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So, I finally bought a chromecast and after 30 minutes was left wondering "why did I buy this instead of just getting a 15' HDMI cable to dual monitor my laptop on my TV.
It seems like casting from a tab uses more resources, uses double the bandwidth, and has limited features compared to just dual-monitoring.
In order to continue using a VPN and chromecast I have to mod the firmware on the router. chromecast uses a fair amount of resources when casting video. And as far as I can tell there's no benefit (besides it being wireless) compared to HDMI out dual monitoring... am I missing something or is it really just nothing that special?
codecobalt said:
So, I finally bought a chromecast and after 30 minutes was left wondering "why did I buy this instead of just getting a 15' HDMI cable to dual monitor my laptop on my TV.
It seems like casting from a tab uses more resources, uses double the bandwidth, and has limited features compared to just dual-monitoring.
In order to continue using a VPN and chromecast I have to mod the firmware on the router. chromecast uses a fair amount of resources when casting video. And as far as I can tell there's no benefit (besides it being wireless) compared to HDMI out dual monitoring... am I missing something or is it really just nothing that special?
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Click to collapse
Hi Codecobalt,
The main benefit is convenience. There's something just very natural about selecting content from your phone and then having it play on the TV - with how the chromecast connects it's actually the device that creates the connection to the provider and as such there shouldn't be any increased bandwidth usage (only control information is sent via your phone in most cases - excepting applications that pass your data via external services).
If you wish to use a VPN you may have to mod your router however you can normally just add a route or some mechanism to stop it's connection to google DNS servers which will force the device to fall back to locally defined DNS servers if that helps. If you require assistance with the whole router thing let me know (as I've done many of them in many different ways).
Again as I said, the main reason for the device is convienience - I personally although being a tech head don't like the idea of having to launch movies with a mouse and keyboard off a laptop and all the rigmarole that comes with it (since purchasing chromecasts I haven't used my local movie stash in around 3 months).
Well that's my speel about it, if you have any specific requests please do not hesitate to ask and I hope you grow to love the device as much as I do.
I have no real gripes about it, I just don't see the real benefit to me, but I'm a laptop user who always has my laptop in front of me. I can understand though how you like the ability to use your android phone to launch videos wirelessly. I love to use my phone to launch youtube videos on my PS3.
It just seems like so long as you already have an HDMI out connection (and a laptop infront of you at all times) it's more universal to just dual monitor. for instance while casting "Watch ESPN" on my PC to TV, I can't fullscreen the video in the tab so that the video on my TV is fullscreen and still use the PC.. which kind of defeats the purpose. but with dual monitor I can have the video fullscreened on my TV while still using my laptop screen for everything else.
If it were a wireless option to dual monitor I would LOVE IT! but that's not what it was intended to be. I like it being wireless, but since I already have a 15' ethernet cable (just prefer it to wifi when available), usb to mini usb cable to charge my ps3 controller, and a wired headset for my ps3, one extra cable (the hdmi) running across the floor doesn't really bother me too much.
It's cool tech and very affordable for what it is, but it just left me wanting much more... thought I had to be missing the point.
For people without a ps3 or xbox or multiple TV's/chromecasts I can see the advantage.. just not for me I suppose.
I mostly wanted it so that I could watch my comcast xfinity online account (watch espn/2/u, FX, FXX, etc to stream live TV as an alternative to my netflix while I'm away from home and have a real screen. the ps3 doesn't have an xfinity app and I liked the idea of being able to stream only 1 specific tab. but then I have to use the zoom function on the tv to make it fullscreen and still use the laptop.
codecobalt said:
So, I finally bought a chromecast and after 30 minutes was left wondering "why did I buy this instead of just getting a 15' HDMI cable to dual monitor my laptop on my TV.
It seems like casting from a tab uses more resources, uses double the bandwidth, and has limited features compared to just dual-monitoring.
In order to continue using a VPN and chromecast I have to mod the firmware on the router. chromecast uses a fair amount of resources when casting video. And as far as I can tell there's no benefit (besides it being wireless) compared to HDMI out dual monitoring... am I missing something or is it really just nothing that special?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Casting from a tab (or the entire desktop) is not Chromecast's core use case. If that's all you're doing, then you are better off using HDMI or WiDi.
Chromecast's advantage, in addition to the sheer browsing/usage/convenience factor that @Kyonz mentioned, is "offloading" the playback duties. Chromecast's power usage is far less than your laptop, and you're free to take your laptop/phone/tablet and run if you need to while Chromecast continues to play. Someone else in the household can easily take over control of Chromecast from another device as well (there's some annoyance/bad to this too, but it's good as long as everyone plays nicely).
Likewise, I can move where media is being played back in most apps by pausing the playback, and resuming it on another Chromecast. Sadly, it won't turn off the TV though.
The previous paragraph deals solely with Chromecast-native applications, ie, not tab-casting or desktop-casting with the Cast extension from Chrome. Like I said in the beginning, if you're mainly trying to cast your computer's tab or screen, Chromecast is not the ideal solution.
