Google Chromecast Review - An Awesome $35 HDMI Dongle
by Brian Klug on July 29, 2013 9:45 PM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Media Player
- Android
- Mobile
- HDMI
- Chrome
- Tablets
- Chromecast
Conclusions
Chromecast is everything the Nexus Q should’ve been. As its spiritual successor, the Chromecast finally delivers on the promise of an accessory to the Google Play and Chrome ecosystem for the TV. Chromecast works, and it works well, the Netflix and YouTube apps I’ve used from Android since getting it are quick to control the playback functions and reliably discover the Chromecast all the time.
After spending a week tearing my hair out over Miracast (which frankly has the worst interoperability in the entire industry), having Chromecast actually just work was a breath of fresh air. The Chromecast cloud-to-cast architecture makes a lot more sense than other models which try to decode on the phone, then re-encode and ship it over the same network, doubling compression artifacts, increasing battery drain, and requiring good signal. I can see why Google would not even bother including Miracast on the Chromecast at this point, and without a vast improvement to Miracast I frankly don’t even want it anymore.
For the price, the Chromecast is an amazing device that plays surprisingly well with the services it’s compatible with, and for everything else there’s always that browser tab streaming mode. I’d like to see more services added, but for now I’m totally pleased with how it works, so much so that I already bought a second Chromecast to hook up my second 55-inch TV.
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yun - Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - link
That's ok, they already know more about me than I do!superflex - Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - link
Precisely. More government data collection.Time to target those evil viewers of Fox News or Duck Dynasty.
FU Google.
StormyParis - Tuesday, July 30, 2013 - link
You're in luck: get a $50 USB stick (MK808...)Aravot - Friday, August 2, 2013 - link
I am using Android powered mini-PC MK808, bought it from ebay for $45 including shipping, works perfectly.BryanDobbins - Saturday, August 17, 2013 - link
like Lillian said I am startled that any body can profit $7923 in 4 weeks on the internet. did you look at this web site... http://xurl.es/qa0ukMikuni - Monday, July 29, 2013 - link
inb4 $50 or more for Europe.arnd - Monday, July 29, 2013 - link
Interestingly, the /proc/cpuinfo output shows that the 88de3005 uses a single Cortex-A9 CPU core, rather than Marvell's own PJ4 core that is in the dual-core 88de3100 (Armada 1500).rudolphna - Monday, July 29, 2013 - link
lololololol I love your wireless network names/computer names. Skynet, l33tn3ss? Molybdenum? Lol awesome man.Brian Klug - Monday, July 29, 2013 - link
Ha, I'm glad someone liked those :)-Brian
dvinnen - Monday, July 29, 2013 - link
I was planning to get one of these for traveling for work but you made it seem like a pain plus having to use a hotspot. It makes sense I guess and I didn't really think out that I wouldn't be networked to it over hotel wifi. I'll probably still get one to play around with though with it being so cheap.