- The Google Chromecast is a streaming media player, which means it lets you watch videos, listen to music, play games, and use other types of apps from the Internet on your TV.
- There are two models available: The basic Chromecast and the Chromecast Ultra, which supports 4K and HDR video and has a built-in Ethernet adapter.
- To set up either of the players, simply plug it into an HDMI port on your TV and use the Google Home app on your mobile device to connect it to the Internet.
In October 2018, Google released a new version of the Chromecast, with faster performance and some design changes to look more like its other devices, including the Chromecast Ultra, which hasn’t changed at all.
What is the Chromecast?
The Google Chromecast is a streaming media player, which means it takes content from the Internet and displays it on your TV.
The Chromecast comes in two flavours: Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra. The Ultra version supports 4K Ultra HD and HDR video and you can also use it with an Ethernet connection in addition to Wi-Fi. The regular Chromecast has a list price of $35 and the Chromecast Ultra is $69.
The Chromecast works differently than the Amazon Fire TV, the Roku, and the Apple TV, the other major streaming devices. Those players all have on-screen interfaces that display the channels/apps that can be played through them and they all come with remotes to navigate through the interface. With the Chromecast, you find the content you want to watch/listen to/play on your Android or iOS mobile device or in your Chrome browser and then “cast” it to your TV through the player. (You’re not actually sending the full signal to the Chromecast from your device; you’re just sending the URL and it picks it up directly from the Internet.)
What can you do with a Chromecast?
Watch Streaming Videos
Not surprisingly, the Chromecast can stream videos you buy from the Google Play store. But there are many other top content providers that work with it as well, including Netflix, Hulu, HBO GO/HBO NOW, Sling TV, ESPN, Disney, PBS, History, YouTube, NBA, and many more. The one major content provider that you can’t use with it is Amazon Video.
IMPORTANT: Buying a Chromecast does not give you access to the content you can watch on it, just like buying a TV does not give you access to cable TV shows. You need to have accounts with each streaming service that provides the content (some free, some paid) and/or subscribe to a cable/satellite package that gives you permission to access shows from specific networks through the Chromecast. For example, if you pay for HBO through your cable provider, then you can use the HBO GO app to stream their shows for free by using your cable company login. If you do not have cable or your package doesn’t include HBO, you can purchase the HBO NOW service and use that app to watch their shows.
Listen to Streaming Audio
The Chromecast lets you play music from several popular services as well, including their own Google Music, Pandora, Spotify, and iHeart Radio.
Find compatible apps for the Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra. >>
Mirror Your PC and Android Device Screens on Your TV
Using the Chrome browser on your Windows desktop or the Google Home app on your mobile device, you can mirror its entire screen to your TV. So, for example, it would let you watch a video that’s only available online or read your email or display a presentation on your screen.
NOTE:The difference between casting and mirroring is that with casting you can do other things on your computer without interrupting whatever content is being sent to your TV. So if I’m watching Jessica Jones in a Chrome browser tab and I cast it to the Chromecast, I can switch to my email and the video will continue playing. With mirroring, you’re basically just replicating whatever is displayed on your computer screen on your TV. So if you move from one program to another, the same thing will happen on your TV. In the Jessica Jones example, when I switch to my email client, that’s what will now show up on my TV.
Learn more about screen mirroring in this T4L post. >>
So is there anything NOT to love about the Chromecast?
Well, since nobody’s perfect, there are a few things.
- Since there’s no on-screen interface, you have to know whether a particular app works through the device. However, the Google Home app does have a search feature to make it easier to find those apps.
- I’m not a gamer myself, so I may be wrong, but it looks to me like the list of games that Chromecast supports isn’t as good as some of the other streaming media devices, which offer popular games like Crossy Road and Angry Birds. Plus, there’s no game console or motion control remote, so you definitely are limited to playing the more casual types of games.
My Two Cents
To be honest I rarely use my Chromecast, mainly because I’m just not someone who has a mobile device in my hand at all times; I much prefer using a remote when watching something on TV.
But that probably makes me a bit of an outlier or, at the very least, a bit of an old fogey. 🙂 For people who do use their phones or tablets for everything and are constantly using one app or another, the Chromecast is a very convenient option at a very good price. A while back I recorded an episode of The Luddite Lounge podcast with Ryan Downey from The Streaming Advisor. He gave an example that a Chromecast makes a great dorm room player, i.e. you’re sitting there studying and are in the mood to listen to some music so you open up your Pandora app and send it to your Chromecast. In other words, it would make a GREAT gift for your college-aged kids or grandkids. 🙂
Also, the Chrome browser extension can be very convenient for someone like me who’s constantly got my laptop open because you can easily watch videos or listen to music through your TV speakers without needing to deal with another piece of hardware.
Getting started with the Google Chromecast
The process for setting up and using the Chromecast is different than with the other players because it doesn’t have its own on-screen interface.