I find the chromecast handy in my TV room... No hdmi cables everywhere. Just pull out my phone or tablet and pull up whatever I want to watch then send it to the chromecast and put the phone down.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
rans0m00 said:
I find the chromecast handy in my TV room... No hdmi cables everywhere. Just pull out my phone or tablet and pull up whatever I want to watch then send it to the chromecast and put the phone down.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
also a nice way to upgrade an older non-smart TV to semi smart......
I never got it to work with my jellybean android phone. installed the app but never saw a chromecast feature in anything... chrome browser, watch espn, gallery nothing... but again didn't really try too hard.. hdmi for me.
codecobalt said:
I never got it to work with my jellybean android phone. installed the app but never saw a chromecast feature in anything... chrome browser, watch espn, gallery nothing... but again didn't really try too hard.. hdmi for me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not all apps have the casting feature. Avia does YouTube does. ESPN and gallery do not
Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent BlueTapatalk 2
One of the Advantages is to be able to stream content to TVs in other rooms for Family and Friends without having to tie up your Laptop.
Truth is a Laptop has the fewest options available for using the CCast. None of the CCast compatible Apps will run on a Laptop and the only real benefit is you can launch a Netflix, Hulu and YouTube movie to the CCast from their Webpages.
So you can watch a movie on your TV while you do other things with the Laptop.
In the OP's case a secondary out from the computer doesn't "tie it up" much except for CPU and network usage. Well, launching a full screen game or something would likely jam things up.
Sent from a device with no keyboard. Please forgive typos, they may not be my own.
When using the hdmi out wont the graphics card be stressed also? Using the chromecast eliminates that altogether i thought...i use plex mostly for my entertainment system and debated getting a dedicated graphics card...in the end i chose casting between my devices because i have the bandwidth to support it and no desire to push my graphics card too hard if i chose to watch a 1080 trilogy....hows my logic?
That's reasonable logic too. Chromecast had hardware processing for the (limited) formats it supports, so it uses far less power than a laptop, perhaps even less power than a tablet because it's not also powering a screen. Personally I like the "start it up and let it go" aspect - no worries about what I do on my phone/tablet/computer once it's playing.
Hi All,
Just got my chromecast a week ago, initially working fine casting my chrome tab via twitch and etc.. currently only able to get static display with audio running, or totally black screen with audio only if casting from chrome tab.. tried mirror phone, works fine.. any idea what went wrong? didn't do any setting changes or etc..
Update: Even via youtube, Click cast via the youtube tab will trigger my TV to the youtube app, but not playing anything, it just says "play youtube from android or laptop to view it on TV", even tried mirroring a webpage with text, either it goes full black screen, or just a static "screenshot" of the page.. tried with my phone, working like normal such as youtube, screen mirror and etc. Is my ChromeCast broken?
- JaY - said:
Hi All,
Just got my chromecast a week ago, initially working fine casting my chrome tab via twitch and etc.. currently only able to get static display with audio running, or totally black screen with audio only if casting from chrome tab.. tried mirror phone, works fine.. any idea what went wrong? didn't do any setting changes or etc..
Update: Even via youtube, Click cast via the youtube tab will trigger my TV to the youtube app, but not playing anything, it just says "play youtube from android or laptop to view it on TV", even tried mirroring a webpage with text, either it goes full black screen, or just a static "screenshot" of the page.. tried with my phone, working like normal such as youtube, screen mirror and etc. Is my ChromeCast broken?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone kind to help?
You aren't using any VPN or DNS masquerading services to access content from outside of your country, are you?
It could also be your WiFi signal isn't as good as it used to be. Check for nearby APs on same/neighboring channels and try switching.
bhiga said:
You aren't using any VPN or DNS masquerading services to access content from outside of your country, are you?
It could also be your WiFi signal isn't as good as it used to be. Check for nearby APs on same/neighboring channels and try switching.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
definitely no.. as i've used another much lower spec (Intel Celeron) laptop to try casting on the same network and it works flawlessly.. on the other hand, my much powerful PC just stuck there. Tried updating GC (ATI Radeon without switchable graphics), and even reinstalled chrome and the extension. Still doesn't work..
- JaY - said:
definitely no.. as i've used another much lower spec (Intel Celeron) laptop to try casting on the same network and it works flawlessly.. on the other hand, my much powerful PC just stuck there. Tried updating GC (ATI Radeon without switchable graphics), and even reinstalled chrome and the extension. Still doesn't work..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is your more-powerful PC on a wired or wireless connection? It's possible there's some fault in your router's wired-wireless bridging that's causing issue.
Mine still works, but casting the entire desktop seems not to mute the audio on the PC side now, so there's a delayed echo. Casting the tab does mute the PC audio. Weird.
bhiga said:
Is your more-powerful PC on a wired or wireless connection? It's possible there's some fault in your router's wired-wireless bridging that's causing issue.
