You get the dongle you pay for in Google’s Chromecast

A review of the little stick that sticks Netflix, YouTube, and more up on your TV.

Read the whole story

 

[sciwizam]

"USB power, for non-HDMI 1.4 users"

HDMI 1.4 can only output 50mA. Not enough.

Pin 18 +5 V (max 50 mA)

Wikipedia: HDMI

Only MHL enabled TVs can give out 500mA, but those aren't even on 1% on the TVs out there. USB Power covers the vast majority of TVs.

 

[qasimq]

I ordered mine. For 35$ and a good chance that mods will come out for this device it was a no-brainer for me.

 

[TomXP411]

I'm not sure how an electronic device needing power is an "Ugly." Please show me an electronic device, any electronic device, that does not need electricity to do its job...

Aside from that, thanks for the rundown. This sounds almost exactly like what I expected from the original announcement, and while I'm still not convinced I need it, it sounds pretty useful in some situations.

 

[SheldonRoss]

Hmm, sounds to me like a weird half-baked streaming solution that would only be really useful in some niche cases.

Why don't they just put more effort into miracast? Google would be the prime candidate to release a good solid miracast dongle as most of the ones (if you can find them) on the market right now are even more half-baked (quarter-baked?)

The only thing that stands out to me is the part about being able to do other things while the stream is playing. But for the most part if I'm playing something on the tablet or computer that I want on the TV, I'm not usually very interested in doing other things at the same time.

 

[SCdF]

> The Ugly: USB power, for non-HDMI 1.4 users

Hold on. Are we really upset here because the device *needs power*? Are we expecting that it would somehow run *without power*?

Good lord.

 

[CrookedKnight]

So it can cast live-ish local video from my computer to a TV, wirelessly. But it doesn't, unless I kludge it out with Chrome's in-browser video playing, because....why? Why would you hamstring it like that? Google, between the Moto X and this nonsense, I really wish you had a face for me to punch.

 

[LLJKCicero]

Streaming sites (illicit or otherwise), or movie files on your computer is easy—anything that can be dragged into a Chrome browser tab is fair game.

You can play local video files by just dragging them into a Chrome tab?

 

[kleinschmizzy]

For $35 and 3 months free Netflix I quickly picked up 2 -- 1 for each TV.

What's the big deal with playing local content through a Chrome browser .. for now?

Android isn't a closed OS. It's only a matter of time before someone develops an app that will stream local content from a server or HTPC.

http://www.talkandroid.com/170066-new-c ... cal-media/

 

[jnads]

SCdF[/url]":17ls6u3o]> The Ugly: USB power, for non-HDMI 1.4 users

Hold on. Are we really upset here because the device *needs power*? Are we expecting that it would somehow run *without power*?

Good lord.

Further, almost every TV I've come across has a USB port for Firmware Upgrades.


I plugged the power cable into that and it worked 100% fine.

 

[Stone]

CrookedKnight[/url]":39xrbdt7]So it can cast live-ish local video from my computer to a TV, wirelessly. But it doesn't, unless I kludge it out with Chrome's in-browser video playing, because....why? Why would you hamstring it like that? Google, between the Moto X and this nonsense, I really wish you had a face for me to punch.

You can also cast video from a variety of apps on an android phone. Koush (clockworkmod) has already written an app that sends video files on an android phone directly to the chromecast.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/11055807196 ... uQdJQEd82e

 

[timkedojeh]

Second the comments how a device needing power is somehow a most heinous crime in the eyes of the author.

Also, on the lack of iOS support: the Chromecast can be set up via Safari on an iOS device and can receive media sent to it from Netflix and Youtube on an iOS device. How's that lack of iOS support, when it's the exact same as the functionality on Android?

edit: And the physical button's there for factory reset (hold it for 25 seconds). Fact checking?

 

[SandyTech]

The device has a button on it, and pressing it does nothing whatsoever.

Sure it does, it's a user curiosity detection device. It reports back to Google how many times the button was pushed, when the button was pushed, how long the button was held, and other button use statistics.

 

[Ars of Ares]

The device has a button on it, and pressing it does nothing whatsoever.

Glad to see this cleared up.

Using Chromecast with Android also requires a Chromecast app installation per device, which places a “cast” button in each of these apps.

Does not compute. Am not saying this is untrue; don't have a device so would not know. But I can "cast" to my PS3, and I don't have the chromecast app. It works for both YouTube and Netflix.

