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After 3 weeks my pros and cons

It's been almost 3 weeks since I purchased 4 Chromecasts. I have some Pros and Cons about my experience. I encourage you to add your own Pro/Con list.
Pros:
- Cheap. At $35 it's an impulse buy. I expect to see it at the checkout aisle of the supermarket next to the gift cards.
- Cheap will make it ubiquitous. Every app developer will rush to make their app Chromecastable.
- Extremely easy to set up. Some have had troubles as we've seen on this forum but my daughter set hers up without a single phone call to me. And she has absolutely no tech skills.
- I absolutely, positively love the ability to queue YouTube videos. I wish Netflix had that and I hope other app developers pick up on that. I wish there was one central queue where I could queue up Netflix, YouTube, Google Music, et all in one big queue. I could plan a whole night's viewing and then just sit back and watch.
- Shared control. It's nice that I can start a video and leave the room and my wife can take over control of it on her device. Very clever.
- Doesn't tie up my device. I can do other things while watching a video. Multitasking as it were.
- I can start a video on my phone then cast it to my family room TV, then pause it and start playing it on my bedroom PC, then pause it and finish it on my tablet. Very versitile.
- Video quality is superb. 1080p is very nice from the Chromecast. As good as cable TV.
- Audio is also superb. 5.1 is a nice surprise.
- If you have multiple wifi routers with multiple SSIDs you can control a Chromecast across SSIDs. And you see all the Chromecasts no matter which SSID you're currently using.
CONS
- Using the phone/tablet as a remote is not as convenient as a real remote. We have an unwritten rule in our house that when someone starts a conversation we pause the TV. With a real remote I can do this in a split second without looking at the remote. Using Chromecast I can't. Not only do I have to look at the phone, thus ignoring the person that is talking to me, I have to find the app that cast the video and start it up again to be able to pause it. This has made for an awkward situation more than once.
- It's not a perfect device, lots of app tweaking needs to be done.
- Sometimes I get spinning circle on my phone and it never casts.
- Sometimes I get spinning circle on my phone but the cast actually starts. This is not good at all as I have no way of pausing or stopping it from my phone. Same thing happens to my tablet so it's not a device specific issue.
- There's no ability to reduce picture quality. If I'm in a hotel using my phone's hot spot capability I could easily eat up 5gb of data watching a 1080p movie when 480p, or even less, would have been satisfactory.
- It has connectivity issues with some routers, especially Verizon FIOS' Actiontec router. There's not much in the way of documentation to help with this. The help information refers to turning off a feature that the router doesn't have.
BOTTOM LINE
The Chromecast is not a perfect device, like all devices, but the low cost and ease use make up for a lot of its misgivings. Almost all of the Cons I have listed can be corrected by software updates. I only see this product as getting better and better. The only fear is that it becomes another Google castoff like Google TV or Google Reader or Google Q or Buzz. But at $35 there's not much risk.
This product is a sign of the future and the future is bright. With many devices battling for this space, Apple TV, Roku, etc. we will all be the winners. Just as many people have multiple game consoles so will many people have multiple streaming devices. This is going to be a fun ride.

TabGuy said:
There's no ability to reduce picture quality. If I'm in a hotel using my phone's hot spot capability I could easily eat up 5gb of data watching a 1080p movie when 480p, or even less, would have been satisfactory.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wait, what? Have you been able to get it to work using a hotspot? Everything I've read says it's not currently possible.

We need more app's....

TabGuy said:
- Extremely easy to set up. Some have had troubles as we've seen on this forum but my daughter set hers up without a single phone call to me. And she has absolutely no tech skills.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As I was setting it up, I had no idea I needed a WiFi device for first time set up. I was using my desktop connected to my router with the WiFi turned off. So quickly I assumed it was because of that. (I have a WAP broadcasting another SSID so i turned off my router) After I turned on my router, I was still getting the same problem stating my WiFi was off. Then I feared that my desktop needed to be a WiFi device to work with the Chromecast. After some quick searches I found that the WiFi device was just for setup which I did on my phone and got it up and running smoothly.
TabGuy said:
- If you have multiple wifi routers with multiple SSIDs you can control a Chromecast across SSIDs. And you see all the Chromecasts no matter which SSID you're currently using.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So my setup was kind of like this, and i feared that it would not work. After the setup, I just installed the extension on Chrome for all my computers in the family and it showed up on all of them. Relieved and happy that it was simpler than I was dreading.

