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Chromecast Rooted

forum.xda-developers.com

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Re: Chromecast Rooted

#21

Post by kudu »

darklajid wrote: post #19
micro_cam wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For me the main selling point is the low price and not sure it makes sense if you have something setup to do most of it. I do use mine a ton for netflix, hulu (via tab casting) and arbitray media files via the videostream chrome extension/app from the webstore. It has a simple unintrusive ui which is nice.

Hey - thanks for answering. The price is about the same (and I have the Pi). So that's mostly an argument for 'why not' and 'you might waste $35, but nothing more'. Netflix/Hulu - no user myself and I'm not sure if those services are available outside of the US/available in DE. Tab casting, as far as I understand that, is a Chrome feature. I'm a Firefox guy. Would I be able to do something useful with that device? Ri…

Firefox did add tab casting for the Chromecast to its Android version (https://plus.google.com/+LucasRocha/posts/AJtJ3faZXtJ).

I'm basically in the same situation as you. I already have Raspbmc set up on my Raspberry Pi, and see little reason to purchase a Chromecast. In my understanding, the "killer feature" is that it's supported by an increasingly large number of Android apps, which don't have support for casting to arbitrary UPnP targets as far as I'm aware.

Re: Chromecast Rooted

#22

Post by allegory »

darklajid wrote: post #15

Anyone having a Chromecast and able to tell me what I'm missing? Currently I've got xbmc running on a Raspberry Pi. Connected via HDMI, online via wifi and I can stream more or less everything (videos, images, music) from my phone to that thing - not sure if there's a decent way to do that from my laptop running Linux. What are Chromecasts used for? Should I buy one?

I had one for two weeks and found it overly pointless and another chunk of ecosystem tie in so I gave it to a friend. It has been passed on already.

I reverted back to using foobar2000 on windows with the upnp plugin and my Sony DLNA capable TV for all local media (and a USB stick for mp3s rsync'ed with my laptop). Works fine. The TV does youtube, netflix, amazon video, iplayer etc already. This is a 3 year old Bravia EX unit worth about £100 now.

Re: Chromecast Rooted

#23

Post by muaddirac »

smtddr wrote: post #8
ftoma wrote: post #2

Sorry for being stupid but what effect does this have on a regular chromecast?

Not stupid at all; that should be the first question anyone asks. As far as I know, the Chromecast doesn't allow for discovering & streaming files via DLNA/UPnP. That feature alone is worth the rooting even if I "lost"[1] Netflix & Youtube support. 1. "Lost" is relative for a device that cost $35. I could just... buy another one.

It doesn't directly, but for example I run plex on my network and I can stream all of my local files to the chromecast with the plex iOS app.

Re: Chromecast Rooted

#24

Post by hayksaakian »

darklajid wrote: post #15

Anyone having a Chromecast and able to tell me what I'm missing? Currently I've got xbmc running on a Raspberry Pi. Connected via HDMI, online via wifi and I can stream more or less everything (videos, images, music) from my phone to that thing - not sure if there's a decent way to do that from my laptop running Linux. What are Chromecasts used for? Should I buy one?

One special use is live streaming your screen from your phone or computer to the chrome cast.

Re: Chromecast Rooted

#25

Post by johndoeee »

ftoma wrote: post #2

Sorry for being stupid but what effect does this have on a regular chromecast?

Google charges money (to verify your identity I assume, it's quite cheap) if you wanted to make actual apps for chromecast, I assume you can sidestep that with this.

I made a transcoding proxy for Chromecast, for it to work, I'd have to piggyback the url-player (without selling my identity). I don't like stuff like that.

Re: Chromecast Rooted

#26

Post by Touche »

notjustanymike wrote: post #18
darklajid wrote: post #15

Anyone having a Chromecast and able to tell me what I'm missing? Currently I've got xbmc running on a Raspberry Pi. Connected via HDMI, online via wifi and I can stream more or less everything (videos, images, music) from my phone to that thing - not sure if there's a decent way to do that from my laptop running Linux. What are Chromecasts used for? Should I buy one?

$35 and let's me use my phone as my remote for Netflix, HBO Go, and Hulu. Drop dead simple casting. Also it doesn't stream from the phone; it simply takes in commands so it might save your battery some.

Phones are poor remotes.

Re: Chromecast Rooted

#27

Post by [deleted] »

GuiA wrote: post #11
mixologic wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The main benefit appears to be the ability to load your own ROM onto it: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2578653 And the main benefit of that ROM seems to be that you can set an alternate DNS server to get around (some) forms of region controlling, as well as set your own application whitelist - not sure whats missing from the existing whitelist or what killer app you would root this for, but if I ow…

> if I own the device, I should have total control over the device. I agree (mostly) with you, but I still want to prod at this because I think it's interesting. I'm guessing you probably own a (recent) car, a microwave, etc. Do you have total control over these devices? If not, does it bother you as much as not having total control over the Chromecast? How are they different (or not) from a Chromecast? A phone? A co…

[deleted]

Re: Chromecast Rooted

#28

Post by michaelcampbell »

Touche wrote: post #26
notjustanymike wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$35 and let's me use my phone as my remote for Netflix, HBO Go, and Hulu. Drop dead simple casting. Also it doesn't stream from the phone; it simply takes in commands so it might save your battery some.

Phones are poor remotes.

The phone is a poor remote like democracy is a bad system of gov't.

If your remote has a keyboard on it then more power to you, but none of mine do, and the phone is 1000x easier.

Re: Chromecast Rooted

#29

Post by drdaeman »

petercooper wrote: post #12
GuiA wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> if I own the device, I should have total control over the device. I agree (mostly) with you, but I still want to prod at this because I think it's interesting. I'm guessing you probably own a (recent) car, a microwave, etc. Do you have total control over these devices? If not, does it bother you as much as not having total control over the Chromecast? How are they different (or not) from a Chromecast? A phone? A co…

It's only a part answer, but people who are into cars certainly do screw around in a similar way, whether just to read diagnostics codes out or going full out and remapping the ECU for extra performance/efficiency/whatever they want. There are even hacks to change throttle response now. My microwave, on the other hand, I'm not sure there's much else I want it to do that I'd consider reprogramming it for ;-)

Microwave... Just a wild idea off the top of my head: coupled with hardware hacks, like, some sort of IR pyrometer it could actually adapt output to maintain the food heated at specified level or just turn off when a certain temperature is reached.

Re: Chromecast Rooted

#30

Post by teach »

michaelcampbell wrote: post #28
Touche wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Phones are poor remotes.

The phone is a poor remote like democracy is a bad system of gov't. If your remote has a keyboard on it then more power to you, but none of mine do, and the phone is 1000x easier.

There's no need to downvote someone just because you disagree with them.

For my money, the best remote I ever used was the original TiVo. There's something a lot more haptic about a physical remote with real buttons. And I have yet to see a Chromecast remote app that's very good. Where's the dedicated "skip back 9 seconds" button? Or "turn close captioning on"? These are things I do all the time while watching shows.

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