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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.
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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 ?

Chromecast and CAT5/6

I hate WiFi when it comes to media. Is there any possible way to run some CAT6 to my Chromecast and wire it in?
If not anything other device that works similar that I can hard wire?

Landmine said:
I hate WiFi when it comes to media. Is there any possible way to run some CAT6 to my Chromecast and wire it in?
If not anything other device that works similar that I can hard wire?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that I ever heard of, honestly, the CC does not have any issues with regard to wifi speeds for me, I too would prefer ethernet over wifi for everything, but never have any issues using wifi with this.
You can always hook up a roku with ethernet, though it won't have some applications like AllCast and the like, but it might be all you need, though I'm not sure what your exact needs are.
You can also buy a slimport adapter and run a hdmi cable from your device to your TV directly.
There are some TV's and devices (Netgear PTV 3000 IIRC) which support Miracast that I think you can get working, ooops nm that's wireless too.

Just looking to keep the wifi dependency limited. I'd like to see less buffering and less loading bars.

Landmine said:
Just looking to keep the wifi dependency limited. I'd like to see less buffering and less loading bars.
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Click to collapse
I never get buffering that's caused by the wifi...ever.

An HDMI extension cable and moving Chromecast away from the TV (out from behind, especially) can do wonders for WiFi reception and overall usability.

Kind of defeats the purpose of Chromecast.
If you are going to use a cable why don't you just run an hdmi from your PC.
No need for any of this unless you have a horrible wi fi connection.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda app-developers app

Richieboy67 said:
Kind of defeats the purpose of Chromecast.
If you are going to use a cable why don't you just run an hdmi from your PC.
No need for any of this unless you have a horrible wi fi connection.
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Click to collapse
I'm only going to half-agree here...
A good number of people have experienced much-improved streaming by moving their Chromecast away from the TV. Even with a powerful router, the TV itself is a pretty big obstruction for the signal.
There's a reason why Google includes an HDMI extender, beyond just stupid recessed HDMI ports.
Chromecast doesn't really give you a good indication when its WiFi signal is poor or unstable. So even if your other WiFi devices have great connectivity, that doesn't mean squat for the one WiFi device that is sitting right next to the giant EM-radiating/blocking TV, the Chromecast.

bhiga said:
I'm only going to half-agree here...
A good number of people have experienced much-improved streaming by moving their Chromecast away from the TV. Even with a powerful router, the TV itself is a pretty big obstruction for the signal.
There's a reason why Google includes an HDMI extender, beyond just stupid recessed HDMI ports.
Chromecast doesn't really give you a good indication when its WiFi signal is poor or unstable. So even if your other WiFi devices have great connectivity, that doesn't mean squat for the one WiFi device that is sitting right next to the giant EM-radiating/blocking TV, the Chromecast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must have misread the op. I thought he wanted to use a cable instead of wifi. Extending the chromecast away from the tv is different then running a network connection directly to your Chromecast.
My point was just that the CC is meant to be portable and simple..no need for a network cable, etc.
As for the extension cable, this is not really to separate your cc from the tv. It is an antenna to increase reception.

Richieboy67 said:
I must have misread the op. I thought he wanted to use a cable instead of wifi. Extending the chromecast away from the tv is different then running a network connection directly to your Chromecast.
My point was just that the CC is meant to be portable and simple..no need for a network cable, etc.
As for the extension cable, this is not really to separate your cc from the tv. It is an antenna to increase reception.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, you're right - the OP wanted to use a wired network connection rather than a wireless network connection.
Do you have a reference for the use of the HDMI extender as an antenna? I'm curious to know how they've pulled that off.

bhiga said:
No, you're right - the OP wanted to use a wired network connection rather than a wireless network connection.
Do you have a reference for the use of the HDMI extender as an antenna? I'm curious to know how they've pulled that off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not able to look that up right now but I could have sworn it said something about that right in the CC website in the description. I could be wrong though.
##I think I was wrong on that extender thing. I think you are right as it just being an extender mainly to use if you do not have room to plug in your CC. I am not sure how much reception it will really increase though which is part of the reason I thought it acted as an antenna. lol It seems to me they could figure out how to use the cable that way fairly easily but even if it was an antenna I am not sure how much it would help for the extra money it would have cost.
Fortunately for me I do not have many wifi issues at all. I can get a decent wifi connection at my mail box even but I could see people possible having issues in a big city where there are thousands of wifi signals all around. Here there are only 3 or 4 others I see.