andrewhchiu said:
As I was setting it up, I had no idea I needed a WiFi device for first time set up. I was using my desktop connected to my router with the WiFi turned off. So quickly I assumed it was because of that. (I have a WAP broadcasting another SSID so i turned off my router) After I turned on my router, I was still getting the same problem stating my WiFi was off. Then I feared that my desktop needed to be a WiFi device to work with the Chromecast. After some quick searches I found that the WiFi device was just for setup which I did on my phone and got it up and running smoothly.
So my setup was kind of like this, and i feared that it would not work. After the setup, I just installed the extension on Chrome for all my computers in the family and it showed up on all of them. Relieved and happy that it was simpler than I was dreading.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Common sense should tell you that you can't connect to the Chromecast through your wireless network before it get connected to your wireless network. Assuming it's protected with a password how do you suppose Chromecast would connect to it? And for open networks I think it's illegal to just auto connect to open networks. I would think that most people buying a Chromecast would have a smartphone or tablet.

rkirmeier said:
Common sense should tell you that you can't connect to the Chromecast through your wireless network before it get connected to your wireless network. Assuming it's protected with a password how do you suppose Chromecast would connect to it? And for open networks I think it's illegal to just auto connect to open networks. I would think that most people buying a Chromecast would have a smartphone or tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I figured it was going to be something like connecting a bluetooth device where it would broadcast its own signal and then you can connect to it. but i guess i wasn't thinking.

Echo the majority of the above comments, still too early to be overly concerned that Google hasn't yet released their chrome cast API.
I'm in UK so had to wait slightly longer than others for my US bought one (first day purchase) to arrive here in the UK, but its here I love Google play , Google movies and YouTube integration
Waiting for CM casting to go live and hopefully be implemented into aokp.
Not tried casting chrome tabs from my laptop yet or my hard wired pc workstation, is it true that sounds cabled PC's can have issues connecting to chromecast
Am I meant to be able to cast from chrome browser tabs on my N4 ?

WiFi Network dependency

Hi,
Do I need a standalone WiFi network available to cast from my device to the TV or not?
Will I be able to go to friend and cast something from my tablet to his TV even thou he does not have WiFi at home?

Yes, you need a WiFi network and an Internet connection accessible from that.
If you just have your tablet and Chromecast, the Chromecast won't be able to find a network, as your tablet is not a WiFi access point.
I don't know of anyone who has tried setting up their phone/tablet as a WiFi hot spot and connecting Chromecast to that. I'm not certain how Android hotspot NATs and/or isolates clients.
Best to just bring a small wireless router. There are a number of "travel router" devices that have an internal battery or can be powered via USB.
Connect it to your friend's Internet connection, then off you go.
If the goal is just to show stuff from your tablet on your friend's TV, it might be easier/cheaper to just go hardwired with an HDMI or VGA output adapter for your tablet, if it has that option.

bhiga said:
I don't know of anyone who has tried setting up their phone/tablet as a WiFi hot spot and connecting Chromecast to that. I'm not certain how Android hotspot NATs and/or isolates clients.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ooOOoo interesting idea.
I'll have to try that this weekend.

-Lawless said:
ooOOoo interesting idea.
I'll have to try that this weekend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember that Chromecast still needs a connection to the Internet in order to negotiate the application launch.

Thus the Hotspot. Just might work.

My friend is technologically challenged
He's got no internet at home apart from out mobile phones which we can use for internet at his place...
So, can I use my phone's Wifi hotspot to and use my phone/tablet to stream the web to his TV?
How does the Chrome cast work? Is the tablet interphase only used to set up a link between the dongle and the wifi sender/ router?

