 PMEssentially, all Chromecast is is a bluetooth/wifi adapter to mirror your screen as an extra monitor without any wires.

That's all I need it to be at this point.
Prinect • Signa Station • XMPie

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a night. But set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life!

Joe

#10
December 03, 2013, 12:39:12 PM Last Edit: December 03, 2013, 12:41:08 PM by Joe
Wondering why on the Mac you have to have OS X 10.7? Is it because the needed version of Chrome won't run on 10.6.8?

Edit: It appears the latest version of Chrome will run on OS X 10.6.x:
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

Farabomb

#11
December 03, 2013, 12:50:38 PM
I'm on 10.6 and chrome 31.0.1650.57
Speed doesn't kill, rapidly becoming stationary is the problem

I'd rather have stories told than be telling stories of what I could have done.

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DCurry

#12
December 03, 2013, 03:34:09 PM
It's the Chromecast app that needs 10.7, no the the Chrome browser.
Prinect • Signa Station • XMPie

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a night. But set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life!

Joe

#13
December 03, 2013, 03:47:46 PM
Oh, I didn't realize there was a Chromecast app necessary.
Mac OS Sonoma 14.2.1 (c) | (retired)

The seven ages of man: spills, drills, thrills, bills, ills, pills and wills.

DCurry

#14
December 26, 2013, 12:02:46 PM
So, Christmas morning I plugged the Chromecast into my TV, went over to my iMac to set it up (knowing full well that 10.6.8 is not supported, I tried it anyway.) Chrome gave me message that my OS was not supported, but it let me try anyway and much to my enjoyment it worked fine!

Used it to stream some YouTube videos for my daughter, and also watched some HBO through it and it worked great. Very glad I got it.

It was super easy to set up and use - took less than 5 minutes.
Prinect • Signa Station • XMPie

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a night. But set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life!
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