Well I see no reason why it would not be possible to create a network dongle that could plug into the CCast to provide wired Network other than the software (aka OS) not supporting the drivers for the Dongle.
If Google was willing it would be easy for them to create a small dongle (like the HDMI Extender) that could provide power and also add a port for Ethernet. The USB seems to have a full wiring to accommodate external peripherals like a Network Dongle.
As to why you would want this it's to increase the available bandwidth for streaming and I agree with @bhiga that it hardly defeats the purpose of the CCast. I personally think the only reason the CCast doesn't have a wired connection at this point was to keep the price down below $45 where a Roku would be competitively priced option.
I sure expect if Google releases a NextGen CCast it will have Wired network capability...And hopefully more Codec and Container support than the current model does.

bhiga said:
An HDMI extension cable and moving Chromecast away from the TV (out from behind, especially) can do wonders for WiFi reception and overall usability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
bhiga said:
I'm only going to half-agree here...
A good number of people have experienced much-improved streaming by moving their Chromecast away from the TV. Even with a powerful router, the TV itself is a pretty big obstruction for the signal.
There's a reason why Google includes an HDMI extender, beyond just stupid recessed HDMI ports.
Chromecast doesn't really give you a good indication when its WiFi signal is poor or unstable. So even if your other WiFi devices have great connectivity, that doesn't mean squat for the one WiFi device that is sitting right next to the giant EM-radiating/blocking TV, the Chromecast.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is tangential, hopefully not too far off topic.
To see if your signal behind the TV is terrible, check out "Wifi Analyzer" and watch the signal strength -
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer
The TV blocking a wifi signal really depends on the geometry of the whole house, as well as the TV design and construction I would think.
Anyway, until there's a wired solution, that may prove helpful to some.

EarlyMon said:
This is tangential, hopefully not too far off topic.
To see if your signal behind the TV is terrible, check out "Wifi Analyzer" and watch the signal strength -
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.farproc.wifi.analyzer
The TV blocking a wifi signal really depends on the geometry of the whole house, as well as the TV design and construction I would think.
Anyway, until there's a wired solution, that may prove helpful to some.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's usually because the TV itself has a ton of shielding to protect it from outside interference and RF from the many devices that are usually located near it.
The quick and best solution is probably to add an AP range extender on the wall the TV is located.
Most people forget that Router placement is still important even despite the advances of the N Standard...
The new AC standard is supposed to solve that even better than N if I'm not mistaken.

Interference with Wireless Mouse/Keyboard?

I've been a huge supporter of Chromecast since the very beginning (I bought it on the day it was announced.), and have used it extensively since receiving it. But recently, my roommate is blaming Chromecast for interfering with his wireless Logitech keyboard and mouse. His bedroom is 2 rooms away from the Chromecast, with the wireless router located in the room between the Chromecast and his room (not sure if distance has an effect on it). I thought that Chromecast basically acts as a small WiFi network that communicates with your own router, and so if Chromecast is interfering, then all wireless networks (on 2.4 GHz band) would be causing interference as well. I've used a Microsoft wireless mouse quite often in our apartment, and have never had problems that I could attribute to Chromecast.
Are his concerns with Chromecast interference justified at all? Or has anyone else experienced issues like this?
I tried looking up if others had this problem, but wasn't able to find anything…

