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Google Chromecast

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Re: Google Chromecast

#231

Post by matchu »

Fuzzwah wrote: post #185
dtparr wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon how has them in stock. I have prime, but I assume it's free super saver shipping for > $25, and no taxes (collected) in many places.

Well that was close.... I also have prime so I figured I might get my chromecast quicker if I cancelled my order from google store which I made 4 hours earlier (I went with cheapest shipping). Click through the confirm prompts to cancel my order from google. Click to buy from amazon, expected delivery date: 22nd of August. Arrrrrhhhhhhhggggggg Flick back to the google store tab and find that it has declared that I co…

Oh, wow. They told me July 30. Glad I submitted my order early - didn't realize it was gonna be a line.

Re: Google Chromecast

#232

Post by robryan »

untog wrote: post #2

Worth noting- the $35 Chromecast dongle comes with three months of free Netflix membership (including for existing users), which makes the thing very cheap indeed.

Any idea if the thing can run via a proxy? Could be a fairly clean way of using Netflix from Australia.

Re: Google Chromecast

#233

Post by dz0ny »

amanne wrote: post #226
ender7 wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While its primary mode is indeed method-for-sending-pointers-to-media, it also has an option for streaming the contents of a Chrome tab directly to the Chromecast device [1] ala-VNC. With caveats: that feature is still in beta and requires a fast computer/connection. [1] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-cast/boadge...

Isn't it using Miracast internally? Will it work with Windows 8.1 which has Miracast support? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UXXNLlmz0A http://www.ubergizmo.com/2013/06/windows-8-1-supports-miraca... I hope they work with standards instead of creating proprietary and incompatible protocols.

It is using open standards upnp+rest api+websockets. The mirroring part is done with opus and vp9. Miracast on the other hand is drm(big players only) over drm(restricted content) over drm(it will only work with closed source software). Miracast will only live in heads of Balmer worshipers and maniacs, who love to to create long power point presentations with lots of bullet points.

Re: Google Chromecast

#234

Post by interpol_p »

tolmasky wrote: post #165

This is exactly what I've been wanting the Apple TV to be for ages. The only thing Apple TV is actually good for is Airplay. There doesn't need to be an OS or a UI for the Apple TV: your phone or tablet will be a better experience for typing and searching for content every time. Its a fool's errand to try to design a UI for a TV that isn't dreadfully painful to use: no one ever wants to interact with something 10 fee…

I have a similar feeling to you — that phones and tablets are better for browsing and queuing data that gets sent to the TV.

I have been putting this into practice over the last 4 months with an Apple TV, various iPhones and iPads, and VLC Streamer / Netflix.

I find that I still prefer browsing Netflix with the Apple TV remote using the Apple TV Netflix app. I don't know why. I think it's because the remote is tiny, and doesn't require me to look at it to use it. My thumb naturally finds the bumps and grooves and navigates the Apple TV UI.

I'm becoming convinced that as cool as using a phone or tablet to control my TV is, it's not actually what I will gravitate towards. And is in the end, harder in most cases than using a simple remote.

Re: Google Chromecast

#235

Post by dz0ny »

IanCal wrote: post #164
lftl wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it explicitly stated somewhere that you can't cast from a linux box with Chrome installed? It let me install the Chrome extension on Linux at least.

It doesn't, but it doesn't say it's compatible: > Chromecast is compatible with WiFi-enabled Android 2.3+ smartphones and tablets; iOS 6.0+ iPhones, iPads, and iPods; Chrome for Mac® and Chrome for Windows®; and Chromebook Pixel. Power cord required (not shown). edit - although this article claims it does: http://gigaom.com/2013/07/24/chromecast-shows-how-google-is-... We'll have to wait for some more information, I…

It works with crome v29

Re: Google Chromecast

#236

Post by chockablock »

tolmasky wrote: post #188
tomjakubowski wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This is exactly what I've been wanting the Apple TV to be for ages. The only thing Apple TV is actually good for is Airplay. There doesn't need to be an OS or a UI for the Apple TV: your phone or tablet will be a better experience for typing and searching for content every time. Its a fool's errand to try to design a UI for a TV that isn't dreadfully painful to use: no one ever wants to interact with something 10 f…

Yes I know, but: 1. The app is terrible. It takes forever to connect and the remote is harder to use than the real remote (swipe up to simulate pressing up, ugh). Typing on the phone is also frustrating when the realtime search results show up on the TV, it should all just be on the phone! 2. The remote app shows how Apple completely misses the point: the remote app is designed to be secondary to the TV. You're still…

> You're still looking at the TV while fiddling with the phone. The experience should be completely on your phone.

But the people sitting with you also get to see the search results come up, and together you can decide what previews to watch, etc. This is how it works in my household, and wouldn't work as well if the phone was where all the UI action is, with the TV solely a dumb display.

Re: Google Chromecast

#237

Post by crazygringo »

bicknergseng wrote: post #196
crazygringo wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wi-fi isn't good enough. I can barely get AirPlay to stream music reliably ten feet away for half an hour (oh no! somebody in the next apartment turned on their microwave!), I can't imagine video being even remotely reliable, and certainly not at decent quality. However, Netflix etc. work fine over wi-fi, because they're downloading and buffering the compressed stream itself, and then feeding that via the HDMI port t…

Sounds like you need a new router with a 5ghz channel. That said, I don't know what's going on with your Airplay's music streaming, but the bitrate of music is far below Netflix's. It shouldn't matter much though, I stream my desktop in nearly lagless 1080p to my MBP via Splashtop. The compression isn't really that bad.

Well, I'm talking about compressed Netflix bitrate, vs. only losslessly compressed AirPlay audio. The Netflix stream is bigger, but the bitrate of music isn't tiny.

But it's not the bitrate that matters so much -- it'll work perfect for 20 minutes, and then completely fail for 2, then come back perfectly again.

I think the issue with my wireless is I'm in the middle of Manhattan and there are 40 wi-fi networks I can see, so it's already a little tricky. But whenever I turn on my microwave, transmission completely drops. So it's basically anytime I or any neighbor in five directions turns on their microwave.

5ghz channel sounds like a great idea, unfortunately I can't figure out from any manuals or docs whether my Zeppelin Air supports 5ghz or not -- the official specifications and manual just say "supports Wi-Fi". [Edit: Googling forums suggests it only supports "g", not "n". So, no dice. Oh well.]

Re: Google Chromecast

#239

Post by zxcvgm »

tolmasky wrote: post #165

This is exactly what I've been wanting the Apple TV to be for ages. The only thing Apple TV is actually good for is Airplay. There doesn't need to be an OS or a UI for the Apple TV: your phone or tablet will be a better experience for typing and searching for content every time. Its a fool's errand to try to design a UI for a TV that isn't dreadfully painful to use: no one ever wants to interact with something 10 fee…

Wow I wanted the same thing as well. For some time now I have been thinking of hacking AirPlay support into my TV (it runs Linux) but I worry about its lifespan.

I would totally buy this and hack it instead.

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