Google Chromecast

Interestingly, the biggest unexpected benefit is the increase in picture quality. I believe the Netflix app on the 360 tops out at 720p (?) while the Chromecast pushes 1080p. Big improvement.

So my initial experience was somewhat underwhelming.

It's still restricted to the US, which sent me on a wild goose chase to find the APK in the xda forums.
regional restriction is limited to the app availability. Once sideloaded, Google doesn't check the Chromecast's geographic location, or the device where the app was installed.

Installation and firmware updates were fast enough.
I think there's some issues with my LAN configuration, I couldn't get the Chrome extension on my PC's browser on to see the dongle.

Experience is completely app driven, so only the updated Netflix and YouTube app are working right now.
Hulu and HBO Go are still not available in Mexico, so I'll have to see if a work around is possible or even worth it (I don't subscribe to either).

Performance is good; both Netflix and YouTube videos start loading instantly and the download is quite fast.

I wasn't aware that the Chromecast dongle required a USB-connection, apparently HDMI ports don't provide enough juice. Not a problem, but it takes away some of the magic.

I've been using Paranoid Android as my default mod ROM on my 1st gen Nexus 7.
I'm not sure if the latest coocked cyanogenmod includes the Chromecast SDK as it appeared in some videos, I'll do some research and give it a go over the weekend.

As I mentioned earlier, the killer app I'm waiting for is Plex. I love the service and devs have been hinting as of late that support should be coming in the next few updates for PlexPass users.

To be fair, finding the APK takes a 1 minute search in Le Goog. No chasing geese required.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...

groan wrote:

To be fair, finding the APK takes a 1 minute search in Le Goog. No chasing geese required.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/show...

for some reason, when downloading with the Chrome browser on both my Nexus 7 and my Samsung S4, the .apk file size was around 18KB.

When I downloaded with Dolphin, it downloaded correctly at 2.21MB.

Didn't want to go into details because that's not really Google fault.

Well technically, in the next few decades everything will be Google, so it will be Google's fault.
Just not yet.

Hobbes, isn't Google Music also available in Mexico? I find myself using it more than Netflix, actually.

Trashie wrote:

Interestingly, the biggest unexpected benefit is the increase in picture quality. I believe the Netflix app on the 360 tops out at 720p (?) while the Chromecast pushes 1080p. Big improvement.

From the reviews I remember reading, I thought the Chromecast maxed at 720p. That wrong?

Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

Hobbes, isn't Google Music also available in Mexico? I find myself using it more than Netflix, actually.

Well, yes. That's true.
But you don't watch music. Well, I don't anymore. Damn you, MTV.

How are you using Google Music more than Netflix?

Hobbes2099 wrote:
Gorilla.800.lbs wrote:

Hobbes, isn't Google Music also available in Mexico? I find myself using it more than Netflix, actually.

Well, yes. That's true.
But you don't watch music. Well, I don't anymore. Damn you, MTV.

How are you using Google Music more than Netflix?

I like being able to blast the music from my phone (or, in fact, my Google Music account) to the living room stereo when I am doing chores or doing something in the kitched or just chlling.

How smooth is the YouTube play back via Chromecast? I have a Panasonic SmartTV and it's app is choppy as can be. That's with fast internet connection and, hard wired to modem/router; no other video app is like that.

TigerBill wrote:

How smooth is the YouTube play back via Chromecast? I have a Panasonic SmartTV and it's app is choppy as can be. That's with fast internet connection and, hard wired to modem/router; no other video app is like that.

It's good for me.

I seem to be limited to 480p when streaming YouTube (I' think also Netflix, I'll check); has anyone encountered this?

TigerBill wrote:

How smooth is the YouTube play back via Chromecast? I have a Panasonic SmartTV and it's app is choppy as can be. That's with fast internet connection and, hard wired to modem/router; no other video app is like that.

It's flawless for me. The biggest issue I have is the iPad YouTube app seems to not see the Chromecast sometimes. Rebooting the Chromecast or the iPad usually fixes that. Also, if I queue up a few videos on the Chromecast, sometimes the iPad app loses its connection mid-stream. The videos keeps playing, but then I can't skip, pause, etc. Re-connecting then kills whatever's currently playing.

App is now available in the Canadian play store. Apparently other previously unavailable stores as well.

Looks like they are either opening the market to sell in new locales or they are recognizing that people are buying them however they can, regardless of where they live.

Just ordered mine over the weekend, and should have it by tonight (yay Amazon Prime!).

Very interested in getting this. Has anyone tried streaming local media through it? I have Showtime and HBO so I will already get a lot of use from it but there are movie files I want to play that's on my PC.

TempestBlayze wrote:

Very interested in getting this. Has anyone tried streaming local media through it? I have Showtime and HBO so I will already get a lot of use from it but there are movie files I want to play that's on my PC.

