Using Google means an easier online life - from email and online
storage to news and digital maps. But the search giant can also take
over your TV with the
Google Chromecast $29.99 at Amazon, a streaming dongle that is behind only Amazon's own
Fire TV Stick on the company's
list of best-selling electronic devices.
Part of its appeal lies in its pure portability, but there's also the
price: just $35 to wirelessly stream Netflix, Spotify, HBO GO, Hulu
Plus, and more from your mobile device or PC to the TV. Not to mention
apps for music, working out, and catching up on sports. When the
Chromecast was
released in July 2013, it quickly
sold out,
and is still going strong now that it's back on store shelves. At SXSW,
Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Google Chrome, Android, and
Apps, said that
"millions" have been sold.
Google announced
a few updates for Chromecast at Google I/O
earlier this summer - from Android mirroring to options that will make
your Chromecast screen more aesthetically pleasing. And while the
ultraportable device is
pretty much plug and play, there are a few tips and tricks that can make casting more magical. Check them out in the slideshow.
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Life Is But a Stream
Do you feel that your streaming is murky? You can
change the quality of it. When casting, select the cast icon and then
the gear icon. Choose from standard (480p), high (720p), and extreme
(720p high bitrate) to clear things up.
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Drive-In Movies
One of the chief complaints about the Chromecast is
that it doesn't support local media playback, so you can't tap into
content you have saved in the cloud. But with
media management app Plex,
you can stream music, movies, and photos via the Chromecast. Plex
organizes your scattered content and lets you watch it from tablets,
TVs, phones, and more.
Sign up for the service, then download the Plex app, open it, and send your content to the Chromecast.
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Android Selfie
The latest Chromecast app update
for Android
lets you mirror your Android device to your television, meaning that
you can cast whatever you see on your phone to the TV. It's currently
available on several devices with Android 4.4.2 (KitKat MR1) and above;
see the
Chromecast support page for a full list.
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Remote Control
Tired of searching for remotes when you want to use
your Chromecast? No need to get up. You can turn on your TV and all the
Chromecast features using your mobile device. That is if the Chromecast
is plugged into the wall with an AC adapter and you can enable HDMI-CEC
on your TV. To check that your TV has HDMI-CEC, check the manual. It
will either be referred to as HDMI-CEC or by a proprietary name
depending on the TV brand: Toshiba (Regza Link or CE Link), Samsung
(Anynet+), LG (SimpLink), Sony (Bravia Link or Bravia Sync), Panasonic
(Viera Link, HDAVI Control, or EZ-Sync), Sharp (Aquos Link), Philips
(EasyLink), and Mitsubishi (NetCommand for HDMI).
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Photos
There is now a modern-day alternative to
old-school slideshows of the past; no projectors here. Use an app like PhotoCast for Chromecast (
Android and
iOS) to show photos from your device, Facebook, Google+, and iCloud.
If you want to just show photos from Google+, make sure that the
Chromecast and device with the photos are both on the same Wi-Fi
network. Then open the photos you want to show and click the cast icon.
You can also use your photos to
customize your Chromecast backdrop.
Select Backdrop from the navigation menu, then go to the settings wheel
and select Backdrop Preferences, and switch Your Photos to on.
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Room Service
On your next vacation, forget about having to watch
the limited channels available on the hotel's TV. Using your Chromecast
on the go isn't quite as simple as it is at home, but it's doable. Make
sure to pack a portable wireless router, like the
ZyXel MWR102 Travel Router $24.83 at Amazon
and plug it into the Ethernet port in the wall. Then plug your
Chromecast into the HDMI port on the TV and connect it and the device
you're using to cast to it.
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Keep Up With Apps
Apps are being added all the time, which means that
your Chromecast is gaining new abilities and content. To find out what
its latest tricks are, visit Google's
Chromecast page and click on New. Recent additions include
Showtime Anytime, Nick, and Comedy Central.
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Guests
Whether you have housguests for a week or party
guests for an evening, you might want to let them decide what to watch
without giving them access to your Wi-Fi. You can now
turn your Chromecast to Guest Mode in the device settings and anyone with an open
Google Cast Ready app
that’s open within about 25 feet of the Chromecast will be able to cast
once the option shows up on their device. If this fails, the user can
manually enter the four-digit PIN that will be displayed on the TV into
the app’s settings on their device.
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