So is a separate app really necessary to use a feature that was designed specifically for the Chromecast device, when it is not required for other devices? Strange flowchart, there..

 

[CrookedKnight]

SandyTech[/url]":3nvvhv5x]

The device has a button on it, and pressing it does nothing whatsoever.

Sure it does, it's a user curiosity detection device. It reports back to Google how many times the button was pushed, when the button was pushed, how long the button was held, and other button use statistics.

It would make me embarrassingly happy if, occasionally, pressing it displayed "CHAT GEM ACTIVATED" on the TV.

 

[taraba]

TomXP411[/url]":keem3wvr]I'm not sure how an electronic device needing power is an "Ugly." Please show me an electronic device, any electronic device, that does not need electricity to do its job...

Yeah, I thought this was amusing. Hey Ars, are you going to include "Need to be charged" and "Needs a battery" under Ugly on all your mobile device reviews in the future?

 

[DarkSkyForever]

I had a few ordered and received last week - very neat device. I plugged one into my roommate's TV and set up a classic Rickroll for him.

Best part about the thing - it can switch your TV on if it isn't already on. Nothing like a quiet night when all of a sudden your entertainment center turns itself on and starts with a rick roll.

 

[Mr_Cynical]

taraba[/url]":39fu7bqq]

TomXP411[/url]":39fu7bqq]I'm not sure how an electronic device needing power is an "Ugly." Please show me an electronic device, any electronic device, that does not need electricity to do its job...

Yeah, I thought this was amusing. Hey Ars, are you going to include "Need to be charged" and "Needs a battery" under Ugly on all your mobile device reviews in the future?

To be fair, it isn't the fact that it needs power that they're criticising. It's the fact that, in order not to have an inelegant second cable plugging into your TV (or a cable going from the dongle to the wall) you have to be in the minority who have an HDMI 1.4-equipped TV.

Best part about the thing - it can switch your TV on if it isn't already on. Nothing like a quiet night when all of a sudden your entertainment center turns itself on and starts with a rick roll.

This would work much better on a Squeezebox Server loaded with Antal Dorati's recording of the 1812 Overture.

 

[Erus]

(in theory, Google Play movies, TV, and music will work someday, but at press time they don’t provide casting options).

I 'bought' a couple free TV episodes and cast them from the google play tv & movies app on my android-running phone on Friday the 26th.

Using Chromecast with Android also requires a Chromecast app installation per device, which places a “cast” button in each of these apps.

I haven't installed the Chromecast app on my phone (I set it up from my laptop), and I still have cast in Youtube and Google Play (haven't started Netflix yet). My understanding is that the chromecast app was just for setup. There was, however, an update of both the Youtube app and Google Play TV & Movies app the day it was released that I believe mentioned it.

 

[BoxOfSnoo]

Mr_Cynical[/url]":3o6o4wjv]

taraba[/url]":3o6o4wjv]

TomXP411[/url]":3o6o4wjv]I'm not sure how an electronic device needing power is an "Ugly." Please show me an electronic device, any electronic device, that does not need electricity to do its job...

Yeah, I thought this was amusing. Hey Ars, are you going to include "Need to be charged" and "Needs a battery" under Ugly on all your mobile device reviews in the future?

To be fair, it isn't the fact that it needs power that they're criticising. It's the fact that, in order not to have an inelegant second cable plugging into your TV (or a cable going from the dongle to the wall) you have to be in the minority who have an HDMI 1.4-equipped TV.

+1. If read more carefully, readers should notice that the author doesn't note that it needs power (duh), but it needs "USB power". As in, an additional cable rather than pulling power from HDMI.

Did people really not get that?

 

[Disconn3ct]

I got one on release day (yay for local bestbuy) and the quick overview is this. It does all the things your 'smart' tv does - youtube, netflix, etc. It even does them with basically zero UI, as described in the article. HOWEVER.. it does them without all the lag that you normally get trying to push youtube or whatnot to your TV.

(Disclaimer: My tv is a middling-high panasonic plasma from last year. Not the top of the line, but one down..)

Simple SD videos (think Simon's Cat) buffer constantly on my tv, over ethernet. They played smoothly over chromecast. (Ahem, net neutrality..??) Ditto for a few netflix tests - netflix isn't awful from the tv, but it isn't great. On the chromecast, it is great. (I haven't done an hd quality comparison yet, but that might be worth checking..)