For native apps, Chromecast works more like a your phone/tablet in the fact that it pulls the requested data and plays on its own. The video isn't going from the Internet to your phone/tablet, then from your phone/tablet to the Chromecast, your phone/tablet "hands off" the request to the Chromecast and the video goes directly from the Internet to the Chromecast. The control via tablet/phone is done through a "side" channel that Chromecast listens on, which also lets your phone/tablet know what Chromecast is doing.
For example, YouTube...
You open YouTube on your phone/tablet
You find a video
You cast it to your Chromecast
Chromecast "phones home" to Google to figure out how to handle the request (I think)
Google replies with "Use the YouTube app"
Chromecast runs its YouTube app to open the link and starts playing
While it's playing on, Chromecast sends its status to your phone/tablet and listens for control commands.
So... Using your phone's WiFi Hotspot for the Chromecast might (should?) work, and what'll happen is Chromecast will connect to your phone via WiFi, and your phone will connect to Internet via mobile network.
In this case the streaming performance will be limited by both your phone's mobile data speed as well as the WiFi connection speed/stability between your phone and the Chromecast.
While I don't necessarily think this will provide a good viewing experience, it's an interesting experiment.
If you have a rooted Chromecast with Kyocast, you should be able to use the un-timebombed AllCast/AirCast to stream video stored on your phone to the Chromecast. It'll still use mobile data to "phone home" (to the Kyocast server) to figure out how to deal with the request, which will launch the AllCast/AirCast magic. From there I believe the video data will stream directly from your phone to the Chromecast, not using your mobile data... I think.

bhiga said:
For native apps, Chromecast works more like a your phone/tablet in the fact that it pulls the requested data and plays on its own. The video isn't going from the Internet to your phone/tablet, then from your phone/tablet to the Chromecast, your phone/tablet "hands off" the request to the Chromecast and the video goes directly from the Internet to the Chromecast. The control via tablet/phone is done through a "side" channel that Chromecast listens on, which also lets your phone/tablet know what Chromecast is doing.
For example, YouTube...
You open YouTube on your phone/tablet
You find a video
You cast it to your Chromecast
Chromecast "phones home" to Google to figure out how to handle the request (I think)
Google replies with "Use the YouTube app"
Chromecast runs its YouTube app to open the link and starts playing
While it's playing on, Chromecast sends its status to your phone/tablet and listens for control commands.
So... Using your phone's WiFi Hotspot for the Chromecast might (should?) work, and what'll happen is Chromecast will connect to your phone via WiFi, and your phone will connect to Internet via mobile network.
In this case the streaming performance will be limited by both your phone's mobile data speed as well as the WiFi connection speed/stability between your phone and the Chromecast.
While I don't necessarily think this will provide a good viewing experience, it's an interesting experiment.
If you have a rooted Chromecast with Kyocast, you should be able to use the un-timebombed AllCast/AirCast to stream video stored on your phone to the Chromecast. It'll still use mobile data to "phone home" (to the Kyocast server) to figure out how to deal with the request, which will launch the AllCast/AirCast magic. From there I believe the video data will stream directly from your phone to the Chromecast, not using your mobile data... I think.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanx so much for all this data. Not sure whether I wanna try the rooting now. Will wait to see what Google has in store in the next month. It's rooting the dongle easy? Rooting phones comes naturally by now...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 4

It's really easy with Flashcast but if your Chromecast has been connected to the Internet for more than a few minutes then it has probably auto updated to a non-root able state.

-Lawless said:
ooOOoo interesting idea.
I'll have to try that this weekend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been doing that for weeks now, if you access 3G (4G) from your device then set it as an access point, and connect to its network with CC. Then all you need is something else to connect to Netflix and the same WiFi access point (a tablet for example or another phone) and you can send it to CC.
The other device is necessary because the Netflix app doesn't show the CC share icon when connected to 3G, whereas on the other device because it's connected to 3G through a mobile WiFi access point it does.
You could use a MiFi instead.
I use it in hotels this way with the CC plugged into the hotel TV (if I'm lucky)

Chromecast : worst experience ever !

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

Can't cast to Chromecast

I'm trying to cast my (Tab S2 9.7) screen to my Chromecast (v2). If I use the Google Cast app it sees my Chromecast, I choose the "cast screen/audio" option then get a warning that the device is not optimised, and when I continue nothing gets cast to the Chromecast - the tablet shows a "connecting to Chromecast" message which never goes away, and the TV/Chromecast screen remains blank.
If I use the Quick Connect option on the tablet it doesn't detect the Chromecast on the list of devices.
I'm running Android 6.0.1 (stock, unrooted).
Any ideas how I can cast to my Chromecast??

