Google Chromecast

[jintoku]

If you had a choice between getting a 50 inch HDTV with Google TV built in, or getting a 55 inch HDTV without Google TV but for the same price and with the same IQ as the 50 inch TV, would you get the 50 incher or the 55 incher together with a Chromecast? I.e., any advantages of Google TV that would make you want the smaller TV?

 

[drbrock]

55 all day

 

[gorcorps]

If you had a choice between getting a 50 inch HDTV with Google TV built in, or getting a 55 inch HDTV without Google TV but for the same price and with the same IQ as the 50 inch TV, would you get the 50 incher or the 55 incher together with a Chromecast? I.e., any advantages of Google TV that would make you want the smaller TV?

At this point I would never want a smaller TV

 

[Silenus]

If you had a choice between getting a 50 inch HDTV with Google TV built in, or getting a 55 inch HDTV without Google TV but for the same price and with the same IQ as the 50 inch TV, would you get the 50 incher or the 55 incher together with a Chromecast? I.e., any advantages of Google TV that would make you want the smaller TV?

55 all the way. Add your own Google TV if you want it. Better chance it won't be an under powered sluggish mess that way too.

 

[trmiv]

Rule of thumb: "Unless the bigger one won't fit through the door, never pick a smaller tv. And even then, consider modifying the door."

 

[jintoku]

Rule of thumb: "Unless the bigger one won't fit through the door, never pick a smaller tv. And even then, consider modifying the door."

LOL, very good.

55 all the way. Add your own Google TV if you want it. Better chance it won't be an under powered sluggish mess that way too.

Do you think there's still a point to getting a Google TV device though, now that Chromecast exists and the ecosystem is growing?

 

[jintoku]

Speaking of "the bigger the better", how about using an HD projector such as the Epson 8350 with Chromecast? Would that work?

 

[RossMAN]

Too lazy to search Google, does this stream RedBox Instant and HBOGo?

 

[Ravynmagi]

If you had a choice between getting a 50 inch HDTV with Google TV built in, or getting a 55 inch HDTV without Google TV but for the same price and with the same IQ as the 50 inch TV, would you get the 50 incher or the 55 incher together with a Chromecast? I.e., any advantages of Google TV that would make you want the smaller TV?

I'd prefer the larger TV without smart features. Because it's nice having a Roku or Chromecast separate. You'll probably stick with the same TV for a few years. So you don't want to be stuck with the same slow SoC in the smart TV and the same software that probably won't get updated after a while.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Too lazy to search Google, does this stream RedBox Instant and HBOGo?

The Chromecast? Not right now. I think I heard HBOGo is coming. And more apps are on the way.

 

[Ravynmagi]

Speaking of "the bigger the better", how about using an HD projector such as the Epson 8350 with Chromecast? Would that work?

I see no reason it wouldn't work. I assume that full HD projector would obviously have HDMI ports and that is all you need (and some power).

 

[jintoku]

I'd prefer the larger TV without smart features. Because it's nice having a Roku or Chromecast separate. You'll probably stick with the same TV for a few years. So you don't want to be stuck with the same slow SoC in the smart TV and the same software that probably won't get updated after a while.

I just want to clarify something: I don't have cable so am using this exclusively for Netflix and YouTube streaming and plan to use it for other services in the future (however no cable TV). Now here's something I don't understand: don't I *need* smart TV features to be able to use the Chromecast effectively? I thought the way it worked is that it only controlled the TV by telling it how to stream online content, but via its own ethernet connection?

I see no reason it wouldn't work. I assume that full HD projector would obviously have HDMI ports and that is all you need (and some power).

Again, my only concern with this would be that most projectors don't have an ethernet port, so all content would have to be streamed straight to the Chromecast device from the laptop/smartphone/tablet. That would also deplete battery life on the laptop/smartphone/tablet, wouldn't it?

 

[RossMAN]

The Chromecast? Not right now. I think I heard HBOGo is coming. And more apps are on the way.

