Usage & Final Thoughts
Using the Chromecast is extremely easy. As it is always on all you have to do is turn on your TV and switch the input to the Chromecast. Then just hit the cast extension in your browser and you will see your Chromecast in the list of devices you are able to cast to.
Select it and Viola you are now viewing what is in your browser on your TV. In the options section of the extension you can select if you want the sound to come from your PC or out of the TV.
So being able to cast anything that is in a Chrome tab is cool, but what about services? Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, etc. The Chromecast has a wide variety of different supported apps that allow you to cast media to the Chromecast on both mobile devices and tablets with ease. To test this I opened up the YouTube app and sure enough I was given the option to cast what I was watching to my TV. It worked flawlessly too!
Google’s Chromecast is a very easy and inexpensive way to watch your favorite online media and streaming services on your TV. Setting up the device could not be easier, even if you are not that tech-savvy you can get through the setup no problem at all. Google has made casting a breeze with their easy to use Cast Extension for Chrome and casting from other apps on mobile devices and tables is also extremely easy to do.
The Chromecast is more or less a receiver for content, meaning you need another device to play this content. You cannot load apps on the Chromecast like you can on an Apple TV, Roku or Amazon Fire TV. I wouldn’t say this is a huge deal these days as most people have at least a mobile device that supports apps like Netflix, Hulu, etc. Also another handy trick is if you want to play your own content all you have to do is open it with Chrome rather than your traditional media player on your computer. The Chromecast is also perfect for a frequent traveler as it is extremely small and most HDMI ports on hotel TV’s are accessible.
Currently the Google Chromecast is selling for $29.99 at my favorite online retailer. There are two other major streaming sticks currently available, the Roku Streaming Stick ($49.99) and the Amazon Fire TV Stick ($39.99). These are a little different as they do allow you to install apps on them and come with a remote. You can also stream to them via Miracast. I would say casting on the Chromecast is much easier than these two devices though. At the end of the day as I said the Google Chromecast is an easy to use and inexpensive device that allows you to watch your favorite streaming content on your TV. Overall ThinkComputers gives the Google Chromecast a 9 out of 10 score and our Recommended Award!
Pros:
– Easy to set up
– Inexpensive
– Lot’s of supported apps
– Can cast any open Chrome tab
Cons:
– Requires another device to work, cannot load apps on it