Quevvy said:
recently, my roommate is blaming Chromecast for interfering with his wireless Logitech keyboard and mouse. His bedroom is 2 rooms away from the Chromecast, with the wireless router located in the room between the Chromecast and his room (not sure if distance has an effect on it). I thought that Chromecast basically acts as a small WiFi network that communicates with your own router, and so if Chromecast is interfering, then all wireless networks (on 2.4 GHz band) would be causing interference as well. I've used a Microsoft wireless mouse quite often in our apartment, and have never had problems that I could attribute to Chromecast.
Are his concerns with Chromecast interference justified at all? Or has anyone else experienced issues like this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chromecast is a wireless client just like your phone, tablet, laptop, etc. Same rules apply, and I do not believe its radio is any more powerful than standard, so unless your roommate's keyboard/mouse receiver is extremely close to Chromecast, I can't think of a reason it would be troublesome. Especially from a bedroom away.
More likely his keyboard/mouse receiver is too close to another wireless antenna.
That said, my bedroom TV (which is on the other side of the wall from my router) has been picking up interference on the audio channel from the router. I know it's from the router because I turned off the router's radio and the interference went away. Also, repositioning the router (moving it so it's diagonal rather than exactly opposite the TV) changes the amount of interference. Keep in mind this is an old analog TV that is connected to Chromecast through a mess of spare converters (that cost more than Chromecast) I had.
So inteference can happen, but I really don't think it's from Chromecast in your case.
Have you roommate try new batteries in their keyboard/mouse - and try putting the USB receiver on a hub, extension cable, or in a different USB port and see if that makes a difference.
If the problem is lag, it could also be the system itself getting USB errors from another USB device.
You could also change the 2.4 GHz wireless channel on the router, but as you said before, if it's really the network it would be affected by just about any network traffic, not just Chromecast.
Of course the easiest elimination is simply to unplug Chromecast and wait until the keyboard/mouse problem reappears. Almost certain it will happen without Chromecast in the mix, unless Chromecast is the only wireless device in the place.

Use Wifi Mouse for Android/iOS. It works flawlessly with my desktop streaming to Chromecast two rooms away
http://wifimouse.necta.us/

Tell your roommate to change his wireless mouse's channel.

Help - jerky playback

Hi guys,
I have received a US version of chromecast and it set up all fine on my network.
The problem is, no matter if the video is online or on my phone, no matter if I use localcast or Allcast, I am still getting the same problem... jerky playback.
It will play for around 8 seconds and then freeze for around 5 Seconds. It is really doing my head in.
The router is right next to my TV (inches away from the chrome cast dongle) and I have a 60mbs connection (42mbs using speedtest.net)
I even tested my connection by streaming the same 720p video to my phone at the same time as to my chromecast, my phone played it fine where as the chromecast jerked as I explained above.
I have checked my wifi traffic and my router is using totally a clear channel range (9-13)
my router is a virgin media branded netgear superhub 2 (vmdg485)
I'm not sure what software version my chromecast has but it updated when I was setting it up.
Can someone please shed some light onto the situation?
I'm willing to do anything to get it working right! (My dad has 2 of them and has the same type of router as me and doesn't have a single problem with his although his are the UK versions of chromecast)

Definitely sounds like an issue with Chromecast's network accessibility.
First off, move Chromecast farther away from your router. Having two wireless devices too close to each other will also cause interference. Use the HDMI extender if you aren't already using it so Chromecast is also farther from the frame of your TV, especially if you have ports that plug parallel to the TV (running against the chassis), rather than perpendicular (sticking out).
Just checking, are you using a VPN or DNS redirector (Unotelly, Unlocator, etc)?
I believe Netflix works in the UK? If so, you can try the Netflix diagnostic video to see what Chromecast's bitrate is.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/har...or-video-check-chromecast-throughput-t2820546
Most likely your issue is simply that Chromecast is getting very poor WiFi reception.
I bet a savvy developer could make a few $ by writing a Chromecast network throughput test app...

