chromecast

[Vampyrvargfesten]

should i buy one?  i've been hearing mixed reviews regarding audio/video quality and playback

 

 

 

 

[skeetinmynose]

What are the negatives you're hearing about quality/playback?

 

Stuttering/buffering/shit quality is going to be from shitty wi-fi. If you have a stellar wireless connection, then you shouldn't be worried. You can also control playback quality to work around this.

 

I think for an extra $15, though, you'd be better off with a Roku if you want a streaming option. More apps are supported and you can access local phone files with the Android/iOS app.

[Kasper]

i got one for my gf, never had any playback issue, as long as your internet / wifi delivers, it'll work perfectly. as mentioned above, the streaming options are limited, not to mention that you can't play any of your movies, but then it's only $35. i don't know much about roku, but i have an apple tv and would say it's worth the extra $65, but only if you have a mac or are able to jailbreak it.

[1johnyoo]

When buying a chromecast, you should think about the following:

 

1. Do you have a fast internet?

Probably at least 15-20mb/s would be the minimum, with ideal being around 50mb/s and awesome being 100mb/s. 

 

2. Is anyone else going to use the internet while you're casting?

If the answer is yes, check your internet speeds.

 

3. What do you need it for? Is it really necessary?

 

4. Do you have an Android, Chrome, or Windows device?

Casting is not yet available for OS X or iOS devices such as iPhone, iPad, Macbook Pro, Macbook Air, and iMac.

 

Be aware that you can't stream everything, and that its functionality is still pretty limited. You should expect a second-generation Chromecast device to come out within the next year or two. However, video quality and playback is spot-on if you have a great internet connection.

 

Also be aware that as other users have said, there are better devices out there that do so much more, but it's only limitation is that they don't stream directly from the browser. That said, I do believe you'd be happier with either a Roku or an Apple TV (second generation for jailbreakability) 

[Thatboyo]

^you can cast if you have chrome as your browser. 

As for streaming, if we're talking movies/tv shows that you have saved locally on the computer, you can use plex and as long as internet speed is good, it is fine.

[jayrock]

^you can cast if you have chrome as your browser.

As for streaming, if we're talking movies/tv shows that you have saved locally on the computer, you can use plex and as long as internet speed is good, it is fine.

Download speeds don't matter in this regard because the video is piped over the local network. The only real bottleneck in this scenario is if transcoding is required and the host PC isn't up to the task

Most of my Chromecast use has been WatchESPN for the world cup and hbo go, and my 12Mbps DSL connection works just fine

I do have a smart TV for Netflix and the like so you'd probably get more use than me in that regard but it's totally worth the $35

Edited July 9, 2014 by jayrock

[Payasote]

^

Did not understand anything!

What is it about? TV?

Sorry for my negative rep when we are friends but your post lacks quality and its basically shite.

Edited July 10, 2014 by Payasote

[herpsky]

Is there any device that transcodes / decodes video on the hardware side? 

 

I'd like to stream files from my Mac to the tv w/o transcoding the videos on the mac. I've been using plex but it's a little CPU intensive.

[jayrock]

Is there any device that transcodes / decodes video on the hardware side?

I'd like to stream files from my Mac to the tv w/o transcoding the videos on the mac. I've been using plex but it's a little CPU intensive.

Your best bet if going through Chromecast (presumed, given the thread) is to reencode all the media to a format Chromecast can play natively (mkv container, h264 video, AAC audio). But that seems like a time consuming pain in the ass.

The CPU bogdown is only when the transcode is actually running and nothing to worry about really. If you watch it, the transcode usually finishes well before the real time playback.

Having said all that, I play most of my media through direct link from my LG smart TV via Plex, and it's able to natively decode many formats/containers like mkv, mp4,mov, avi, etc. I realize this kinda defeats the whole purpose of a Chromecast but your best bet on a hardware transcode that's not the actual server is probably direct play via smart TV / PS3 / Roku or something.

If you're using a Chromecast you'll likely have to transcode during playback or reencode the entire library to a natively supported format.

(not much help, I know)

Edited July 16, 2014 by jayrock

[herpsky]

well all my videos are in mp4 or mkv. so i'm not technically transcoding... interesting. 

when i used to use PS3 Media Player, I used to get intermittent CPU spikes.

[svelten]

This should help out

http://www.reddit.com/r/chromecast/wiki/apps

 

Chromecast works well on my iPad and extremely well on my laptop with the amount of application support it has recently been getting. Much better than running over to the TV and plugging in the HDMI cable. 

Edited July 21, 2014 by svelten

[Fycus]

Been using my chromecast on the regular to stream from desktop pc in my room to living room. Really easy to navigate with, app support is up there.