Mine still works, but casting the entire desktop seems not to mute the audio on the PC side now, so there's a delayed echo. Casting the tab does mute the PC audio. Weird.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wired connection, don't think that is a problem as my connection works fine, internet and etc all works fine, even the "weaker" laptop is connecting to the same router.
i know mirroring the entire desktop is more taxing, but I just could not get it work even just casting tab.. casting everything will just appear static on the TV and whatever u do next "typing, moving mouse cursor and etc" will not appear on TV and just stays on as a "picture" instead of mirroring what is happening on the tab but audio cast through flawlessly..
- JaY - said:
wired connection, don't think that is a problem as my connection works fine, internet and etc all works fine, even the "weaker" laptop is connecting to the same router.
i know mirroring the entire desktop is more taxing, but I just could not get it work even just casting tab.. casting everything will just appear static on the TV and whatever u do next "typing, moving mouse cursor and etc" will not appear on TV and just stays on as a "picture" instead of mirroring what is happening on the tab but audio cast through flawlessly..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Definitely sounds like an issue getting the picture compressed and sent over.
If you drop your desktop resolution to to 1280x720 or lower does it get better?
Have to admit, while things were smooth with my 1920x1200 monitor, now that I upgraded to 3440x1440 (LG 34UM95 - it kicks butt!) I can't cast the entire desktop smoothly anymore either, heh. I still get a picture, just not as smooth...
What router do you have?
bhiga said:
Definitely sounds like an issue getting the picture compressed and sent over.
If you drop your desktop resolution to to 1280x720 or lower does it get better?
Have to admit, while things were smooth with my 1920x1200 monitor, now that I upgraded to 3440x1440 (LG 34UM95 - it kicks butt!) I can't cast the entire desktop smoothly anymore either, heh. I still get a picture, just not as smooth...
What router do you have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
have not tried dropping resolution as previously working perfectly.. never tried casting entire desktop before because I am using the non-beta CC extension, tried before the beta CC to cast tab, same problem. Router is a D-Link, but i am quite certain that is not the issue... btw.. Thanks alot for troubleshooting.. spent nearly a week googling and it seems most ppl had the audio issues rather than video. :good:
I recently got a Galaxy S5 and realized that it's one of devices allowed to cast its screen to Chromecast. I installed the lastest ChromeCast app on my rooted S5 running stock Android 4.4.2 and as expected the Cast Screen option on the Chromecast app was available. My Chromecast dongle is running firmware 19084 and both the S5 and the Chromecast dongle are connected to the same SSID in my wireless network. My S5 is rooted, but my Chromecast dongle is not. I'm able to cast content from the Youtube App and other apps from the S5 and from other devices in my LAN without any issues. I just can't get the Screen Cast function of my S5 to work. I keep getting a toast notification that reads "Casting screen to (Chromecastname) has ended" every time I press the Cast Screen button.. After pressing Cast Screen in the S5 the screen of TV sometimes goes black, but during other attempts the Chromecast screen saver remains. I have factory reset and reconfigured the Chromecast dongle, uninstalled and re-installed the app, and cleared the data for the apps as suggested in other forums, but no dice. Given that my old rooted Galaxy S3 is not listed as a supported device, I decided to modify it and use it for testing. I installed #MirrowEnabler V6 (Experimental) to enable the Screen Cast option in the Chromecast App on the S3. The enabler activates the option, but when I try Screen Cast it fails with the same subject error. Is Screen Cast supported from rooted devices? I also have a couple Xposed Framework modules installed, can one of these be causing the problem? What Am I missing?
I have the same problem I'm trying to cast from an LG g2and I have the exact same sympton hope the one you described.
I'm running Android 4.4.2 also my device is rooted but the chromecast is not.
tamanaco said:
I'm able to cast content from the Youtube App and other apps from the S5 and from other devices in my LAN without any issues. I just can't get the Screen Cast function of my S5 to work. I keep getting a toast notification that reads "Casting screen to (Chromecastname) has ended" every time I press the Cast Screen button.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those symptoms can be caused by poor WiFi reception on the Chromecast. I get the same on my CCs that have weak signal.
"Optimized" streaming services/applications like YouTube, can compensate for a slow connection by switching to a lower-bandwidth version of the stream. Screen-casting, however, runs at a high rate, and if your Chromecast's connection can't maintain that rate, you'll get black screens, frozen playback, image breakup, drops back to the backdrop/wallpaper, and even temporary Chromecast disconnect.
speed4cast can help you measure the connection speed, so you can try different things like using an HDMI extender (recommended), other HDMI ports, reorienting/repositioning your router, or using a 2.4GHz WiFi extender/repeater.
bhiga said:
speed4cast can help you measure the connection speed, so you can try different things like using an HDMI extender (recommended), other HDMI ports, reorienting/repositioning your router, or using a 2.4GHz WiFi extender/repeater.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for pointing me to that Chromecast speed measuring tool... I'm about to install it on my SGS5 to test. In terms of performance, what are the recommended speed ranges for Download and Upload for "optimal" Screen-casting from a mobile device connected to the same wireless LAN as the Chromecast? My Chromescast is very close to my Netgear N900 router, but it's connected to a HDMI port on the back of the TV.
My CC that works well for screen casting is reporting 8 Mbps down, 4 Mbps up.
Another CC that's working fairly well for screen casing is reporting 7 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up.
