By Aaron Sachs
You may remember that a year ago, Google released their Nexus Q—a Roku/Apple TV competitor. It flopped, and was pulled from the shelves. Meet its simpler, less Magic 8 Ball-looking reincarnation: The Chromecast. The Chromecast is a thumb drive-sized HDMI dongle that allows you to stream Google Play, YouTube, and Netflix content from your mobile device, or computer to your TV/Monitor.
What Makes It Different?
The biggest difference for the Chromecast is the price point. Right now, you can snag one for $35, compared to the Roku ($50-$100, depending on the model) and AppleTV ($100). While the Chromecast doesn’t currently offer the breadth of AppleTV, or the Roku, there are applications that Chromecast will start supporting in the coming months—Pandora, Vimeo, and Redbox Instant, to name a few. There are other applications, and potentially games, which Chromecast is rumored to support in the coming months.
Another feature that I’m sold on is the portability of the device. With Chromecast being the size of a thumb drive, you can take it anywhere. Going on a family vacation and your kids want to watch a movie? Take the Chromecast and stream their favorite movie to the hotel TV. Heading to a friend’s house and want to watch YouTube videos on a bigger screen? Bring the Chromecast along.
Pros:
The Chromecast has a several things that I’ve fallen in love
- First, Setup. The setup is incredibly easy. Plug it in, complete the set up process, and pull up Netflix, YouTube (the app), or Google Play Music/Movies and start streaming.
- Second, Portability. It’s small. The device’s portability ensures that you can stream your favorite music and movies wherever you have a mobile device or computer handy.
- Third, have I mentioned the price? For $35, you can’t beat what the Chromecast has to offer (and what will be offered in the coming months).
Cons:
- Limited Selection. While the Chromecast is definitely a Roku/AppleTV competitor, its lack of similar offerings definitely leaves room for improvement. The AppleTV has a leg up with its ability to use iDevices as a 2nd monitor/game controller, and the Roku has similar offerings as the AppleTV with regard to content.
- Powering the device. Most new televisions have USB ports. However if your TV doesn’t have a USB port handy, you’ll need to use the plug that comes with the device.
Configuring and Using the Chromecast
Enough with talking about the Chromecast. Let’s set one up!
When you first unbox the Chromecast, you’ll find the Chromecast, a USB-micro USB cable, an HDMI extender, and an AC plug (in the event you don’t have a USB port on your TV/Monitor to power the device)
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After you’ve got everything together, find a free HDMI port on your TV/Monitor and USB port, if you have one. If not, go ahead and use the wall plug. In this case, we’ll use a TV.
You’ll want to plug the device into the television, and then hook up the micro-USB cable to the Chromcast and the USB port. If you don’t have a USB port, you can use the plug that comes in the box.
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After you have the hardware hooked up, it’s time to set up the Chromecast on your wireless network. Grab your device of choice, and head to https://cast.google.com/chromecast/setup.
I set up my Chromecast using Windows, and was directed to download an .exe, which installed the Chromecast application.
Once you’ve downloaded the application, run it and set up your Chromecast. You’ll have the opportunity to set the name of the device, as well as connect it to your wireless network. After you’ve connected to the wireless network, the application will search for Chromecasts on the network—you’ll need to have your TV on, and the input switched over to Chromecast for this part.
Connect to your Chromecast, and it will flash a code on the screen, asking you if you see the same code. If they match, you’re all set. You can start Chromecasting from any mobile device, or your laptop, provided that your laptop has Google Chrome and the Google Cast extensions on it.
Now that you’ve set your Chromecast up, let’s take a look at what Chromecasting looks like. Here are a couple of links to show you what Chromecasting might look like from one of your devices: Nexus 7, iPhone (Netflix), iPhone (YouTube).
Where Can I Buy One?
The Chromecast has been incredibly popular since its release, and Best Buy, Amazon, and even Google are sold out until more are shipped. However, you can click the links below to either order one (it will be on backorder, as a fair warning), or check on when it will ship from Amazon or Best Buy.
As a side note, Google is the quickest way to go at the moment, with the device shipping from them in 2-3 weeks at the time of this article. In the meantime, if you want to see the Chromecast demoed, you can always stop by Claris where I will be more than happy to set my Chromecast up, show you how to operate it, and treat you to a tour of the office.
Helpful Links
· Chromecast setup
· Google Cast Extension
· Videos of Chromecasting: Nexus 7, iPhone (Netflix), iPhone (YouTube) - See more at: http://clarisnetworks.com/Blog/August-2013/Google-Chromecast-Review#sthash.Vi4BukpG.dpuf
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