I do not believe you can stream local media yet. So far I have used it for Netflix, Hulu, and HBOGO, and it works wonderfully.

You can't stream local media from your phone. Even if you are trying to do it via Google Music android app.

You can throw a Chrome browser tab from your PC to Chromecast though. Within that tab, you can do whatever your want, inlcuding:

1. playback of local files loaded via Ctrl-O dialog.
2. playback of video/audio from websites that don't have yet Chromecast support available in their Android apps (e.g. Spotify).
3. local, streaming, and DLNA remote playback through Google Chrome Applications/Extensions (DriveTunes, PartyCloud, MediaAmp and others).

I think I hit a media apotheosis last night - I was controlling my phone via my Pebble, to change songs on Pandora, which was streaming via Chromecast to my TV... from the bathroom

Saw this yesterday in regards to DLNA playback. Plex is fantastic, and if you aren't already using it, you should!

http://phandroid.com/2013/12/04/plex-for-chromecast-is-almost-here/

Yeah, Chromecast is gonna be able to play back a lot more in the future. There's just enough development going on (that I can see) to make it super useful.

Tanglebones wrote:

I think I hit a media apotheosis last night - I was controlling my phone via my Pebble, to change songs on Pandora, which was streaming via Chromecast to my TV... from the bathroom

Nerd alert!

Tanglebones wrote:

I think I hit a media apotheosis last night - I was controlling my phone via my Pebble, to change songs on Pandora, which was streaming via Chromecast to my TV... from the bathroom

Awesome, That almost calls for a Youtube tutorial...with some discretion.

Is Plex really that much better than free solutions? Because I can't see paying a subscription to stream my own stuff.

At home I use the free PMS (PS3 Media Server) to stream video and music folders from my PC. Tried it first because I had a PS3 obviously, but it's full DLNA, and has streamed fine to my Samsung TV, two Android phones, and even the wife's iPad. All using either built-in or free apps, except for the iPad of course (used some "lite" apps for limited streaming).

My usual Android app is UPnPlay. Just basic DLNA, but it also allows me to control other devices on the network if I want. Like if I want to be really lazy I could select files from my PC on my phone and output them to the TV instead of the phone.

I mean what more features do I need to pay for?

Stele wrote:

Is Plex really that much better than free solutions? Because I can't see paying a subscription to stream my own stuff. :?

Plex is free. There is a paid premium version that gives you access to more features. I'm running it on a server and stream to the free Roku app and any other pcs in the house. It's fantastic.

I did pay $5 for the iOS apps though. I'm assuming the apps will also be needed to access Plex on the Chromecast.

PaladinTom wrote:

I did pay $5 for the iOS apps though. I'm assuming the apps will also be needed to access Plex on the Chromecast.

Yeah the Android app is $5 also. And the subscriptions are a lot more, but I wasn't sure what extra features they offered beyond stuff I can already do for free.

Agreed; Plex is not the as free as it could be, but it's well worth the price.
PlexPass (either monthly subscription or lifetime payment) allows for latest features that eventually become incorporated into the mainstream service (server side).

The latest addition is interesting; it can now stream from Dropbox, which means you no longer have to have all your files in a local server, but stream them from Dropbox.

Ended up getting this for my father-in-law for christmas along with an HDMI switch. He had an older rear projected DLP behemoth and it has only 1 HDMI port and no USB slots. Turning it into a smart TV will be great for him especially since he has HBP and SHowtime.

Showtime anytime is on this correct?

I was pleasantly surprised that the Chromecast comes with a wall plug adapter for USB since older TV's don't have USB in them. It took a little bit of digging to find out that it came with one.

I partially got it for myself so I can see how it is before I buy one

TempestBlayze wrote:

Showtime anytime is on this correct?

Not yet, I don't think. Here's the list.

EDIT: While you're still not in luck, they just added 10 more apps since I posted it (site's updated).

Just in time for the holidays, 10 new apps have been added to the Chromecast family. Beginning today you can enjoy action sports, news, music videos, and more with the addition of VEVO, Red Bull.TV, Songza, PostTV, Viki, Revision 3 and BeyondPod.

And for those many holiday gatherings, you can also cast your personal media straight to your TV using Plex, Avia, or RealPlayer Cloud apps. There’s no need to huddle around small screens when you can share your own photos and videos using your phone, tablet, or laptop.

Plex, Cool.
I don't have Plex set up yet but with this I may just have to give it a try.
We need a Plex thread...

Hmm, anyone know how Beyondpod compares to the competition on Android? I'm not crazy about my current software, Doggcatcher.

Tanglebones wrote:

Hmm, anyone know how Beyondpod compares to the competition on Android? I'm not crazy about my current software, Doggcatcher.

I've never used Beyondpod, but Pocketcast is a great app.