bhiga said:
Definitely sounds like an issue with Chromecast's network accessibility.
First off, move Chromecast farther away from your router. Having two wireless devices too close to each other will also cause interference. Use the HDMI extender if you aren't already using it so Chromecast is also farther from the frame of your TV, especially if you have ports that plug parallel to the TV (running against the chassis), rather than perpendicular (sticking out).
Just checking, are you using a VPN or DNS redirector (Unotelly, Unlocator, etc)?
I believe Netflix works in the UK? If so, you can try the Netflix diagnostic video to see what Chromecast's bitrate is.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/har...or-video-check-chromecast-throughput-t2820546
Most likely your issue is simply that Chromecast is getting very poor WiFi reception.
I bet a savvy developer could make a few $ by writing a Chromecast network throughput test app...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have found what the issue is, the chromecast is overheating.
I have been carefully taking note on what happens.
It will play fine for around 1:30 hours, then the lip sync starts to go off a little, and then the playback becomes unwatchable due to it jerking so much.
I have checked the chromecast and the outer case must be around 45°c (the same temperature as one of them baths you have to slowly lower yourself in to, in fear of scalding your manhood) lol.
Can anything be done for a chromecast which overheats?

Chillerhippie said:
I have checked the chromecast and the outer case must be around 45°c (the same temperature as one of them baths you have to slowly lower yourself in to, in fear of scalding your manhood) lol.
Can anything be done for a chromecast which overheats?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it's meant to run a little hot, the Chromecast chassis is half heatsink, so it's made to transfer heat to the outside.
My units run around 54C (I assume it's internal temperature).
The biggest and best thing to do is to use the HDMI extender or a longer HDMI extension cable to get Chromecast farther from the television (which is quite the heat source itself).
It'll also improve Chromecast's WiFi reception so it's a win-win.

I was thinking about doing this:
(minus the bit with the antenna.) I have a few heat syncs lying around I could do it with.
Do you think it's worth the effort or a bit of an overkill?

Chillerhippie said:
I was thinking about doing this:
(minus the bit with the antenna.) I have a few heat syncs lying around I could do it with.
Do you think it's worth the effort or a bit of an overkill?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting and fun, but definitely overkill. I would go through the troubleshooting and get a replacement from Google before going to this (warranty voiding) extreme.
At least in the US Chromecast RMA was quick and zero cost, Google paid shipping both ways.

Raspberry Pi wireless streaming server, is it possible?

Hi all,
A few years back I made a system for in the car based on a Raspberry Pi 2, it incorporated a Rpi2, a hdmi splitter and OSMC installed. I made 2 7" IPS LCD screens with custom made housing that attached to the front seat head rests. This way I could play movies in the car for the children when we were traveling with the car. It really worked well and I could control the movies by using the wifi access point feature in OSMC and the Kodi remote control app for Android.
Downside is that both children (a girl and a boy) have to watch the same movie and now that they're 6 and 5 there's a constant struggle as my son doesn't like barbie movies and my daughter does not like teenage mutant ninja turtles!
So, I want to make a new one. My plan is to use a Rpi3 as media server with hard drive attached and kodi on 2 android tablets connected via Wifi to the Rpi3. This way it must me possible for them to choose and watch their own movie seperately.
Is this possible? And is the internal wifi adapter fast enough as I didn't have too much luck with this (very unstable en below average speeds). I could also us a Wifi access point connected to the RJ45 network connector. Or buy the new RPi3+ which has a 300 Mb network port and maybe improved wifi?
I looked everywhere for some guide but I don't seem to find it.
Anyone good tips??

Yeah it's surely possible dude/dudette. But the question is would it be entirely practical is a different story.
The RPi 3B+ has the network capabilities you are after (as long as you're not streaming 1080p across the network for both tablets), the only thing is for it to be effective would be the tablets need 5ghz connections also to utilise the 5ghz networking speeds. I don't have the data sheet on hand which tells me the speeds but 2.4ghz certainly wouldn't suffice both streaming.
The only problem you would encounter would be is Read speeds of the RPi 3B+ and is it worth destroying a hard drive by putting it in a car (vibrations/G forces *if you crash*) is it worth it? I know HDDs are cheap these days so it might not even be a worthwhile issue in today's world.
I wouldn't bother with an ethernet connection, you could utilise the USB to RJ45 Gigabit speeds it apparently allows. Yet again Read speeds might be the downfall on SD cards unless you have a uber SD card.