My CC that does what you describes and pretty much can't screen cast except for a few stills is reporting 1.75 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up.
Today it seems to be screen casting without dropping off, but it's choppy and blocky at times. In the past I've had it do what you describe, but I think my repeater wasn't online then. I'd try disabling my repeater but it's in a difficult-to-access location.
bhiga said:
My CC that works well for screen casting is reporting 8 Mbps down, 4 Mbps up.
Another CC that's working fairly well for screen casing is reporting 7 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up.
My CC that does what you describes and pretty much can't screen cast except for a few stills is reporting 1.75 Mbps down and 1 Mbps up.
Today it seems to be screen casting without dropping off, but it's choppy and blocky at times. In the past I've had it do what you describe, but I think my repeater wasn't online then. I'd try disabling my repeater but it's in a difficult-to-access location.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now I think I get it... maybe? When I cast the screen from a mobile device from the LAN the casting still depends on the download/upload speeds of my Internet connection to/from the CC. Just like regular casting from say... youtube. Even while the screen cast content is coming from mobile device connected to the LAN to a Chromecast dongle connected to the same LAN... the screen cast content is also routed via the Internet? Am I making the right assumption here?
tamanaco said:
Now I think I get it... maybe? When I cast the screen from a mobile device from the LAN the casting still depends on the download/upload speeds of my Internet connection to/from the CC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The data isn't routed through the Internet, but the quality of wireless connection between your Chromecast and other devices like your router is critical. I'm not sure if it's different in other scenarios but with my S5 and Chromecast both connected to the same router the data does seem to go through the router, rather than WiFi Direct like Miracast.
bhiga said:
The data isn't routed through the Internet, but the quality of wireless connection between your Chromecast and other devices like your router is critical. I'm not sure if it's different in other scenarios but with my S5 and Chromecast both connected to the same router the data does seem to go through the router, rather than WiFi Direct like Miracast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the quality of the connections and the performance of my wireless LAN is good. The speed4cast tools appears to measure "Internet" connection speed... not WiFi connection speed. It appears to measure the speed performance from either the Android mobile device and the CC or the CC and the Internet. The performance when I stream HD media to/from all my other wireless devices is fine. I made sure to turn off all the other wireless devices when I was testing the CC with speed4cast and when I attempt to cast the screen of my SGS5. My LAN wireless speed is more than adequate. Copying files from my WiFi connected laptop to my wired attached NAS averages 25-35MB/s. The upload speed to the Internet is low... about 1MB, but my down speed is about 10MB. My SGS5 works fine with all other devices on my LAN while connected to the 5,0GHz side of my router. I even tried connecting the SGS5 to the 2.4GHz side of the router where the CC is also connected, but this made no difference. My wireless connected laptop, Vudu Box and Samsung Smart TV play HD streams from the Internet without any issues. I can also stream HD (1080i) YouTube videos from the SGS5 or laptop to the CC without a glitch. If the SGS5 Screen Cast media stream or control protocol(s) aren't being routed through the Internet then something else has to be at play here because the only bottleneck I can identify in my network is the 1MB Internet upload speed.
tamanaco said:
I believe the quality of the connections and the performance of my wireless LAN is good. The speed4cast tools appears to measure "Internet" connection speed... not WiFi connection speed. It appears to measure the speed performance from either the Android mobile device and the CC or the CC and the Internet. The performance when I stream HD media to/from all my other wireless devices is fine. I made sure to turn off all the other wireless devices when I was testing the CC with speed4cast and when I attempt to cast the screen of my SGS5. My LAN wireless speed is more than adequate. Copying files from my WiFi connected laptop to my wired attached NAS averages 25-35MB/s. The upload speed to the Internet is low... about 1MB, but my down speed is about 10MB. My SGS5 works fine with all other devices on my LAN while connected to the 5,0GHz side of my router. I even tried connecting the SGS5 to the 2.4GHz side of the router where the CC is also connected, but this made no difference. My wireless connected laptop, Vudu Box and Samsung Smart TV play HD streams from the Internet without any issues. I can also stream HD (1080i) YouTube videos from the SGS5 or laptop to the CC without a glitch. If the SGS5 Screen Cast media stream or control protocol(s) aren't being routed through the Internet then something else has to be at play here because the only bottleneck I can identify in my network is the 1MB Internet upload speed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, speed4cast measures the speed between Chromecast and the Internet, but you cannot measure the Internet connection speed independently from the wireless connection on Chromecast, because the Internet traffic is flowing through the wireless connection.
So, if the reported upload/download speed is anything LESS than your Internet connection speed, then the Wireless connection* is slowing things down and the reported Internet connection speed is really your wireless connection speed.
For example, I have 50 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up. If I do an Internet speed test on a computer, I see 40+ Mbps down speed.
Yet, my Chromecast is only 8 Mbps down?
If I do the same test on my phone connected at 2.4 GHz I get much better results.
So, the wireless connection between the router and my Chromecast is limiting its transfer speed.