The biggest problem I can see (at least at my house) is that visitors don't get my main password - I have one of the APs that hands out two networks - one open-with-login and one closed. (I know way too many security guys to let them on my LAN, especially via wifi..) There is no option to feed it a login form, which makes it unreachable by anyone who doesn't live there.. Good for galaxy users - -"play this!" -> nfc -> playing -- but bad for everyone else..

The second biggest problem is that it doesn't listen for HDMI commands, so pause/rewind/ff/volume/etc is not possible for anyone except the person who started the stream. Everyone who comes over is used to the raspbmc box, where video/audio control is available via the tv remote..

 

[gizmotoy]

Jiibus[/url]":2tizfvjk]

Mr_Cynical[/url]":2tizfvjk]
To be fair, it isn't the fact that it needs power that they're criticising. It's the fact that, in order not to have an inelegant second cable plugging into your TV (or a cable going from the dongle to the wall) you have to be in the minority who have an HDMI 1.4-equipped TV.

Minority? HDMI 1.4 has been out for years and is pretty widespread. If you've bought a TV in the past few years, chances are it has HDMI 1.4.

The problem is the article is wrong. It requires not just HDMI 1.4, but 1.4 MHL. That actually is on a very small percentage of devices.

 

[sciwizam]

People: HDMI 1.4 won't magically power the device. Max output is 50mA.

Pin 18 +5 V (max 50 mA)

Wikipedia: HDMI

 

[Disconn3ct]

qasimq[/url]":1cj3wod6]I ordered mine. For 35$ and a good chance that mods will come out for this device it was a no-brainer for me.

I wouldn't count on mods, but IIRC they published (or at least said they would publish) the API so lots of other things can eventually send to it.

It looks like there are 2 modes - "open this url and do basic commands on it" (ff/rw/etc) and "stream this screen". I don't think it will ever be a good answer to "I wanna play this FPS on my tv" but it does already, mostly, cover the "play this, then play this" party scenario. (Ditto for "I want to listen to pandora while teleworking")

 

[handwrite]

gizmotoy[/url]":1uyckus2]

Jiibus[/url]":1uyckus2]

Mr_Cynical[/url]":1uyckus2]
To be fair, it isn't the fact that it needs power that they're criticising. It's the fact that, in order not to have an inelegant second cable plugging into your TV (or a cable going from the dongle to the wall) you have to be in the minority who have an HDMI 1.4-equipped TV.

Minority? HDMI 1.4 has been out for years and is pretty widespread. If you've bought a TV in the past few years, chances are it has HDMI 1.4.

The problem is the article is wrong. It requires not just HDMI 1.4, but 1.4 MHL. That actually is on a very small percentage of devices.

Well that explains it, thanks!

 

[lunarworks]

CrookedKnight[/url]":3swqp3o4]So it can cast live-ish local video from my computer to a TV, wirelessly. But it doesn't, unless I kludge it out with Chrome's in-browser video playing, because....why? Why would you hamstring it like that? Google, between the Moto X and this nonsense, I really wish you had a face for me to punch.

Just look for someone wearing Google Glass and punch them.

 

[Midnitte]

I think the 'ugly' criticisms are a bit unfair (how DO you expect them to power it?) but the queuing problems are spot on.

I just want to know what the button does! WPS setup? (Apparently for factory reset?)

 

[Ars of Ares]

BoxOfSnoo[/url]":7tvppejc]

Mr_Cynical[/url]":7tvppejc]

taraba[/url]":7tvppejc]

TomXP411[/url]":7tvppejc]I'm not sure how an electronic device needing power is an "Ugly." Please show me an electronic device, any electronic device, that does not need electricity to do its job...

Yeah, I thought this was amusing. Hey Ars, are you going to include "Need to be charged" and "Needs a battery" under Ugly on all your mobile device reviews in the future?

To be fair, it isn't the fact that it needs power that they're criticising. It's the fact that, in order not to have an inelegant second cable plugging into your TV (or a cable going from the dongle to the wall) you have to be in the minority who have an HDMI 1.4-equipped TV.

+1. If read more carefully, readers should notice that the author doesn't note that it needs power (duh), but it needs "USB power". As in, an additional cable rather than pulling power from HDMI.

Did people really not get that?

Sure, but what's the problem? Specifically, how is this a shortcoming of the Chromecast? Especially considering that it is true of any other device plugged into an HDMI port.

