So the unit isn’t a fully self-contained gadget that will hide neatly and completely behind a TV. So it won’t take up precious space in an entertainment center.(2) It has a power cord: That micro USB port is for power you’ll need to run a USB cable from the Chromecast to the included power adapter or a USB port on your TV. But the really big deal is that you can control it all from a range of devices for a dirt-cheap price—a $35 price tag that could tip the scale for fence-sitters.Here’s what you most need to know about the little streaming stick that looks poised to make big waves.See also: 5 Cool Chromecast Hacks And Workarounds(1) Chromecast really is tiny: The stick is just three inches long, with a micro USB port on one end and a HDMI plug on the other. Google’s push for the living room got a fuel injection yesterday when the company revealed its Chromecast streaming stick.See also: 5 Ways Chromecast Grew Up This YearThe compact dongle can push Web video, music and pics from the cloud to your television. In case you haven’t setup your Chromecast yet, use a mobile device with Android or iOS to set it up.For more information on how to do that, refer to the Chromecast help: The latest Chromecast sale, bargains, discounts and online deals posted and verified by our savvy bargain hunters.Before we get started, make sure your Chromecast device is ready to receive streams.It’s not possible to setup Chromecast using a computer.
Buy Chromecast Mac OS 10Google’s new Googlecast Software Developer Kit could change all that, though. Just tap a button inside a compatible site or mobile app, like YouTube, and the device grabs the same clips, songs and pics from the cloud. The upside is that this won’t kill your mobile’s battery, and you can keep using your device without causing the stream to stutter or crash.The downside is that if you have a big media library saved on, say, your PC, you’d presumably first have to upload it YouTube or another compatible site before you can play it through your TV—at least for now. You can also resume watching, say, a Netflix movie on your mobile—whatever it is—from the precise moment where you left off on the TV, and vice versa.See also: Have Chromecast, Will Travel … Er, Maybe Not(5) It’s cloud-only: Unlike Apple’s AirPlay, Chromecast does not involve flinging saved files from a phone, tablet or laptop to the television. Support for other Chromebooks is in the works.That agnosticism extends beyond simple control of the Chromecast. Those can manage playback, pause, skip and even volume without any real setup or need to learn new sets of controls.(4) Chromecast is largely platform agnostic: You can control Chromecast from Android phones or tablets (version 2.3 or above), iOS devices (6.0 or higher), and computers with Chrome for Mac (Mac OS 10.7+) or Chrome for Windows (Windows 7+), as well as the Chromebook Pixel. It’s fully controllable from iPhones, Android phones and laptops—in other words, a variety of gadgets that lots of people already own.(For a list of resources, click here.)(7) If your media plays in a Chrome browser, it will play via Chromecast (for the most part): You don’t have to wait for specific apps to support it. The Chrome browser powers the device, and it’s capable of tossing practically anything from your laptop to Chromecast on your TV (though Silverlight and Quicktime videos need not apply, notes Wired). In time, though, there are sure to be others, thanks to the Googlecast SDK. (Yeah, I’m looking at you, Plex.)(6) Compatible streaming sources are limited now, but sure to grow: The list of current and future offerings cover only a few major sites, including YouTube, Netflix, Google Music, Pandora and Google Play TV & Movies.At this time, Best Buy online is the only Internet retailer I found that has inventory, and here too, it’s very likely to sell out quickly.At $35, it’s likely that many customers aren’t just buying one—they’re probably picking up piles of them, as Google recommended, for use on every TV in their house. Amazon briefly had it, but then also sold out. These details are daunting enough, but with the bad blood between Google and Apple, Chromecast has next to no chance of overcoming any of these issues.(9) Consumers are already swarming in: The Google Play store has sold out of Chromecasts, with the earliest ship date showing August 7 (as of this writing). It’s not like you can stream all of your iTunes media to any device with a browser. Although Apple does allow some streaming, it’s mostly aimed at other iOS or OS X devices. ITunes DRM (digital rights management) is fierce, and it has foiled countless other developers who’d like nothing better than to let their users enjoy iTunes videos.Things get even more complicated when you consider Chromecast’s cloud-only modus operandi, since shows you buy or rent from iTunes usually come via download.![]() ![]() (I confirmed this directly with Netflix.) If you factor that in, the already meager price of the Chromecast drops even lower still—to the tune of $11. This is not some restricted offer for new customers only, but a valid promotion for both new and existing subscribers. Grab it now.(10) The free Netflix promotion applies to everyone : Every product purchase comes with three months of Netflix for free. Mac os x emulator for windows 7But at this price, it’s tough to criticize it.This isn’t the first time Google has dabbled with connecting TVs. As mentioned, Chromecast can’t play locally stored media files (at least not out of the box, though there are workarounds), and it will likely never play iTunes movies. And it’s not easy to view a simple YouTube video on a Roku.That’s not to say that Chromecast can satisfy every one of your streaming needs. Interestingly, the company launched its own streaming stick last year, which plays 1080p HD, but at a high cost of $100. The Roku 2 XD can, but it costs $80. But so far, no single company has been able to deliver quite this combination of promised ease-of-use and cross-platform compatibility at a rock-bottom price.Roku comes close, but it doesn’t integrate with mobile platforms very well—apart from having a remote control app—and its least expensive unit, the Roku LT, is more expensive ($50) and can’t handle HD.
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