* if your wireless AP is not your router or there are other network segments between the Internet connection and the AP, they may be causing the slowdown instead of the WiFi connection. Also, if your router/AP is slow, the wireless devices may be connected at a high rate, but transfer to/from will never reach the maximum because the router/AP is slowing things down.
Checking the wireless speeds on your other devices doesn't mean anything because those other devices are not where your Chromecast. The closest you can get is maybe to put your phone/tablet as where Chromecast is, which is usually right up against the back of the TV. You're almost guaranteed to notice the speed will drop significantly.
As I mentioned earlier, tests with dedicated streaming video services like YouTube, Hulu, etc will not give you an idea of your wireless transfer speed unless they provide visual feedback for the connection quality.
They are designed to transparently handle a wide range of connection speeds, unlike screen casting which essentially says "I need this much bandwidth, or it's not going to work correctly."
If you have Netflix, you can try their speed test video.
This article talks about it. Note that on my Chromecasts with optimal wireless, I get up to 5300 kbps which appears to be the max.
On suboptimal wireless I get far less.
http://www.wired.com/2014/06/netflix-streaming-test/
Given your other devices have good WiFi performance, at least we can rule out your router slowing things down.
Your phone may be able to send data to the AP very quickly, but if Chromecast cannot receive that data fast enough because it has a poor wireless connection, then that doesn't help.
The data flow for screen casting is this:
Phone/Tablet <--A--> AP/router <--B--> Chromecast
Segment A is great, but segment B is what is suspect. Only hard numbers will tell.
speed4cast measures
Internet <--C--> AP/router <--B--> Chromecast
And you've already said your Internet speed is more than adequate (it should be unless you're on public/hotel connection, dialup, ISDN or repeating another WiFi connection).
B is the common part, and eliminating C, speed4cast will give us a measurement of B.
So run speed4cast on your Chromecast and tell us what it says on the screen.
If it confirms that your Chromecast has a good bandwidth connection, then it's something else in play. But in most cases interference from the TV makes Chromecast have less than optimal wireless speeds, and that's why you see some people complaining about streaming quality, because the streaming server is downgrading the bitrate (and hence quality) to compensate.
Screen casting doesn't do that, so if your Chromecast's wireless connection can't sustain the required speed you'll get blockiness, low framerate, jumps, or disconnection.
bhiga said:
Yes, speed4cast measures the speed between Chromecast and the Internet, but you cannot measure the Internet connection speed independently from the wireless connection on Chromecast, because the Internet traffic is flowing through the wireless connection.
So, if the reported upload/download speed is anything LESS than your Internet connection speed, then the Wireless connection* is slowing things down and the reported Internet connection speed is really your wireless connection speed.
For example, I have 50 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up. If I do an Internet speed test on a computer, I see 40+ Mbps down speed.
Yet, my Chromecast is only 8 Mbps down?
If I do the same test on my phone connected at 2.4 GHz I get much better results.
So, the wireless connection between the router and my Chromecast is limiting its transfer speed.
* if your wireless AP is not your router or there are other network segments between the Internet connection and the AP, they may be causing the slowdown instead of the WiFi connection. Also, if your router/AP is slow, the wireless devices may be connected at a high rate, but transfer to/from will never reach the maximum because the router/AP is slowing things down.
Checking the wireless speeds on your other devices doesn't mean anything because those other devices are not where your Chromecast. The closest you can get is maybe to put your phone/tablet as where Chromecast is, which is usually right up against the back of the TV. You're almost guaranteed to notice the speed will drop significantly.
As I mentioned earlier, tests with dedicated streaming video services like YouTube, Hulu, etc will not give you an idea of your wireless transfer speed unless they provide visual feedback for the connection quality.
They are designed to transparently handle a wide range of connection speeds, unlike screen casting which essentially says "I need this much bandwidth, or it's not going to work correctly."
If you have Netflix, you can try their speed test video.
This article talks about it. Note that on my Chromecasts with optimal wireless, I get up to 5300 kbps which appears to be the max.
On suboptimal wireless I get far less.
http://www.wired.com/2014/06/netflix-streaming-test/
Given your other devices have good WiFi performance, at least we can rule out your router slowing things down.
Your phone may be able to send data to the AP very quickly, but if Chromecast cannot receive that data fast enough because it has a poor wireless connection, then that doesn't help.
The data flow for screen casting is this:
Phone/Tablet <--A--> AP/router <--B--> Chromecast
Segment A is great, but segment B is what is suspect. Only hard numbers will tell.
speed4cast measures
Internet <--C--> AP/router <--B--> Chromecast
And you've already said your Internet speed is more than adequate (it should be unless you're on public/hotel connection, dialup, ISDN or repeating another WiFi connection).
B is the common part, and eliminating C, speed4cast will give us a measurement of B.
So run speed4cast on your Chromecast and tell us what it says on the screen.
If it confirms that your Chromecast has a good bandwidth connection, then it's something else in play. But in most cases interference from the TV makes Chromecast have less than optimal wireless speeds, and that's why you see some people complaining about streaming quality, because the streaming server is downgrading the bitrate (and hence quality) to compensate.
