Chromecast - will you get it?

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  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    interesting article on El Reg about it today:

    Google Chromecast: Why it's the most important smart TV tech ever
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/07/27/why_chromecast_is_important/
  • alanwarwicalanwarwic Posts: 28,396
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    https://developers.google.com/cast/supported_media_types

    So that is the supported types. No sign of any wm9 etc and no mention if the whole list uses hardware decoding.
    All a bit weird when you consider Tegra 3 tablets wont decode the 1080p VP8 youtube whilst chromecast will decode it. So what video you see on your tablet wont always be what you get.

    And I also sense the beta screen mirroring is the most important aspect.
    Equally important is them shouting out loud and clear 'our stuff will also work with walled garden stuff'.
  • RestorerRestorer Posts: 2,092
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    Can't wait to get my hands on one but sadly it looks like Google yet again has woefully miscalculated demand. We may have a very long wait :(.
  • Tom2023Tom2023 Posts: 2,059
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    The Phazer wrote: »
    It won't be much good for that.

    Effectively in that case it just takes a webcam image of the action and forwards it on to the Chomekey. It'll look crappy, and won't cope with fast motion well at all.

    You speak from real life experience or from some other orifice?
  • Tom2023Tom2023 Posts: 2,059
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    Restorer wrote: »
    Can't wait to get my hands on one but sadly it looks like Google yet again has woefully miscalculated demand. We may have a very long wait :(.

    The internet to TV device market has been begging to be filled. I expect we'll see a few clone devices out by Christmas.
  • RestorerRestorer Posts: 2,092
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    Tom2023 wrote: »
    The internet to TV device market has been begging to be filled. I expect we'll see a few clone devices out by Christmas.

    Hope it doesn't take that long for Google to replenish supplies and get the thing out over here. You would have thought the Nexus experience would have seen them well prepared this time around :rolleyes:.
  • buglawtonbuglawton Posts: 1,258
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    I already found that plugging HDMI things into the back to the TV s a tight fit, I have recessed horizontal HDMI sockets for example, so HDMI plugs sit flush to the TV back.
    Plus, WiFi does not work best in that screened position. I am going to have to put this on a short extension lead at least - so will this work?
  • flagpoleflagpole Posts: 44,641
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    buglawton wrote: »
    I already found that plugging HDMI things into the back to the TV s a tight fit, I have recessed horizontal HDMI sockets for example, so HDMI plugs sit flush to the TV back.
    Plus, WiFi does not work best in that screened position. I am going to have to put this on a short extension lead at least - so will this work?

    yes..
  • RestorerRestorer Posts: 2,092
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    buglawton wrote: »
    I already found that plugging HDMI things into the back to the TV s a tight fit, I have recessed horizontal HDMI sockets for example, so HDMI plugs sit flush to the TV back.
    Plus, WiFi does not work best in that screened position. I am going to have to put this on a short extension lead at least - so will this work?

    It also comes with its own HDMI extender cable.
  • buglawtonbuglawton Posts: 1,258
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    Great, well these should be available to the UK market by Xmas, let's see how big the mark-up on the USD price will be. I'm thinking, anyone could have thought of this idea, the real buzz is around the price and the big brand name.
  • JasonJason Posts: 76,557
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    Kargo wrote: »
    I wonder how long before its hacked so it can be used to run XBMC

    Not long it seems - already rooted ..

    http://blog.gtvhacker.com/2013/chromecast-exploiting-the-newest-device-by-google/
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 120
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    Don't use Chrome, don't plan on doing so in the near future, so it's not worth it. Already have an AppleTV anyway, and AirPlay does the same job more effectively.
  • GormondGormond Posts: 15,838
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    TVPaulD wrote: »
    Don't use Chrome, don't plan on doing so in the near future, so it's not worth it. Already have an AppleTV anyway, and AirPlay does the same job more effectively.

    In what way?
  • JasonJason Posts: 76,557
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    I posted a message on the airplay forum as I wasn't quite sure about how to get it to connect remotely to my NAS drive via the my Virgin Superhub. I explained I wasn't the most knowledgable about IP addressing e.t.c..

    The reply ?. "We suggest you learn it .." :rolleyes:
  • GormondGormond Posts: 15,838
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    I posted a message on the airplay forum as I wasn't quite sure about how to get it to connect remotely to my NAS drive via the my Virgin Superhub. I explained I wasn't the most knowledgable about IP addressing e.t.c..

    The reply ?. "We suggest you learn it .." :rolleyes:

    I assume your AppleTV is hacked then?

    I didn't have any issue connecting to my NAS with it.
  • JasonJason Posts: 76,557
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    Gormond wrote: »
    I assume your AppleTV is hacked then?

    I didn't have any issue connecting to my NAS with it.

    Ack! Sorry, my mistake .. I was thinking of the Airplayer app i've got on the iPhone .. *runs away, embarrassed* :)
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 120
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    Gormond wrote: »
    In what way?

