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| Google Chromecast HDMI Streaming Media Player |
Google Chromecast is a HDMI dongle, that is powered by Chrome OS that is designed for Streaming. Chromecast is a new Google product, and a totally different proposition to the Nexus 5 or Nexus 7 and one that’s a whole lot more mainstream than Google Glass. By connecting Chromecast with your TV then you can stream from Netflix, YouTube, and other sources. This is an efficient way to transform an old TV into one with modern features. This isn’t a dumb stick, it’s a little computer. The reason why is quite clear - not only do not have to enter a chunky full-size HDMI socket, also crams in a processor Marvell Armada 1500 88DE3005 Mini.
The Chromecast device DOES NOT get power through HDMI period, regardless of the version or the amount of power in your HDMI port. The device does NOT have support for MHL at all, so it cannot get power through HDMI. Even if your TV has HDMI v1.4 you will still need USB power. It doesn't matter how much power your HDMI port produces, the devices is NOT capable of being powered through HDMI. You MUST ALWAYS use some USB power source with the Chromecast device. Repeat, you MUST ALWAYS plug it into a USB power source period. Google Chromecast not equipped with a remote control. So, instead you use a mobile phone or tablet for navigation services such as Netflix and streaming TV. Although this is a Google product and play well with Android, but it does not work well with Apple products like the iPhone and iPad 5S Air.
You have to connect to the same Wi-Fi network for it to work. Once it's setup you'll see the Chromecast logo and a basic Home Screen with some of the first apps available for Chromecast. A lot of development is going into it, so expect to see more apps from the Google Play store work with your TV. See your phone/tablet/computer more of a remote, rather than an actual streaming device.
Supported Operating Systems :
- Android 2.3 and higher
- iOS 6 and higher
- Windows 7 and higher
- Mac OS 10.7 and higher
- Chrome OS (Chromebook Pixel, additional Chromebooks coming soon)
Pros and Cons :
Pros:
- Easy to setup (takes only 5 min)
- Can control using multiple devices (smartphone, PC, tablet) on multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Windows)
- Can stream anything on the Chrome browser (duplicating what's on screen)
- Can cue up multiple play items
- Doesn't consume battery on the smartphone (initiate streaming and move on to do other things or even put the phone in suspension mode
- 3rd party apps will continue to make this device more useful and will eventually allow streaming of anything on the PC or phone to the TV
- Tiny footprint that can easily hide away in the back of TV (if the TV has a USB port, then the device can be powered by a USB cable without a power supply connected to the wall outlet)
- Can connect it to an audio device/receiver and stream Spotify or Pandora continuously without turning on the TV- this is a very good feature!
- No additional service fee or subscription fee other than services that you choose to pay for (such as Netflix or Google Play)
Cons:
- Doesn't support any local storage media directly (you can connect the storage media to your PC/laptop or smartphone and stream from there if necessary, though)
- No remote controller (you can use your PC/smartphone as a remote, though)
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