Screen casting doesn't do that, so if your Chromecast's wireless connection can't sustain the required speed you'll get blockiness, low framerate, jumps, or disconnection.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could be wrong, but I still believe that "something" is being routed (uploaded) to the Internet and down to the CC. I guess I was not clear before, but the up/down speeds that I posted (1MB up -10MB down) were the numbers that the speed4cast tool reported from the CC. That's the reason I suspected the up link to the Internet was causing the problem in the first place as those numbers are the same numbers I get when I run Internet speed test from my laptop and from any mobile devices connected via WiFi. Intel PROSet also reports excellent signal quality (300.0 Mbps) when I put my laptop next to the CC. If I put my old SGS3 right next to the CC behind the TV... I can stream HD video using UPNP/DLNA media server and client in both directions while connected to the wireless network via the same AP of the router. I get no blockiness, low framerate, jumps or disconnection when streaming to/from my SGS5 to my SGS3. So, the wireless connection in segment B is fine (router <--B-- > CC). If there was a WiFi connectivity issue in this specific segment then I would experience the blockiness, low framerate, jumps and disconnection when streaming HD video to the CC using the Youtube app from my SGS5. There are no other network segments only one Router with 4 Gig Ports connected to devices that I turn off along with all the other devices that are connected via WiFi to avoid any conflicts/interference during my test.
Ah okay.
I don't think there's communication beyond downloading whatever bits are required for screen casting (the app itself).
And if your other devices are reporting the same up speed then your CC doesn't sound like it's being hampered by the wireless connection itself.
What carrier is your S5? Mine is AT&T and works well.
Is your native screen mirroring enabled? (Mine is)
In some cases it can enable/disable things that help or hurt the Chromecast mirroring.
Screen Casting now works with the new Chromecast App (v1.9.7) on my Nexus 7 running Lollipop 5.0.1. The N7 used to give me the same casting has ended error with prior versions of the app. But... it works fine until you want to disconnect from the casting session. I can not disconnect or try exiting the the app without hanging the N7. Oh well... This function is not mission critical for me anyway.
I still get the casting has ended error from my SGS5 and SGS3 using the same version of the app on KitKat 4.4.2. I guess now I can say with a high degree of certainty that the issue is not with my LAN setup or WiFi performance. There's still something else at play. I few days ago I noticed that the latest version of Speed4Cast (1.02) did not work with any of my devices. Once I updated Google Play Services to version 6.5.99 Speed4Cast started working again on all my devices. I think some authentication needs to happen between the casting device and some Google server... when this connection/authentication fails or is flaky there are issues casting the screen from the device.
Hi guys,
Is it just me, or is the Chromecast about the most ridiculous device ever made ?
It does not only need a Wi-Fi connection (which is normal : the wireless signal has to come from somewhere) but it also needs an internet connection.
I would like to cast the screen of my smartphone when I'm not at home.
So I got me a wireless router.
I activate it.
The Chromecast can connect to it.
The Smartphone can connect to it.
And so the smartphone can connect to the Chromecast.
But that's it...
I can't cast anything because I have no internet connection.
OK.
So I turned on my phone as an access point.
I then configured the travel router to get the internet connection from the phone.
Cool... now the Chromecast says it's ready to cast.
But now I'm stuck because as soon as I want to cast something from my phone to the Chromecast, I have to turn Wi-Fi on...
But turning on Wi-Fi on my phone disables the AP.
And so the Chromecast refuses to display anything because it's not connected to the internet anymore !
Isn't that about the most stupid thing ever designed ?
Frankly, I then see only really little use to it...
And I think I am not the only one : there are about 10 apps that are Cast capable...
And that after more than a year the dongle has been released !
Will look for something that is able to cast without an internet connection.
Will probably be much easier... and maybe even cheaper !
If you have an advice on how to get this POS to work without an internet connection, I'll gladly take your advice.
If that is not easily achieved, if you have an alternative, I'll gladly consider it...
regards.
What are you trying to send to your Chromecast? Netflix, YouTube, and other services that have the cast button basically act as remote controls for the Chromecast, but it needs its own Internet connection to stream the content as your phone is just inputting commands for it.
You could try (albeit I've never done this) connecting the Chromecast to your hotspot access point, and then just using the built-in screen mirroring feature of the Chromecast app. Granted, that would mean you'd have to leave your phone's screen on...but it would show the same thing that's on the phone, on the TV. And I'm not sure if that would even work since you still don't have WiFi on and your phone is acting as the modem and not as a device on the same network.
The only other things I could suggest, would be to buy additional hardware. You could go through your carrier to purchase one of those hotspot devices, then connect your phone and your Chromecast to that, and that will work. Though with that option you'll most likely have to pay an extra fee for the data line for the hotspot device. The other route you could take, would be to buy a cheap tablet or another phone and use it as the controller when your primary phone is in hotspot mode. The latter option is what my friend does as he uses his phone's unlimited data plan to provide Internet through his entire house when he's at home...and just uses his tablet to stream Netflix to the Chromecast.
If you have no internet connection, you'll be streaming everything over your mobile data connection anyway. That's going to get expensive, but whatever...