    More supported services (of course Google will be working to close that gap), games and better mirroring support. And when OS X Mavericks launches, Multi-Screen support.
  • beefybeefbeefybeef Posts: 3,238
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    buglawton wrote: »
    Great, well these should be available to the UK market by Xmas, let's see how big the mark-up on the USD price will be. I'm thinking, anyone could have thought of this idea, the real buzz is around the price and the big brand name.

    I hope we don't have to wait as long as Christmas. I only found out about the Chromecast last night and for the price, I think it'll be well worth having. I read in at least one article (don't ask me to quote because I can't remember where) that it'll be "a few weeks" to be available in the UK. I know it's out of stock in the USA, but that doesn't mean there is no reserved stock for elsewhere. I hope so anyway! :)
  • buglawtonbuglawton Posts: 1,258
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    I had a momentary dream of being able to stream anything that moves inside a browser on an iPad to the TV. Then realised that you often have to use apps on an iPad for streaming video and maybe Flash in a browser on Android.
    Anyway, that dream looks a bit shattered having read this review:
    http://blog.chron.com/techblog/2013/07/review-googles-chromecast/
    so no hurry to order one of these now for me.
  • RestorerRestorer Posts: 2,092
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    beefybeef wrote: »
    I know it's out of stock in the USA, but that doesn't mean there is no reserved stock for elsewhere. I hope so anyway! :)


    Ha-ha. Nice to see your optimism but that is exactly what they said about the Nexus range last year.

    I really can't think why, but Google seems pathologically committed to misunderstanding the principles behind supply and demand :D.
  • buglawtonbuglawton Posts: 1,258
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    This Chromecast idea has put me in the frame of mind to buy an Apple TV, since I was reading some comparison reviews. THis because we have a bit of an Applie iThing ecosystem at home.

    There's a key point I'm trying to clarify though:

    - Chromecast definitely does NOT use your tablet or phone as a bridge (or mirror) when streaming, so there's one hop from WiFi router to dongle an minimal practical amount of WiFi traffic.

    - With ATV, I just cannot find any proof that it does not stream VIA the handheld iThing or Android tablet - so doubling the WiFi traffic. This latter point is the deal maker or breaker for me (price, up to say £100, is not).
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 120
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    buglawton wrote: »
    This Chromecast idea has put me in the frame of mind to buy an Apple TV, since I was reading some comparison reviews. THis because we have a bit of an Applie iThing ecosystem at home.

    There's a key point I'm trying to clarify though:

    - Chromecast definitely does NOT use your tablet or phone as a bridge (or mirror) when streaming, so there's one hop from WiFi router to dongle an minimal practical amount of WiFi traffic.

    - With ATV, I just cannot find any proof that it does not stream VIA the handheld iThing or Android tablet - so doubling the WiFi traffic. This latter point is the deal maker or breaker for me (price, up to say £100, is not).
    I don't necessarily agree with your read on the situation, but AirPlay does take the feed from the device rather than the web, yes. The reason I disagree is that while there is theoretically a slight reduction in Wi-Fi use the way Chromecast does it, there's also at least two more potential points of failure, since the device and the Chromecast each communicate two ways with the internet and two ways over Wi-Fi with each other. More information the differences between them here.
  • alanwarwicalanwarwic Posts: 28,396
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    Images of that £10 NowTV show they have near enough cloned the Apple TV in tiny plastic square box looks.
    Likewise it is as power hungry, usually needing more power than just a TV USB port.

    As it also has XBMC server like facilities by installing Plex, it looks a good starting point for HDMI TV devices.
    BTW, I have my doubts that Apple will allow any screen casting from Chromecast.

    http://www.anandtech.com/show/7186/google-chromecast-review-an-awesome-35-hdmi-dongle#

    Anand should give all the Chromecast negatives too.
  • buglawtonbuglawton Posts: 1,258
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    TVPaulD wrote: »
    I don't necessarily agree with your read on the situation, but AirPlay does take the feed from the device rather than the web, yes. The reason I disagree is that while there is theoretically a slight reduction in Wi-Fi use the way Chromecast does it, there's also at least two more potential points of failure, since the device and the Chromecast each communicate two ways with the internet and two ways over Wi-Fi with each other. More information the differences between them here.

    I don't yet fully understand the situation, hope my post made that clear and that is what my question was about.

    Your answer begins to confirm what I feared - ip traffic from router to iphone, the back to router, then to ATV. Is that not a tripling of data traffic on the home WiFi network? And presumably, as soon as you stop streaming on the iPhone, the ATV streaming stops too?

    The idea, if true, of so much WiiF traffic (and battery drain on the iPhone) makes me wince, and makes the ATV a no-no for me. Should be so trivial to fix too, considered Apples''s billions stashed away that could be used for product enhancements.

    Maybe, if my 'take' as you put is turns out to be correct, then Chromecast will put the appropriate rocket up Apple's backside to make them improve ATV to compete on this performance/data miserliness aspect.
  • noise747noise747 Posts: 30,695
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    My PS3 do eveything I want, so I will not be buying a Chromecast
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