- Connect the Chromecast to your TV and plug it in. Switch the input on your TV for the port you’re using.
- Connect the Chromecast to the Internet. You can either do this through the Google Cast app on your Android or iOS phone or tablet or by downloading a special utility to your computer.
- Open apps for a content provider on your mobile device. Supported apps will have a casting icon that you click to send the info to the Chromecast.
Note: The instructions below are from a couple of years ago. There may be some changes to the interface since then, but the basic steps should remain the same.
Connect the Chromecast to your television and plug it in
Insert the Chromecast into one of the HDMI ports on your TV.
Note the number of the port (e.g. HDMI 1, HDMI 2…) and use your television remote (NOT your Roku remote) to switch to that input. You’ll know you’re on the right channel when you see the Chromecast setup message on the screen.
Note: If you don’t have your television’s remote, your cable/satellite/universal remote probably has an Input button but if it doesn’t your TV should have a button on it to switch inputs. When you want to go back to watching regular TV, use the Input button to switch back to the port where your TV signal goes into the TV.
Then connect the power cord’s mini-USB end to the Chromecast. You can either plug the other end into a USB port on your TV if you have one or you can plug it into the included adapter for a wall outlet. Note that there is no on or off switch for the Chromecast; it’s always on (but uses very little energy when it’s not actually in use).
Connect the Chromecast to the Internet
When you switch to the correct TV input, you’ll see a message directing you to go to chromecast.com/setup in a web browser, which basically just tells you where to download the Google Cast app for your phone or tablet.
Once it’s installed, it will automatically recognize your Chromecast device and walk you through the process of getting it setup with your Wi-Fi network. The instructions are very clear so I’m not going to repeat them here. I set mine up using the Google Cast app on my Android phone. Here are a few screenshots to give you an idea of what to expect as you go through the process. Some are from my phone and some are from the TV.
Note: If you don’t have access to a mobile device, you can go to the URL in your computer browser and it will give you a link to download a utility to walk you through the setup process.
Now you can…
Cast to the Chromecast from the content providers you want to watch/use
Open an app you want to cast to your TV. You can use the Chromecast app to find which other apps are on your device that work with the player.
NOTE: You can also use the Google Cast app to find other supported apps to install, as well as to manage your device settings.
The screenshots below are from the Netflix app on my Android phone.
Somewhere on the screen there will be a casting icon, usually at the top or bottom right.
Click that and it will open a menu listing all the devices it can find that it can cast to. In this case, I want to cast to my Chromecast2.
NOTE: As mentioned before, casting is not the same as mirroring. So you won’t see anything show up on your TV until you hit the play button for the video you want to watch (song you want to listen to, game you want to play, etc.)
Congratulations. You’re now ready to enjoy your Chromecast!
Cast to the Chromecast from Your Chrome Browser
To use this feature, you need a version of Chrome that has the casting feature built into it. You’ll know you have it because you’ll see the casting icon at the top right of the browser.
To cast the content of the tab you’re on, click the casting icon and select the name of the Chromecast device you want to cast to.
The page will display on your TV and if it has any media on it, like a video, you can start playing it in Chrome and it will play on your TV. Once it’s casting, you can switch to other tabs or other applications on your computer and that tab’s content will continue to appear on your TV.
If the streaming isn’t very good, you can adjust some settings by clicking on the casting icon again.
You can also mirror your entire screen to your TV by clicking the dropdown arrow and selecting that option. This is NOT like casting; anything you do on your computer will now show up on your TV screen.
You may also be interested in:
Streaming Media: News, Views, and How-Tos
How Many Gigs of Data Do You Need to Watch Streaming Movies and TV Shows?
Frequently Asked Questions about Streaming Media
The links below will take you to the Streaming Media FAQ page that has answers to questions relevant to streaming players and content in general.
Do I need a computer to use a streaming media player?
Do I need Internet service to use a streaming media player?
How fast does my Internet connection need to be for streaming movies and TV shows?
How many gigs of data do I need to watch streaming media?
Can I stream content using my cellphone's data plan?
Can I use a VPN service with a streaming media player?
Do I need cable or satellite service to use a streaming media player?
How does a streaming media player work with my cable/satellite service?
Can I watch "regular TV" through a streaming player?
If I have a streaming media player and an antenna, can I cancel my cable/satellite service?
Do I need a Smart TV to use a streaming media player?
Can I connect multiple streaming players to the same TV?
I have multiple TVs. Do I need a separate player for each one?
Can I use a streaming media player with an older TV?
How do I switch back to watch regular TV?
If I buy a Roku/Fire TV/Apple TV/Chromecast, is that a one-time cost or do I have to pay annually?
If I buy a streaming media player, why do I need to pay to watch videos?
What are the costs of the various streaming services you can use with your streaming media player?
Can I use a streaming media player outside the United States?