So why are you using the router if you can't get a wired or WiFi internet connection? Just turn on the WiFi access point mode on your phone, and have the Chromecast connect to it. Then both your phone and the Chromecast will be on the same LAN.
You even need an Internet connection when streaming local media because (1) the device has to constantly authenticate with Google, which I swear Google isn't going to be logging or abusing, and (b) the Chromecast is relatively stupid by streaming and spec standards, and you can't just give it a file and expect it to work.
That's why so many apps will take forever to load large pictures (slower than a picture CD) or even to unpause media... it throws its buffer away on pause.
Why not just try an HDMI cable? No WiFi needed, all local codecs are supported, etc.
I recommend you do basic research on a product before purchasing it next time. You should look into cheap miracast dongles.
I like my chromecast, but my android stick gets about 10x more usage. Chromecast seriously needs some more streaming services. If you don't have Netflix, in the UK it has about two widely used apps (youtube and iplayer), and that's it, not great this far on.
Ridiculous device ever made? Get yourself an internet connection for your house and then try the showbox app and allcast app to send the media to the Chromecast. I have 2 Chromecast in my house and I use it daily. If you simply want to cast your screen without internet. Get a slimport to HDMI cable.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
NexusPenguin said:
Is it just me, or is the Chromecast about the most ridiculous device ever made ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's just you... Everyone else have internet connection at home, which is normal these days...
Hi Srandista,
Yes, everyboby has an internet connection at home.
But then again, everybody probably also has :
- a Blu-Ray player with Wi-Fi and/or Ethernet ;
- a television that is Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Ethernet enabled ;
- a media player/streamer that is Ethernet and Wi-Fi enabled...
So we're saying the same thing :
- at home everyone has an internet connection AND connected devices => the Chromecast is useless ;
- when you're not at home, the Chromecast is useless until you're somewhere where you can get an internet connection...
And even then : if I want to cast a Video to my Chromecast, I have to upload my video to the cloud BEFORE I start to stream...
Isn't that ridiculous ? Especially as using other software allows to stream directly ?
Just for your information : there are other devices like the Chromecast (they even look like the Chromecast) that can be used without an internet connection.
Sorry, but despite your answer, I persist saying that the Chromecast conception lacks some common sense and some analysis of the customer needs.
Regards.
DJames1 said:
If you have no internet connection, you'll be streaming everything over your mobile data connection anyway. That's going to get expensive, but whatever...
So why are you using the router if you can't get a wired or WiFi internet connection? Just turn on the WiFi access point mode on your phone, and have the Chromecast connect to it. Then both your phone and the Chromecast will be on the same LAN.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks for your answer.
But that won't work. As I wrote in my post : if I turn on my phone as an AP, that disables the Wi-Fi. So I can't stream to my Chromecast that way.
Regards.
xFuGiToiDx said:
Ridiculous device ever made? Get yourself an internet connection for your house and then try the showbox app and allcast app to send the media to the Chromecast. I have 2 Chromecast in my house and I use it daily. If you simply want to cast your screen without internet. Get a slimport to HDMI cable.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi
Many thanks for your kind reply.
I would recommend you read posts before flaming people.
If you would have, you would have noticed that I was saying I was trying to use it WHEN I AM NOT at home.
I have a 100Mbps line at home. But also a networked TV, a networked Blu-Ray player and a networked Media player /streamer.
So I don't really have the use of a Chromecast at home...
Regards.
alton987 said:
I recommend you do basic research on a product before purchasing it next time. You should look into cheap miracast dongles.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
That is what I usually do.
BUT : honestly :
1°) the need for an active internet connection for the thing to even work does not appear clearly ;
2°) I don't spend 5 hours researching for a 35 bucks device... my time is somewhat more precious than that.
I'll look into cheap Miracast devices. I only need to mirror my screen, so I guess that more than enough.
Regards.
primetechv2 said:
You even need an Internet connection when streaming local media because (1) the device has to constantly authenticate with Google, which I swear Google isn't going to be logging or abusing, and (b) the Chromecast is relatively stupid by streaming and spec standards, and you can't just give it a file and expect it to work.
That's why so many apps will take forever to load large pictures (slower than a picture CD) or even to unpause media... it throws its buffer away on pause.
Why not just try an HDMI cable? No WiFi needed, all local codecs are supported, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Thanks...
Yes, that's what I am doing right now. Phone with a MHL adpator and HDMI plugged into the projector.
But that implies that I have a cable lying around my class and me or my student are likely to stumble on it...
That is why I wanted to use the Chromecast...
Regards.
Hi,
OK, to make things clear, here's what I would like to do.
I am a teacher.
During my class I pass .ppt slides on a VP.
During my class, I don't sit behind my desk : I walk among the students.
So what I would like to do is following :
- 1°) connect my phone to the VP with the Chromecast ;
- 2°) have my phone displaying the slides => a simple mirror of the screen will do ;
- 3°) use a tablet in "Presentation mode" as a remote for the phone so I can go the next slide when I want to.
I can achieve everything using a MHL adaptor to connect the phone to the VP.
But I would like to be able to make that wirelessly...
