Google Chromecast 2015: Puck-on-a-string fun ... why not, for £30? OK, so we all know what Google’s Chromecast is, yes? Someone at the back – why are they always at the back – seems unsure. In a sentence, then, Chromecast is a small Wi-Fi-connected slug that you slip into a spare HDMI port on your TV, and which plays video and audio under the direction of a remote control app. Google …
The wifi reception of the old device was the worst thing about it. There were occasions where my phone and tablet had absolutely no trouble seeing a wifi network and the chromecast was completely unable to. So if they've improved that then that's good I guess.
The thing that would make me happiest is if chromecast were able to work around dumb public / hotel hotspots that were protected by confirmation / registration screens. Even if that means shipping a stripped down browser that could let me sign onto the network. Getting it to work at the moment is a dark art and usually requires running through another device as a hotspot / bridge.
It'd be nice too if it natively supported MKV too. I don't see why this is a big deal to withhold - it's just a container that has to be demuxed - the audio / video / subs would still have to be the correct format.
"Any chance that is because the Chromecast is sitting behind a big bit of metal and electronics?"
The thing was designed to plug into a TV and only works over wifi. If it can't do that then it is entirely valid to comment about its poor wifi reception.
The fact that Google have changed the design to increase the antenna size demonstrates the point that it was inadequate to start with.
>The fact that Google have changed the design to increase the antenna size demonstrates the point that it was inadequate to start with.
Yes but it is still inadequate. On many TV's the Google 'dongle' will still be hanging down behind the TV... What it needs is a longer cable and a means to mount the antenna so that it isn't being blocked by the screen etc.; something my years old infrared control gismo achieves...
Some people don't like having 7 remote controls.
Harmony remote FTW. And if people don't like having 7 remotes, they will like having 6 remotes and a smartphone app even less, especially when they notice universal remotes can't emulate smart phones.
Totally agree with you on the wireless bit having spent over ten years going to Wi-Fi Alliance meetings discussing how to make wi-fi more useful. Would always tell Mobile, STB and TV manufacturers that there were now guarantees with wireless, tended to get surprised looks as our competitors were always promising things they could never deliver.
May I also be the first to recommend a Raspberry Pi and Kodi aka XMBC, ethernet and CEC remote control interface, so no new remotes needed.
Raspi2 if you're going to buy one.
I have one, working with a Harmony remote via the Flirc R/C receiver and they all co-operate together with Kodi. The Harmony config program has a built in for the Flirc. Only thing that doesn't work out of the box is page up/page down, but you can fix those with a bit of reconfig of the Harmony and Kodi.
"Phone apps masquerading as remote controls"
Eh? The remote app for my old WD TV Live worked pretty well (much better than the WD TV Live's SMB mounting, but that's a different story) even on my old Samsung S3.
Meanwhile, my LG G4 (and the G3 before it) works fairly well as a basic TV remote, and does a good job with both the HTPC (as a KVM), Kodi/Xbmc - and potentially also the Xbox 360, though I've never actually tried using it for that!
I can also use it to VNC into my desktop machine upstairs, and it also does a good job of acting as a remote control for the iTunes install sat on the same machine; Retune even lets me tell iTunes to stream from the desktop down to Kodi so I can have good tunes and psychedelic visuals running whenever I'm downstairs.
Overall, both my original TV remote and the Logitech Harmony have been gathering dust for a wee bit now...
My HTC One- has an IR sender and works as a traditional remote- you just choose the device type (it can save up to 10) and off you go. Its not even an App- its a function- and a selling point of the phone. Not sure if the M9 has an IR sender- or indeed, if I was the only one in the country who used it on an older model- but hey- not everything had to be done by Apps and Wifi.
The big selling point for this to me- is access to the 5Ghz band (even if I am still on 'N'). When I bought my current router- I made damn sure it was dual band (even if it pre-dates AC)- purely on the basis of the wireless pollution where I live (from this computer I can see 27 networks- 3 of which appear to be completely without any security whatsoever, and a further 4 on WEP- but thats not my problem).
I can already effectively Chromecast from network connected devices (on a 10 year old Sony)- with minimal intervention- though it murders my network- however, simplifying things- and unlocking 5Ghz usage- would freeup my 2.4Ghz network for other devices (I like multitasking in bed :-) )
Having watched almost no broadcast TV this year (exception for the TT and Irish road races) and almost exclusively watched content streamed by Chromecast instead...
Watching video over wireless works perfectly.
Well written smartphone apps work much better than remote controls.
Streaming devices do not need to be wired or come with a terrible remote control.
Who needs a remote control when one app controls video playback and another controls the TV? I can always find my phone but never the remote and there's more than one phone in the house.
"Phone apps masquerading as remote controls"
Does your remote control allow you to see extra information synched to the currently playing content - say game stats, leaderboards etc? Does it allows you to completely change the interface based on the playing content? Does it allow you to queue up and re-arrange media to add to the playlist? Does it allow multiple people to add items to the playlist, even items which you haven't paid for but they have? Does your remote have a scroll wheel which can fast forward/rewind at any speed (not stepped) that you wish? Does you remote interface get updated along with the application that it is controlling?
etc etc
"The following things suck:
Watching video over wireless"
Ah, that'd be why Netflix and Amazon Prime have been such disasters.
The protocol you choose to connect your devices has nothing to do with the service provider. I have WD TV Live, Raspi2 Kodi, Sony Bluray all offering these services and all wired. When I change the WD TV Live (say) to wireless instead, it is less reliable and clunky to use. For example, rewinding generally isn't possible. And if any other family member is doing wireless stuff, get ready for disappointment.
