![Picture](/uploads/2/4/5/7/24574909/990313261.jpg?310)
Google’s Chromecast graced the market back in July (2013) in the USA to much praise as a unique take on the idea of turning a standard TV set into a ‘Smart’ one.
Since then however, it is still yet to officially expand its range elsewhere, being available as an import on Amazon UK with Prime delivery for approx £37 (at time of writing), considerably more than the $35 price tag, but still within an affordable price point.
There are plenty of reviews out there by now; but this one will look cover it all from the perspective of a UK buyer.
What Is It & How Does It Work?
It’s not often you need a section like this in a review, but with Chromecast it maybe necessary. Simply put, there is nothing quite like it. Having learned a harsh lesson with the Nexus Q, Google went back to the drawing board and returned with the much more appealing $35 dongle. The device is nothing more than a thumb drive sized HDMI dongle with built in WiFi, capable of receiving & playing streams of data, most commonly in the form of video. More specifically, it can playback YouTube, Netflix, Google’s Play services including TV/Movies and Music, and more recently; a host of other third party apps including Plex, Avia and RealPlayer Cloud amongst others.
Sounds great right? Well, there might be one catch for some. Chromecast is controlled entirely via an Android/iOS device or a browser. There is no way to control this via a remote, but that’s the whole idea. You browse and select what you want on the normal app for the given service, then hit the Chromecast button to choose to play it out on your TV instead of the device. It doesn’t work as you might first think, in most cases it is not that Chromecast receives a stream from the device in hand, the device sends the command to Chromecast, which then independently loads the stream. This is a far better approach, allowing for minimal hardware requirements and low battery drain for the operating device.
If you like a traditional TV interface and remote, this is not for you. If you don’t use a smartphone or tablet, this is not for you. If you already have a setup that can do most or all these things, this might not be for you.
Since then however, it is still yet to officially expand its range elsewhere, being available as an import on Amazon UK with Prime delivery for approx £37 (at time of writing), considerably more than the $35 price tag, but still within an affordable price point.
There are plenty of reviews out there by now; but this one will look cover it all from the perspective of a UK buyer.
What Is It & How Does It Work?
It’s not often you need a section like this in a review, but with Chromecast it maybe necessary. Simply put, there is nothing quite like it. Having learned a harsh lesson with the Nexus Q, Google went back to the drawing board and returned with the much more appealing $35 dongle. The device is nothing more than a thumb drive sized HDMI dongle with built in WiFi, capable of receiving & playing streams of data, most commonly in the form of video. More specifically, it can playback YouTube, Netflix, Google’s Play services including TV/Movies and Music, and more recently; a host of other third party apps including Plex, Avia and RealPlayer Cloud amongst others.
Sounds great right? Well, there might be one catch for some. Chromecast is controlled entirely via an Android/iOS device or a browser. There is no way to control this via a remote, but that’s the whole idea. You browse and select what you want on the normal app for the given service, then hit the Chromecast button to choose to play it out on your TV instead of the device. It doesn’t work as you might first think, in most cases it is not that Chromecast receives a stream from the device in hand, the device sends the command to Chromecast, which then independently loads the stream. This is a far better approach, allowing for minimal hardware requirements and low battery drain for the operating device.
If you like a traditional TV interface and remote, this is not for you. If you don’t use a smartphone or tablet, this is not for you. If you already have a setup that can do most or all these things, this might not be for you.
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/5/7/24574909/3186258.jpg?313)
Setup
Setting up the Chromecast is super simple, they advertise it as 3 easy steps, and that is no lie. Simply unbox it, plug the dongle into a free HDMI port on your TV (using the provided extender if wanted) as well as the USB power cable into either a USB port on your TV if it has one or into a USB wall socket (due to it currently being an import you will get a USA one, so that would need to be a separate purchase for now). After that, turn your TV on, navigate to the correct HDMI source and you’ll be presented with a ‘Set Up’ screen. At this point it’s just a case of downloading the Chromecast app for your device, making sure you are on your local WiFi and the app will find your Chromecast for you. A few quick settings later and you're ready to go!