Chromecast is a no go... unless of course I add another device in the whole bunch : smartphone + 2 tablets. Phone as access point, tablet 1 as caster ; tablet 2 as remote. then of course, I will need some chargers, an external battery pack... Not really the simplification I was looking for.
Regards.
Goodness, the supporters of Google Cast are rather quick to throw down the gauntlet today. =( As somebody who is constantly critiquing devices, I can say with certainty that there are many things that even reading reviews will not disclose, and even if the information is available, it might be hard to find.
Telling somebody they should get internet access in the snobbish manner seen here really doesn't help matters at all either.... less bile equals a greater percentage of useful content, right? Talking about MHL or Miracast or discussing manufacturer specific options or suggesting different CC compatible devices (Matchstick anyone? It's coming in 2015) might be more helpful.
For example, as it stands, I can't believe using a phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot would knock out its data functionality... or at least that it would make it impossible to connect to a CC. That seems like a fundamental problem there.
Here is the best possible solution for you nexus....
You will have to give up on the Phone showing the slides because you are attempting to stream to two devices which doesn't work.
You really shouldn't need the phone to display...
Plug the CCast into the Projector....
Turn on the Hotspot feature of your phone, It will still get it's data and email and tweets ect ect ....
Set up the CCast to get it's internet from the Phone WiFi Hotspot and then connect the tablet to the Hotspot as well.
You should then be able to cast the screen of the tablet to the Projector and run your slideshow.
You might even be able to use some other powerpoint viewer app that supports CCast (I think VBU kit does that) but you can just as easily screen cast the tablet to the projector if your tablet supports it.
You should be good to go the only thing that you will be missing is the display of the slides on the phone and since you are manipulating the slides on the tablet there really is no reason to see them on the phone as well.
I was pretty much going to recommend a similar fix. I have an old crap phone with no data plan that I play movies on while traveling. I just setup my actual phone as the hotspot and have my crap phone and CC connect to it. I have heard :? that the app that shall remain nameless thing works pretty good. I use Avia to throw those shows to my CC.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
hell yeah!
NexusPenguin said:
Hi Srandista,
But then again, everybody probably also has :
- a Blu-Ray player with Wi-Fi and/or Ethernet ;
- a television that is Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Ethernet enabled ;
- a media player/streamer that is Ethernet and Wi-Fi enabled...
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love my Chromecast. Prior to buying it, I had:
- A Blu-Ray player with internet connectivity... with a slow, horrible interface, and poor streaming services support.... that also didn't stream from local devices.
- An HDTV with no network support
- A "media player" that didn't work with most/any of the pay-for streaming services, that I had to constantly troubleshoot, with a low Wife Acceptance Factor.
With the Chromecast I can stream locally (from a Plex Server), watch most of the pay-for streaming services I want (so I can "cut the cord"), and it "just works" as far as the Wife is concerned, so she's happy. Even my kiddos can use it. Given that the Chromecast remains the top seller in the Electronics category at Amazon, I think Google hit the nail on the head with this one. Far from a "stupid", "useless", "ridiculous", concept that "lacks some common sense and some analysis of the customer needs" that results in the "worst experience ever".
Just because you're pissed that the square peg you bought won't fit in a round hole doesn't mean the device is stupid or useless. It's like the saying goes that "When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail". Go get yourself a screwdriver, because you have the wrong tool for your particular job. I mentioned Plex once already: If you're looking for a simple, offline streaming experience with that works like the Chromecast does get yourself a Raspberry Pi, and install RaspPlex on it. If you're trying to playback from a local disk, put XBMC on it instead. I plan on putting a media center in my kid-hauler, and one of these two will probably end up being what I use. There are many options out there for offline playback, but the Chromecast it not one of them.
Well said. I have two chromecast and they are exactly what I need. Very useful.
Sent from my SM-N910V using XDA Free mobile app
Hey guys, I've got some problem with my original Chromecast. When I bought it a year ago, it worked well, casted full HD movies through BubbleUPNP and Videostream without any problems, now it just lags whenever I try to, even with SD movies. No matter if I convert it to mp4, or transcode it via Videostream, it runs well for a second, then everything becomes laggy and the CC tries to buffer everytime (although mp4 runs a little better).
Some details:
-The router is close to the TV/Chromecast, and it has strong signal. However, my net service provider gave me some noname (Technicolor) modem with built in wifi recently, so I'm using that instead of the previous Cisco modem+D-Link router combo. I'm suspecting that this can be a reason, but my other devices are connecting to it without a problem from the same distance. And as I remember, it had similar problems not long before the new router. Also, Youtube app works well.
-I've checked my computer resources when transcoding, it only uses around 20% of the CPU, so I don't think that it causes the problem. The computer is connected to the network via cable.
-Also tried resetting the Chromecast, and setting it up again. It detects the wifi well, but it had some problems connecting to the internet (but I guess the local network is what matters when casting from a computer drive).
I hope someone can provide me some kind of help to solve this, I've read many people to suffer from similar problems, but couldn't get any noticable solutions from them. Thank you, and have a nice day!