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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: omega3000 on 23 April 2014, 21:32:00

Title: Chromecast ?
Post by: omega3000 on 23 April 2014, 21:32:00
Anyone got one , any good ? looks a good bit of kit  :-\
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: al brown on 23 April 2014, 21:58:28
Not tried it, I use a WD play box as it has WiFi, Netflix, iPlayer etc and can have a hard drive plugged in to view you home movies. Isn't too expensive but does require its own power supply unlike chromecast.
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: chrisgixer on 23 April 2014, 22:03:07
Don't need it with my new amp. :P
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: tunnie on 24 April 2014, 08:32:31
Got a box of 40 of them  ::)

BBC iPlayer app is very impressive. Be a few months before more apps use it. Think of it as a browser on a HDMI dongle  :y
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: omega3000 on 24 April 2014, 08:39:29
Got a box of 40 of them ::)

BBC iPlayer app is very impressive. Be a few months before more apps use it. Think of it as a browser on a HDMI dongle  :y

How much please  ::) :D

Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: Jimbob on 24 April 2014, 08:42:48
Ive been debating a nowtv or chromecast to smarten up a temporary bedroom tv, each have pros and cons
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: omega3000 on 24 April 2014, 08:46:44
First dibs on a free one from Mr T  ::) ;D
Looking at a few vids i see you can play any device through it  :) So playing stuff from the laptop ect to the tv screen would be great  :)
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: tunnie on 24 April 2014, 08:53:39
Ive been debating a nowtv or chromecast to smarten up a temporary bedroom tv, each have pros and cons

Remove the or, well soonish if you get my meaning  ;)
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: tunnie on 24 April 2014, 08:56:32
First dibs on a free one from Mr T  ::) ;D
Looking at a few vids i see you can play any device through it  :) So playing stuff from the laptop ect to the tv screen would be great  :)

You can put a chrome tab up from say a laptop to a screen. But its sluggish. As a demo its fine but not for normal use. Its capacity is limited. It's best if Chromecast aquires the video, rather than sending it from a device on same network. Eg your laptop
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: omega3000 on 24 April 2014, 08:58:27
Will the wifi sky box do the same thing  :-\
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: tunnie on 24 April 2014, 09:00:41
Will the wifi sky box do the same thing  :-\

Lol. No. That's like saying will a Nokia 3310 and digital projector do same thing  :y
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: omega3000 on 24 April 2014, 09:02:54
Will the wifi sky box do the same thing  :-\

Lol. No. That's like saying will a Nokia 3310 and digital projector do same thing  :y

Ha technology eh , havent got a clue sorry  :-[ Got a sky wifi box but not a clue how to use it  :(
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: tunnie on 24 April 2014, 12:04:58
Will the wifi sky box do the same thing  :-\

Lol. No. That's like saying will a Nokia 3310 and digital projector do same thing  :y

Ha technology eh , havent got a clue sorry  :-[ Got a sky wifi box but not a clue how to use it :(

Wired or Wireless?

In a nut shell it will give your Sky+ box an internet connection, which will allow it access to the vast on-demand catalogs. Depending on your package, you can get access to the ones your account will allow  :y
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: chrisgixer on 24 April 2014, 12:39:26
Just plug it in I thought? :-\
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: omega3000 on 24 April 2014, 12:56:53
Will the wifi sky box do the same thing  :-\

Lol. No. That's like saying will a Nokia 3310 and digital projector do same thing  :y

Ha technology eh , havent got a clue sorry  :-[ Got a sky wifi box but not a clue how to use it :(

Wired or Wireless?

In a nut shell it will give your Sky+ box an internet connection, which will allow it access to the vast on-demand catalogs. Depending on your package, you can get access to the ones your account will allow  :y

Wireless  :y Yes i remember now the on demand bit  :-[ ::) ;D
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: tunnie on 24 April 2014, 13:01:27
Will the wifi sky box do the same thing  :-\

Lol. No. That's like saying will a Nokia 3310 and digital projector do same thing  :y

Ha technology eh , havent got a clue sorry  :-[ Got a sky wifi box but not a clue how to use it :(

Wired or Wireless?

In a nut shell it will give your Sky+ box an internet connection, which will allow it access to the vast on-demand catalogs. Depending on your package, you can get access to the ones your account will allow  :y

Wireless  :y Yes i remember now the on demand bit  :-[ ::) ;D

Plug it in and connect it to your WiFi  :y
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: Jimbob on 25 April 2014, 05:22:06
Reading up on them both and I think the chromecast is going to suit my needs best. 
Nice that is is more hidden - handy on a wall mount tv, and does what I want out the box, such as plex.