Google Cast works on my T810 using stock 6.0.1, so you must have a hardware problem. I'm assuming your connection to your router is OK from both your tablet and the Chromecast device because Google Cast sees the device. But to be sure, I'd re-install the Chromecast device on your network. If that fails, do you have another tablet you can use to test it? Or have you tried another HDMI port on the TV/Monitor? Or another TV? All I can say for sure is this isn't a general problem with MM on the T810 because I use it quite often.

lewmur said:
Google Cast works on my T810 using stock 6.0.1, so you must have a hardware problem. I'm assuming your connection to your router is OK from both your tablet and the Chromecast device because Google Cast sees the device. But to be sure, I'd re-install the Chromecast device on your network. If that fails, do you have another tablet you can use to test it? Or have you tried another HDMI port on the TV/Monitor? Or another TV? All I can say for sure is this isn't a general problem with MM on the T810 because I use it quite often.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine's an SM-T815. Anyone manage to Chromecast from one of these?
The Chromecast/TV setup seems fine - can cast from my phone no problem. Are you casting using the Google Cast app or the "Quick Connect" Samsung utility?

itm said:
Mine's an SM-T815. Anyone manage to Chromecast from one of these?
The Chromecast/TV setup seems fine - can cast from my phone no problem. Are you casting using the Google Cast app or the "Quick Connect" Samsung utility?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Samsung's Quick Connect connects via Bluetooth to transfer files. Google Cast connects via your wifi network and that's what I use. There is also a way to cast without a Chromecast device but I think that only works with Samsung Smart TVs.

lewmur said:
Samsung's Quick Connect connects via Bluetooth to transfer files. Google Cast connects via your wifi network and that's what I use. There is also a way to cast without a Chromecast device but I think that only works with Samsung Smart TVs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Eh? According to this, Quick Connect uses Bluetooth OR Wifi to connect to devices including Chromecasts:
http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/skp/faq/1108273

itm said:
Eh? According to this, Quick Connect uses Bluetooth OR Wifi to connect to devices including Chromecasts:
http://www.samsung.com/uk/support/skp/faq/1108273
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Maybe it's supposed to, but I just tried it and the only "nearby device" it found was "Samsung Cloud Print". Even with Bluetooth turned on. It doesn't even see my Desktop Computer, though it does show in my Bluetooth connections.
edit: I just had a chat with Samsung support and they are blaming Quick Connect not working on Google. Always the other guys fault.

lewmur said:
Maybe it's supposed to, but I just tried it and the only "nearby device" it found was "Samsung Cloud Print". Even with Bluetooth turned on. It doesn't even see my Desktop Computer, though it does show in my Bluetooth connections.
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Click to collapse
Mine can see my Samsung Smart TV and Onkyo A/V receiver (both wifi-only devices), but not the Chromecast :0(

itm said:
Mine can see my Samsung Smart TV and Onkyo A/V receiver (both wifi-only devices), but not the Chromecast :0(
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Click to collapse
The only thing I can think of is that maybe your Chromecast device is an older model?

lewmur said:
Maybe it's supposed to, but I just tried it and the only "nearby device" it found was "Samsung Cloud Print". Even with Bluetooth turned on. It doesn't even see my Desktop Computer, though it does show in my Bluetooth connections.
edit: I just had a chat with Samsung support and they are blaming Quick Connect not working on Google. Always the other guys fault.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lewmur said:
The only thing I can think of is that maybe your Chromecast device is an older model?
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Click to collapse
Interesting....I tried casting to an old Chromecast v1 (in another room) and it worked fine. Then I tried casting to the Chromecast v2 again, and this time it worked. I hadn't tampered with the Chromecast v2 at all. So now it's working, but I have no idea why it wasn't working before....?????

Hi Guys, sorry to butt in here, but you may be able to help me with my new Tab S2 9.7 64G Lolipop 6.0 (I think its 6.0) that I got for my 70yo mum to play movies on her Sony 46" non smart tv with either the Google Chrome Cast or MiraCast. I purchased a few micro USB to HDMI MTH?2.0 adaptors, and non of them show an image on her screen. I don't want to go and buy the Samsung adaptor as its easier to change movies play and pause using VLC media player while sitting on the couch for her. Can any of you please tell me the easiest dongle I can buy to simply play movies wireless to the HDMI dongle in the back of the tv? Happy to go Google Chrome, but which model do I need? Thanks in advance guys!