Yep and thanks, I might stick with Roku for now.

 

[Red Storm]

I just want to clarify something: I don't have cable so am using this exclusively for Netflix and YouTube streaming and plan to use it for other services in the future (however no cable TV). Now here's something I don't understand: don't I *need* smart TV features to be able to use the Chromecast effectively? I thought the way it worked is that it only controlled the TV by telling it how to stream online content, but via its own ethernet connection?



Again, my only concern with this would be that most projectors don't have an ethernet port, so all content would have to be streamed straight to the Chromecast device from the laptop/smartphone/tablet. That would also deplete battery life on the laptop/smartphone/tablet, wouldn't it?

It's done over wifi, not ethernet.

Your mobile device does not stream anything. It simply tells the Chromecast device where to go grab content and then play it. The Chromecast itself does all the work, once you press cast you could turn off your mobile device if you wanted to.

 

[Silenus]

Do you think there's still a point to getting a Google TV device though, now that Chromecast exists and the ecosystem is growing?

Well...yes, but perhaps not right now. Consider that Google has already said Google TV is not going away, and Chromecast is not supposed to replace it. That and they said that they should be adding chromecast support should come TO Google TV (hopefully existing ones as well). But we may not see all that happen right now. I'm curious to see what Google TV looks like at it's next release next year.

Consider this: Chromecast is the gateway drug to a real and full featured Google TV product to be released later. Get people hooked on the cheap Chromecast, simple streaming, and starting to buy into Google Play ecosystem. Then, later release a full Google TV product later that has all that functionality plus more, apps, ect. Makes sense to me.

I just want to clarify something: I don't have cable so am using this exclusively for Netflix and YouTube streaming and plan to use it for other services in the future (however no cable TV). Now here's something I don't understand: don't I *need* smart TV features to be able to use the Chromecast effectively? I thought the way it worked is that it only controlled the TV by telling it how to stream online content, but via its own ethernet connection?
...
Again, my only concern with this would be that most projectors don't have an ethernet port, so all content would have to be streamed straight to the Chromecast device from the laptop/smartphone/tablet. That would also deplete battery life on the laptop/smartphone/tablet, wouldn't it?

No you don't need a smart TV. The Chromecast is it's own device that runs it's own small OS and has WiFi. It doesn't tell the >TV< what to stream, it's pulls the stream itself and just output to the TV over HDMI. The TV is just a display for Chromecast.

As for the projector, again, the projector itself doesn't stream. The Chromecast streams and just outputs video signal to your projector. BTW...i recently tested my Chromecast with ceiling mount projector that has a 75' HDMI cable which runs back to a wall plate. Plugged my Chromecast into the wall plate HDMI jack, set it up on Wifi in about 1 minute, and was shortly streaming an episode of Planet Earth from Google Play movies. Worked quite nicely.

As for your laptop, it will depend on exactly what your doing. If you are casting a chrome tab, then yes the laptop will need to stay on and powered and will be useing CPU power to encode a video stream and sending the video to the Chrome cast. Same for playing a local video through a Chrome tab. But if you were to send a YouTube video by using the chromecast button on the YouTube site it should work like it would on a phone/tablet in that it simply send the link to Chromecast and then it pulls the stream itself. In that case you send the stream to Chromecast then put the laptop to sleep and it would keep running (just like you can on a phone).

 

[jintoku]

Thanks for the thoughts. The bit I still don't understand is what the point is of having a Google TV once one has a Chromecast. In other words, Google is talking about a compatibility update to make Chromecast work on a Google TV, but doesn't that just render the Google TV redundant?

 

[SAWYER]

Im sure they will kill it but probably have deals in places that is preventing it right now

 

[jintoku]

Im sure they will kill it but probably have deals in places that is preventing it right now

I guess Google TVs have more processing power so maybe this can make some streaming applications smoother than Chromecast?