Wireless is good but not if you have the choice of wired. Switches are 10 a penny these days. Let the data flow.
Okay the Raspi2 doesn't do Netflix at the mo.
Been using the Amazon Fire stick (impulse buy) for about 3 weeks now completely wirelessly.
It's been flawless. Even the remote is great. It doesn't use infra red so works no matter where I am in the room. We've been using it for Amazon music, BBC Iplayer, and Netflix.
So far so good!
Ditto Roku 3 - that comes with a choice of WIFI and wired ethernet, but so far as been near flawless on wireless. I really like the radio proper remote (no aiming) and the fact you can get a proper remote app for smartphones too (not using the media app as a "remote").
Problem is, due to WiFe (mk2) we have to use WiFi (300Mb) around the house; I'd have to do the cabling properly and I have no idea what is wrong with white ducting but apparently i'm not allowed to "bring that ugly fucking stuff home from work".
I have no issues streaming to my RasPi 2 (openelec) and use a small IR dongle with a Logitech harmony for the tv and xbmc (I suppose Kodi now). The was hidden inside the tv (glue gunned to the interior of the back panel) but after changing the media card I never got round to putting it back in the TV and the WiFe (mk2) hasn't noticed it dangling naked down the back of the TV cabinet (muahahahaha, what a rebel I am). WiFi is courtesy of a cheap and nasty USB module, IR module is a Chinese noname "windows media center" flavour. I have no idea the last time I rebooted it. Probably when I accidentally switched the wrong socket off after ironing.
It hasn't been the first time ive used my phone XBMC remote rather than bother looking for the real remote.
Yes I'm a fan of the Firestick too.
In the article....
"Apple and Amazon naturally irritate by insisting you play with their toys and no one else’s"
Not true, the Firestick has Netflix, iPlayer and any number of other streaming apps so not locked to just their content. I also have Kodi installed too. I'm tempted to ditch my TV licence soon.
@Jim 59
WOW, what a bunch of haters out there.
In my place of refuge, I'm a hard-wired CAT-5 guy. I got too tired of wireless router placement, boosters, extenders and fighting with my neighbors and gamer kids for wireless bandwidth. Sure my iPhone and Pad are on wireless because the have too, but for the media entertainment center I've built in a decent CAT-5 switch, and all the kids games, and SONY TV fit nicely in with manufacturer provided RJ-45 ports.
Google would be wise to consider a CAT-5/6 connector.
Big Ed I got too tired of wireless router placement, boosters, extenders and fighting with my neighbors and gamer kids for wireless bandwidth.
I'm fortunate enough to live on a large-ish plot of land with no neighbours within about 200 yards. After months of futzing with extenders and powerline networking, I gave in and found a no-name Chinese AP; it supports 5GHz 802.11n, and the configuration page for Wireless Transmit Power includes the lovely, lovely option "Ignore Regulatory Limits"... allowing power levels that give me strong & fast wireless coverage across the whole house.
No, I don't get many visitors with pacemakers or dental fillings. Why do you ask?
'Wireless Transmit Power includes the lovely, lovely option "Ignore Regulatory Limits"'
Regardless of the Regulatory limits (if everyone starts ignoring them, it won't make things better), boosting the power of the one side of the equation is not always a good thing. There are some Long Range APs that can be used in certain localities, legally, which increase the transmission power. However, if your device has standard range transmission power (most do) it can make things worse. You can end up in a situation where your device sees a nice, healthy signal from the AP. However, the AP doesn't get a nice, strong signal back from the device. So you get drop outs, the 'can't connect massage', 'can't get IP address' issue etc.
In the end you struggle to ever know whether you are actually in range or not. This has been a problem with some higher power APs that generally leads to a substandard experience.
It might not be as feasible for 4K, but 1080p video works just fine on wireless with my Fire TV unit. Also, I can't speak for Apple, but there are several very good freeware remote apps for my Samsung phone (which has an IR emitter) and the WIFI-connected app for my receiver works very nicely as well and even passes Pandora album info back to the phone to view album covers, etc. The native Samsung app for remote control is an ad-driven POS with very limited functionality and device support by comparison with the freeware apps. Mostly it's all about showing you a program guide and not controlling things and wants to always be running in the background.
The Fire TV (not the stick) has an Ethernet port if I want to do a wired connection, but my 100 year-old house makes that more difficult. I do have a powerline-based network extender, but so far have not had to use it with the unit.
I will say that I had a Chromecast device and ended up giving it away to friends because I found it to be too flaky and a pain to use. With the Amazon device it just instantly works and it's fast. There are a few things that Amazon does that irritate me, but they did a nice job with this unit, though again I can't speak for their new 'stick' device.
As it's Google, no need to wireshark it as you know it will be beaming back marketing data.
Now they have made it round, you can stick a picture of the Eye of Sauron on it.
Newsflash - Microsoft to follow suit with an anti-privacy device of their own to capitalise on the success of W10's anti-privacy features.
I've been lead to understand that the Chromecast, and possible other Chromy devices tend to have the Google name servers hard coded or at the very least prefer them over whatever your local DHCP server or ISP might be advertising. How's that for collecting meta-data about every single thing you're doing?
I've got a first-generation ChromeCast, and the answer is yes, possibly. If an app on the mobile device is cast-enabled then it can pull DNLA stuff off a NAS box, then push it to the ChromeCast.
I tried it - it wasn't pretty (very slow, and hammered the mobile's battery) but it did work for music. Couldn't face it with video though...
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