 

[Disconn3ct]

As others have said, clearly my raspberry pi powered pibmc box is total fail for needing not just USB power (from the tv, for example) but actual clean power via usb.. guess I'll throw it out...

 

[The Ugly]

The fact that google advertises the device and pretends it doesn't need power, then requires an ugly power USB cable and brick for almost all users, is why it is ugly.

If they were honest and said "most will need this power adapter" and showed it in photos with theater adapter, that would be a different story. But they pretend it doesn't need power, when it will for most. HDMI 1.4 with MHL is incredibly rare, and poorly documented for TVs. Google knows that. But it's sexier to show just the tiny device, so they fudge things a bit.

Their marketing people also promised iOS support and didn't deliver there either.

It's in "the ugly" because Google isn't being honest about things.

 

[Midnitte]

Disconn3ct[/url]":snk0b5w7]
The second biggest problem is that it doesn't listen for HDMI commands, so pause/rewind/ff/volume/etc is not possible for anyone except the person who started the stream. Everyone who comes over is used to the raspbmc box, where video/audio control is available via the tv remote..

Anyone can open up the relevant app and control it from their device. For example, in YouTube you open up the sidebar, click TV que, and click on the currently playing video to be able to pause, rewind, etc. Still, remote controls would be nice.

 

[tigas]

Disconn3ct[/url]":2d4mr135]As others have said, clearly my raspberry pi powered pibmc box is total fail for needing not just USB power (from the tv, for example) but actual clean power via usb.. guess I'll throw it out...

The difference being, that with pibmc (raspbmc?) you don't need to be running Chrome anywhere to "cast" the contents of the tab - either use the Youtube plug-in, set a DLNA source on the mobile, or point it to your NAS.

Also, Opera 16 Next has experimental support for "tab casting" in opera: //flags, courtesy of Chromium.

 

[Disconn3ct]

Midnitte[/url]":2ttzl6v8]

Disconn3ct[/url]":2ttzl6v8]
The second biggest problem is that it doesn't listen for HDMI commands, so pause/rewind/ff/volume/etc is not possible for anyone except the person who started the stream. Everyone who comes over is used to the raspbmc box, where video/audio control is available via the tv remote..

Anyone can open up the relevant app and control it from their device. For example, in YouTube you open up the sidebar, click TV que, and click on the currently playing video to be able to pause, rewind, etc. Still, remote controls would be nice.

Haven't tested second users, so.. If I start something, can my wife (with the app) pause it? That would be useful at least..

 

[arkiel]

I suppose the central sin is that most dongles don't require a power source other than port they are connected to. Requiring USB power deviates from the normal requirements of the form factor. Furthermore, Google kinda... hid the fact that it was required in their announcement stuff. They knew it was odd too. Won't stop me from buying one when someone makes it run off local software, but yeah. Weird.

 

[tigas]

The Ugly[/url]":2ffzjtk2]The fact that google advertises the device and pretends it doesn't need power, then requires an ugly power USB cable and brick for almost all users, is why it is ugly.

Most TVs have at least one USB port for a wireless dongle or playing stuff from a pendrive. That's all you need, brick optional.

Their marketing people also promised iOS support and didn't deliver there either.

Google is at Apple's mercy there. Apple could always say it duplicates built in functionality, namely, AirPlay.

 

[Sifaka]

tigas[/url]":1ui98ull]

The Ugly[/url]":1ui98ull]The fact that google advertises the device and pretends it doesn't need power, then requires an ugly power USB cable and brick for almost all users, is why it is ugly.

Most TVs have at least one USB port for a wireless dongle or playing stuff from a pendrive. That's all you need, brick optional.

Their marketing people also promised iOS support and didn't deliver there either.

Google is at Apple's mercy there. Apple could always say it duplicates built in functionality, namely, AirPlay.

Or you Google could support Airplay....

 

[Travis Griggs]

Somewhat off topic, but do others find Google's use of the "Chrome" moniker in an arbitrary handful of their products weird/confusing? At first, it was a browser. New and unique branding for a new piece of software. Then it turned into a prefix for an OS that I'm not sure will ever really see widespread use. And then again as a prefix for a piece of hardware that also has a questionable future. And now for a different piece of hardware, that's not really related. But tablets and phones don't get the "chrome" blessing. But it's not like they're calling _everything_ ChromeThis and ChromeThat, just arbitrary stuff. Why not ChromeMail, ChromeCloud, ChromeDrive, and ChromeArt (Dart)?