Setting up the Chromecast is super simple, they advertise it as 3 easy steps, and that is no lie. Simply unbox it, plug the dongle into a free HDMI port on your TV (using the provided extender if wanted) as well as the USB power cable into either a USB port on your TV if it has one or into a USB wall socket (due to it currently being an import you will get a USA one, so that would need to be a separate purchase for now). After that, turn your TV on, navigate to the correct HDMI source and you’ll be presented with a ‘Set Up’ screen. At this point it’s just a case of downloading the Chromecast app for your device, making sure you are on your local WiFi and the app will find your Chromecast for you. A few quick settings later and you're ready to go!
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/5/7/24574909/7300063.png?268)
Ease Of Use
This bits just for mobile operation, Android or iOS. See below for PC/tab streaming. If you're already accustomed to using the supported apps on your device then using Chromecast is easy. In fact it’s no different. As soon as you're connected to a WiFi network with one or more Chromecast dongles running, supported apps will have a new Chromecast button appear. Simply tap that to select the Chromecast dongle you wish to stream to and the app will take care of the rest. From there you can pause, rewind, fast forward, change volume, swap, or stop content right from your phone or tablet. I can’t comment on iOS, but on Android; Chromecast playback can be controlled in the notification tray and on the lock screen with most apps.
Performance/Quality
Of course the quality and performance of Chromecast will depend greatly on your internet speeds & source of content, but generally speaking I found it to be impressive for the size and price of the device.
It’s capable of streaming at full HD at a decent bit rate, provided the source is good and your internet speeds are adequate, your image quality will more than acceptable. Not only that, but content generally starts very quickly with minimal buffer times, occasionally starting at a lower resolution for a few seconds before kicking into full quality. Delay between sending a command (pause, change track, volume etc) and Chromecast reacting is also almost nonexistent.
UK Compatibility
This section is short and sweet. For any UK buyer in doubt, everything I have tried, which is everything I’d be interested in using with my device works flawlessly. This includes YouTube, Play Music, Netflix, Plex and Avia.
Anyone with a more specific query feel free to give me a shout, I'll be happy to try test it for you.
This bits just for mobile operation, Android or iOS. See below for PC/tab streaming. If you're already accustomed to using the supported apps on your device then using Chromecast is easy. In fact it’s no different. As soon as you're connected to a WiFi network with one or more Chromecast dongles running, supported apps will have a new Chromecast button appear. Simply tap that to select the Chromecast dongle you wish to stream to and the app will take care of the rest. From there you can pause, rewind, fast forward, change volume, swap, or stop content right from your phone or tablet. I can’t comment on iOS, but on Android; Chromecast playback can be controlled in the notification tray and on the lock screen with most apps.
Performance/Quality
Of course the quality and performance of Chromecast will depend greatly on your internet speeds & source of content, but generally speaking I found it to be impressive for the size and price of the device.
It’s capable of streaming at full HD at a decent bit rate, provided the source is good and your internet speeds are adequate, your image quality will more than acceptable. Not only that, but content generally starts very quickly with minimal buffer times, occasionally starting at a lower resolution for a few seconds before kicking into full quality. Delay between sending a command (pause, change track, volume etc) and Chromecast reacting is also almost nonexistent.
UK Compatibility
This section is short and sweet. For any UK buyer in doubt, everything I have tried, which is everything I’d be interested in using with my device works flawlessly. This includes YouTube, Play Music, Netflix, Plex and Avia.
Anyone with a more specific query feel free to give me a shout, I'll be happy to try test it for you.
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/5/7/24574909/9678089.png?309)
Browser/Tab Casting
So far we've only looked at casting via Android/iOS, but Chromecast also allows you to cast via a regular computer too, simply install the Chomecast extension for Chrome and start casting any tab. Certain sites such as YouTube and Play Music will add the Chromecast button, allowing you to cast the video, song or playlist to your TV in the same way you would through a mobile device, otherwise though, you are able to cast a tab in full onto your TV. The performance isn’t great here, there’s always a delay on Chromecast compared to your operation, but everything is behind by the same factor. In other words, everything is smooth, just a few seconds behind your action, making it usable enough for showing a group something or to keep a tab open a separate screen. Note that casting a tab is literally that, no mouse or cursor will appear on the TV.