 

[Red Storm]

Thanks for the thoughts. The bit I still don't understand is what the point is of having a Google TV once one has a Chromecast. In other words, Google is talking about a compatibility update to make Chromecast work on a Google TV, but doesn't that just render the Google TV redundant?

Look, you don't need Google TV with Chromecast. Simple as that.

 

[antef]

Look, you don't need Google TV with Chromecast. Simple as that.

Not really that simple, depends on what you're looking for. Google has said new Google TV hardware and a Jelly Bean update are coming, whether that actually materializes remains to be seen. But GTV will get you a few things over the Chromecast today, like a wired connection, Chrome browser, OnLive, Amazon Instant Video support, and just the basic fact that you have a remote and on-screen UI and you may prefer that to doing everything on your phone/tablet. I think Chromecast will work for a lot of people, but I'm not sure if it's suitable as a primary media solution for a cord-cutter.

I'd like to know if there's a way to run Speedtest or something similar on the Chromecast without rooting it. My phone gets 10 Mbps in the vicinity and my tablet gets 20 Mbps so it'd be good to know what the Chromecast is able to get.

 

[drbrock]

All of those thing will get made for the chromecast. the popularity of the chromecast will force these companies such as amazon to be compatible with it. Friends that don't know the first thing about htpcs or set top boxes have been trying to buy a chromecast. The pricepoint has made it the thing to buy. You can't even find one here in south florida.

get the big boy tv and a chromecast and you will love life.

 

[Silenus]

All of those thing will get made for the chromecast. the popularity of the chromecast will force these companies such as amazon to be compatible with it...

As a prime user I'd really hope so, but I'm not holding my breath. Chromecast + Amazon video can't happen unless Amazon makes an actual Android app first. Of course, they might support it only on Kindle's....which wouldn't surprise me at all. I am regularly annoyed by their refusal to make an android app since my son watches a lot of Prime kids shows. It's more likely though that Amazon is going to roll their own stream/set top box hardware sometime soon.

Early on as a prime member I had purchased some movies though amazon since I had instant video on my blu-ray player. But that was before I realized there was no android app. In any case, because of that I have fully stopped making any video content purchases from Amazon. We are a Nexus family at my house and now the Chromecast has changed everything. Google Play is where I will go for purchased/rented video content now since Chromecast makes it seamless between TV and our mobile devices.

 

[cronos]

I've been experiencing some weird 'crashes' in the past few days. Basically the app (Netflix or YouTube in my case) on the 'remote' device stopped talking to the ChromeCast, so I couldn't pause, stop, or do anything. The app eventually crashed, while the ChromeCast still streams the videos just fine, I just couldn't control it.

The fix is easy, just relaunch the app and re-send the stream. It's just annoying when you need to pause quick to do something and found out that you couldn't.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Awesome. Managed to pick up the last one from a local best buy when I went in on a whim.

Wondering if I should just put it up on ebay and wait for another one. I'm not sure if people are ACTUALLY buying them at 60, because thats just dumb to me.

 

[Super56K]

As a prime user I'd really hope so, but I'm not holding my breath. Chromecast + Amazon video can't happen unless Amazon makes an actual Android app first. Of course, they might support it only on Kindle's....which wouldn't surprise me at all. I am regularly annoyed by their refusal to make an android app since my son watches a lot of Prime kids shows. It's more likely though that Amazon is going to roll their own stream/set top box hardware sometime soon.

Early on as a prime member I had purchased some movies though amazon since I had instant video on my blu-ray player. But that was before I realized there was no android app. In any case, because of that I have fully stopped making any video content purchases from Amazon. We are a Nexus family at my house and now the Chromecast has changed everything. Google Play is where I will go for purchased/rented video content now since Chromecast makes it seamless between TV and our mobile devices.

I have a suspicion that Amazon will add Chromecast support in the next hardware refresh of their Kindle tablets (and then update the current gen), and follow that with an update to the iOS app. Android? Still not sure they'll ever do it if they haven't by now, even though it flies in the face of their stance of having people tied to their ecosystem and not necessarily their hardware.