Thought the nowtv had an ethernet socket, but appears not, but good wifi where it is going anyway.
Also more useful in the future once the tv is smart in its own right as the chromecast  is more portable.
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: chrisgixer on 25 April 2014, 08:14:54
Tunnie, do sky offer support for sky go on chromecast?

Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: tunnie on 25 April 2014, 08:16:06
Reading up on them both and I think the chromecast is going to suit my needs best. 
Nice that is is more hidden - handy on a wall mount tv, and does what I want out the box, such as plex.

Thought the nowtv had an ethernet socket, but appears not, but good wifi where it is going anyway.
Also more useful in the future once the tv is smart in its own right as the chromecast  is more portable.

Worth remembering the HDMI dongle does need USB power, not a problem for most new LED TV's but some older LCD panels like mine have no USB sockets.  :)
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: tunnie on 25 April 2014, 08:17:35
Tunnie, do sky offer support for sky go on chromecast?

Not that I know off, I'll ask, I think they have other priorities at the moment.

But I do have a box of them, for various uses, so without saying more, think you can see what NowTV might be doing  ::)  :-X
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: chrisgixer on 25 April 2014, 08:24:10
Compete ing with Apple TV and chromecast per chance?
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: tunnie on 25 April 2014, 08:28:31
Compete ing with Apple TV and chromecast per chance?

Eh? Can compete with other clients on those devices, eg Netflix, but Apple/Google want us on their platforms.

Chromecast is a different beast though, Apple TV is very basic. All depends what you want to do, Chromecast has an API, you can tell what to do. With Apple TV and airplay, all you can do is tell the player, 'Here is my authenticated stream from my device, play it'

With Chromecast, you can be a bit more creative.
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: Gaffers on 25 April 2014, 16:17:05
Ive been debating a nowtv or chromecast to smarten up a temporary bedroom tv, each have pros and cons

iPlayer on NowTV is pretty crap tbh.  Very slow, crashes a lot and the FFW/RWD jumps 15min every time you press the button.  Hardly ideal if you want to go back 2 minutes.

The rest of NowTV is pretty good though :y
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 25 April 2014, 16:41:27
I use all the catchup services on a raspberry Pi running XBMC. Works very nicely.
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: TheBoy on 26 April 2014, 11:47:08
I use all the catchup services on a raspberry Pi running XBMC. Works very nicely.
Indeed. Although for some reason, my TV remote has stopped working with it (over HDMI) since last update, so currently have to plug in an old IR receiver, and use an MCE remote.

Also, at long, long last, the RPi XBMC and MCE integration is getting usable, so XBMC uses the MCE as a TV Headend/PVR :)

I've got 3 of the little bastids scattered around the house currently, although one has been pulled back for Asterisk duty to run some feasibility tests for bro's shops.
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: Jimbob on 09 May 2014, 11:26:59
Picked up a chromecast yesterday.

It does what I bought it for well, and fits my needs exactly.
It doesnt do as much else as I thought it would, but I expect more apps will become cast aware in time.

I bought it to stream Plex to non smart tvs, and that works well, as does Iplayer (and Bt sport not that I use it)

It would be nice if a few more catch up services become cast aware, was also dissapointed that chome itself cannot be cast, except from a PC, not a show stopper, but thought it would be a nice to have.

Cleverly marketed to hide its limitations until you dig deeper.

Would I buy again?  Honestly Id be tempted for a cheaper Now tv instead.  But it does do what I want, anything else would have been a bonus,   I also have some other uses lined up which nothing else would be so suitable for.  May end up with another, (or now tv instead) if it works well for my other tasks once I try it out further
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: omega3000 on 09 May 2014, 11:32:33
Good to know  :)
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: Varche on 09 May 2014, 11:35:02
It isn't that long ago that we had black and white and a choice of three channels. Now look at the choice.

The Varche household is experimenting with limited Internet TV. Got my router working Just need a TV without a CRT . You have to have a good memory to remember those. ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: Jimbob on 21 May 2014, 07:52:43
Been playing a bit more, via plex.

Ive massively improved my media library, never needed to before, but much more organised now,

Also played with channels, you can add plugins to get ITV player via plex, which fills the gap in my want list nicely.  4od wont work currently, but probably will soon.

So Chromecast is nice but limited, but used in conjunction with plex, has become a capable, easy to use media streamer.
Title: Re: Chromecast ?
Post by: omega3000 on 23 June 2014, 15:50:29
Been playing a bit more, via plex.

Ive massively improved my media library, never needed to before, but much more organised now,

Also played with channels, you can add plugins to get ITV player via plex, which fills the gap in my want list nicely.  4od wont work currently, but probably will soon.

So Chromecast is nice but limited, but used in conjunction with plex, has become a capable, easy to use media streamer.

Just got a free one  :y First impressions are very good , easy to set up too  ;)