There is also an experimental feature allowing you cast your entire screen, at this stage I have found it to be just that though, experimental. At times it works, but will always come with some degree of lag, not making it particularly useful, will certainly be a feature to watch, however.
So far we've only looked at casting via Android/iOS, but Chromecast also allows you to cast via a regular computer too, simply install the Chomecast extension for Chrome and start casting any tab. Certain sites such as YouTube and Play Music will add the Chromecast button, allowing you to cast the video, song or playlist to your TV in the same way you would through a mobile device, otherwise though, you are able to cast a tab in full onto your TV. The performance isn’t great here, there’s always a delay on Chromecast compared to your operation, but everything is behind by the same factor. In other words, everything is smooth, just a few seconds behind your action, making it usable enough for showing a group something or to keep a tab open a separate screen. Note that casting a tab is literally that, no mouse or cursor will appear on the TV.
There is also an experimental feature allowing you cast your entire screen, at this stage I have found it to be just that though, experimental. At times it works, but will always come with some degree of lag, not making it particularly useful, will certainly be a feature to watch, however.
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/5/7/24574909/9480714.jpg?275)
Issues
Chromecast has a few little niggles I’ve noticed during regular use, nothing major but worth noting nonetheless:
The Competition & The Future
Although there is nothing else quite like Chromecast, it is certainly comparable to other streaming and media devices such as Roku and Apple TV. Despite the variety of price points between them all it'd be fair to say each offer their own set of pro's and con's. Having not owned either a Apple TV or Roku I can't compare from experience, but with a different set of available services for each it's certainly worth considering your usage requirements to decide which is best for you. With Chromecast only just opening up to more 3rd party applications we should expect to see many new apps and uses start to appear. I for one would be keen to see Gallery support; something I'm surprised was not available out the box. It seems like the ideal way to share photos with the family on a TV.
Chromecast has a few little niggles I’ve noticed during regular use, nothing major but worth noting nonetheless:
- Certain apps have ‘timeout’ issues where they often ‘forget’ they are casting. So far I’ve seen this with Plex & Play Music. Essentially the playback continues but the casting device is no longer aware and so has no controls. Your only option here is to reconnect your device to Chromecast and hope that it'll recognise it was already streaming and resume from where it was, otherwise it’ll stop playback and revert to the original screen. Certainly not ideal. I have heard from the Plex team that they are aware of this issue and are looking into it - assuming it’s something that can be rectified from their end we should see a fix there soon.
- No control over what devices can and can’t cast. Not a big deal for all, but essentially anyone on the same network can cast at any time, regardless of whether something is already playing. Not necessarily an issue, more likely a design choice; but could potentially be a deal breaker for some.
The Competition & The Future
Although there is nothing else quite like Chromecast, it is certainly comparable to other streaming and media devices such as Roku and Apple TV. Despite the variety of price points between them all it'd be fair to say each offer their own set of pro's and con's. Having not owned either a Apple TV or Roku I can't compare from experience, but with a different set of available services for each it's certainly worth considering your usage requirements to decide which is best for you. With Chromecast only just opening up to more 3rd party applications we should expect to see many new apps and uses start to appear. I for one would be keen to see Gallery support; something I'm surprised was not available out the box. It seems like the ideal way to share photos with the family on a TV.
![Picture](/uploads/2/4/5/7/24574909/463510199.png?152)
Summary
Even despite the UK import price hike, Chromecast delivers fantastic bang for buck, offering simplicity, speed, flexibility and convenience for anyone already using smartphones or tablets. With an already wide range of uses and application support it'll be interesting to see where Chromecast goes from here.
9/10
Even despite the UK import price hike, Chromecast delivers fantastic bang for buck, offering simplicity, speed, flexibility and convenience for anyone already using smartphones or tablets. With an already wide range of uses and application support it'll be interesting to see where Chromecast goes from here.
9/10