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Google Chromecast

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Re: Google Chromecast

#271

Post by marcamillion »

sk5t wrote: post #218
marcamillion wrote: post #97

This is cool....the only thing that is a bit annoying is the fact that the audio won't be 5.1, it will likely be stereo. I mean, for YouTube videos it doesn't matter. But if you are streaming a movie or something, then that may be an annoyance. But that could just be me. This is assuming that you have a digital audio source plugged directly into your receiver ofcourse, as opposed to your TV.

Hmm, interesting point... I would be plugging this thing directly into a giant Pioneer receiver--never the TV monitor--and certainly HDMI is not itself an impediment to 5.1 audio, but details on supported digital audio formats seem a bit scarce now.

Based on all the images (and limited copy) here, it seems that it may need you to plug it directly into the TV and not a receiver.

I could be mistaken, but the video, images and copy all seem to go to the TV.

Re: Google Chromecast

#272

Post by plexapp »

mattstocum wrote: post #207
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…

> 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 I could not disagree more. I understand your point, and on an intellectual level, completely agree with it. However, I never used HBO Go until it showed up on my Apple TV. I have a Mac mini hooked up to my TV, but routinely use Netflix on the Apple TV. I would kil…

Matter of fact both Plex & XBMC happily run on an ATV2 - may I direct your attention to their forum http://forums.plexapp.com/index.php/forum/76-apple-tv-2nd-ge...

Re: Google Chromecast

#273

Post by marcamillion »

umeshunni wrote: post #247
marcamillion wrote: post #97

This is cool....the only thing that is a bit annoying is the fact that the audio won't be 5.1, it will likely be stereo. I mean, for YouTube videos it doesn't matter. But if you are streaming a movie or something, then that may be an annoyance. But that could just be me. This is assuming that you have a digital audio source plugged directly into your receiver ofcourse, as opposed to your TV.

Does the docs say that the audio is only stereo? Is that a product limitation or an HDMI limitation?

Nope. I don't see anything about the audio at all.

I just know that for my setup, whenever I plug anything into my HDMI port on my TV, I get stereo audio.

It could be that my TV doesn't handle the audio decoding properly, but I imagine that it isn't exclusive to my Toshiba.

Re: Google Chromecast

#274

Post by nausher81 »

Chromecast chrome extension works on PS3 YouTube App.

I just tried today and noticed, with the Chromecast extension for Chrome (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-cast/boadge...) installed.

I am now able to push YouTube videos from my laptop to my PS3 (YouTube App). This makes searching videos just so much more easier.

Re: Google Chromecast

#275

Post by jordanthoms »

scarlson wrote: post #259
jordanthoms wrote: post #257

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, I have a HTPC, and a PS3, and I still got this. Why? Because it's super cheap, and does a few things better than the other devices - Youtube and Netflix etc don't work on XBMC well at all, youtube on the PS3 is a pain since you have to wait for it to open the app, and being able to use this for play music will be great. For $17 (with the netflix months and shipping), it's well worth it.

It's great for a run and go gadget, but I don't think it'll replace my HTPC. If I didn't already have dedicated hardware, I'd get one. As it is, there isn't anything it does that makes it worth including in an existing HTPC setup.

Really? How do you do Youtube/Netflix on your HTPC now? How about play music? If you are browsing youtube on your laptop and want to play it on your tv, how many seconds is that going to take to transfer the video playback?

Re: Google Chromecast

#276

Post by kayoone »

So it seems not to be an actualy HDMI reciever that just outputs your devices screen on the TV so that you can do anything with it like playing back moviews, playing games on the big screen etc ? Thats that, i had hoped it was basically a Miracast reciever..HTC has a similar device called the Media Link HD which does this, its $90 though but seems to be the way to go for me as i dont want to be limitied by whats possible in chrome.

Re: Google Chromecast

#277

Post by TimJRobinson »

untog wrote: post #212
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…

One downside to this: a lack of group browsing. Right now I have a PC attached to my TV- it's kind of old and I'm considering just replacing it with this ChromeCast thing. But when I have people over and we're watching a movie we browse the selection as a group- it'll be a shame not being able to do that.

If it works with YouTube Leanback this will be possible for YouTube at least. Multiple phones/tablets can hook up to the same session and queue videos to watch next.

Re: Google Chromecast

#278

Post by Rayne »

GoNB wrote: post #172
Rayne wrote: post #146

This device is really appealing, but I am extremely disappointed that it can only mirror chrome tabs. I'd be much more interested in this device if they would throw out some native applications to mirror a whole screen like Apple's Airplay can.

You're asking for far more control than what Google has access to, at least on mobile devices. Apple can do it for iOS because they make it.

I specifically mean desktop. I'd be surprised to learn that VNC clients and such can manage it but something like this wouldn't, but I've been known to be wrong before.

Re: Google Chromecast

#279

Post by elleferrer »

It's powerful, it's cheap ($35 vs $99 for Apple TV) in no time, this device will be on every other tv. Just imagine all that data...this is definitely a game changer. This is awesome.

Here's an article on the Difference Between Chromecast and Google TV (an Interview with Google's SVP of Android, Chome, and Apps: Sundar Pichai) http://allthingsd.com/20130724/sundar-pichai-on-the-differen...

Re: Google Chromecast

#280

Post by adamisen »

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…

>just go to the iTunes Store on your iPad, hit rent, and then have it notice there's an Apple TV on the network and ask to play it there

Set your iPad's output to AirPlay on your Apple TV and do that. AirPlay itself requires zero interaction with an on-TV interface.

And you can use the Remote app to directly access your iTunes libraries and select & play content without using the TV interface.

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