hamishw said:
Hi Guys, sorry to butt in here, but you may be able to help me with my new Tab S2 9.7 64G Lolipop 6.0 (I think its 6.0) that I got for my 70yo mum to play movies on her Sony 46" non smart tv with either the Google Chrome Cast or MiraCast. I purchased a few micro USB to HDMI MTH?2.0 adaptors, and non of them show an image on her screen. I don't want to go and buy the Samsung adaptor as its easier to change movies play and pause using VLC media player while sitting on the couch for her. Can any of you please tell me the easiest dongle I can buy to simply play movies wireless to the HDMI dongle in the back of the tv? Happy to go Google Chrome, but which model do I need? Thanks in advance guys!
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Click to collapse
The problem with HDMI/MHL dongles is that they are difficult to connect. Most of them will work if you have the patience to keep trying until the finally connect. But then, you are forced to leave your tablet within a few feet of the TV. I MUCH prefer a Chromecast dongle that plugs into the TV and uses your wifi to connect. Most TVs also have a USB port that you can use to power the dongle rather than having to plug a separate power adapter into a wall plug. Here is one on eBay that is only $17 whereas a "Google" branded one will cost about $40. You can even get cheaper ones if you are willing to ship from China.
The current software to mirror the tablet on the TV is "Google Home". But be warned, the picture is not "widescreen" or HD.

itm said:
I'm trying to cast my (Tab S2 9.7) screen to my Chromecast (v2). If I use the Google Cast app it sees my Chromecast, I choose the "cast screen/audio" option then get a warning that the device is not optimised, and when I continue nothing gets cast to the Chromecast - the tablet shows a "connecting to Chromecast" message which never goes away, and the TV/Chromecast screen remains blank.
If I use the Quick Connect option on the tablet it doesn't detect the Chromecast on the list of devices.
I'm running Android 6.0.1 (stock, unrooted).
Any ideas how I can cast to my Chromecast??
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Click to collapse
Absolutely go for Chromecast, the easiest and most reliable way to cast from any Android device to the TV.
Do NOT buy a cheap chromecast copy from Ebay, they do not work properly.
Pretty much everywhere is selling CHROMECAST very cheap at the moment in Black Friday promo deals.
Get it now while you can as the price will go back to normal soon!
What is your location?

ashyx said:
Absolutely go for Chromecast, the easiest and most reliable way to cast from any Android device to the TV.
Do NOT buy a cheap chromecast copy from Ebay, they do not work properly.
Pretty much everywhere is selling CHROMECAST very cheap at the moment in Black Friday promo deals.
Get it now while you can as the price will go back to normal soon!
What is your location?
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Click to collapse
Chromcast sounds like the go! Im in Perth - Western Australia.
If I update the VLC media player App will it work ok with Chromecast?

Screen casting with rooted Cc and no internet connection

I'm trying to get my stock Pixel to screen cast reliably to a Chromecast in my car. I've tried with a wi-fi hotspot and this seemed to drop out randomly which wasn't helpful whilst driving and then other times it wouldn't see an internet connection through it despite the phone being online.
So I've gone down the road of using a raspberry pi as a portable hotspot and rooting a Chromecast. This is more reliable once connected however the process of connecting is a bit tricky. At the moment I have to give the Chromecast an internet connection through a USB tether to the pi then connect to the wi-fi and cast screen. Eventually disconnecting the tether and the phone falls back to cell data whilst still casting the screen. My question is can I stop a rooted Chromecast with Eureka ROM needing an internet connection to be able to receive screen casts? I must note for some reason it only needs to be connected once after boot after that it will still be able to cast to despite complaining of no internet connection. Which is different to what a non rooted Cc did so it's like it's almost there but not quite.

Morphy99 said:
I'm trying to get my stock Pixel to screen cast reliably to a Chromecast in my car.
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Click to collapse
domsch1988 said:
I think the first thing to realize is, that the chromecast is not primarily intended as a screen mirror receiver. [...] There are great miracast receivers that do basically what you want.
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@Morphy99 - You should try the Miracast receiver from Microsoft (Microsoft Wireless Display Adapter v2). Works great with my Nexus 7 (2013) on Android 6 and the app "SecondScreen" for screen ratio correction! :good:

Yes I realise this unfortunately with the Pixel unrooted miracast is not possible. Another reason I should have gone Samsung. Ive got a cheap ez cast dongle coming which hopefully will do it, although I'm sceptical at the minute. I'll update you if it works.