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Chromecast is a nifty little gadget. Cheap and easy to setup, it makes its pseudo-internet TV capabilities accessible to the masses. One problem: for the media dongle to achieve its full functionality, we’ll be waiting for companies to individually green-light their apps as compatible. This means, at first, that Chromecast users are quite limited in content options.
The CyanogenMod team has addressed the issue by building in functionality to their Android ROM that allows any media app, audio or video, to stream to your television via Chromecast. And it couldn’t be more simple. Just load content and an option will appear in the notification tray.
So why couldn’t Google introduce something like this out of the gates? Admittedly, the answer isn’t so simple. Just look at Google TV. Plenty of networks that offer free streaming content on their websites blocked said content on Google TV because the fact that the video comes through a TV is somehow different than streaming over the internet. So, considering licensing and everything that goes with it, we’re sure companies like Hulu and HBO wouldn’t appreciate Google giving users the ability to stream from their apps to a TV without official support. Thems the breaks.
But still, it’s surprising how easily the task was accomplished, which highlights Chromecasts one true weakness. It has all the tools to success, from price to function, but without the content, it could just be another flop in a long run of Google products for TV.
Backordered for 2-3 months….yeah…. looks like another flop….
Buy it from Google Play.
Troll is trolling
I think he’s making a dig at Kevin for saying it’s a flop. Why would a device that sold out so quick and is on a 2-3 month backorder from one of the largest retailers be a flop? Looks like they sold more than expected (ie. Not a flop)
Exactly. I guess you really do have to put :sarcasm: after any sarcastic thing you say. I thought the context would have been enough, but…you know….
Yeah beardy Trolls do that
I picked up another one at my local best buy today
I am loving mine… I don’t know why people are so iffy on this device. It does what it says and is simple as pie.
love mine also especially for the price. Mostly using it for netflix. I’d be happy if they just add HBO GO streaming support (which it sounds like it may be coming), anything past that is just gravy for me.
Nice to see Android finally catching up with Apple’s AirPlay feature.
when will Airplay let you simultaneously airplay a video on the tv screen from the iPhone and then let the user check other things on their iPhone like email, texts, etc, without interrupting the airplay video?
Who knows? But are you suggesting that feature will never come?
He is telling you that Chromecast is already ahead of airplay on many levels.
Well sure. It’s also behind on many levels.
It’s also only about 2 weeks old and the SDK is still basically in Beta form. Give it time.
sheep are ok with waiting for their iMothership yet have no time for other tech companies. They are a sad bunch.
a 1.0 release.. not too far behind. Apple TV has been out for years and they keep taking away features and letting the platform languish. Poor sheep.
Yet the Apple TV still outsells devices like the Roku with virtually no marketing behind it. Why is that?
sheep
No hes merely invalidating your troll comment, plenty of google devices (google tv, and current Samsung phones) have been doing that for a while. If apple had any plans on doing that already it would have been done, unless they wanna take the hipster approach, change the buffering load bar, patent it and call it innovative.
Any mention of anything other than Android is immediately deemed trolling. How convenient.
whine much
Just an observation. BlackBerry! Okay, now rip me for being a troll.
Glad u see it my way :) and no not anything that isnt android just invalid statements, especially when make comments like this on a android website regarding an apple product, unless u havent been on here long , you should know by now your just asking for it. If you had any basis to what u were saying than i would have not said a peep, would have been a checkmate for apple. That being said i dont see why apple couldn’t cook some of google’s genius ideas into their devices instead of trying to sue enduring right out of their pants. Their already starting with their new ios7 ui lol…
Is this built into current CM nightlies, or is this another tease of something that is “working but not going to be released to the general public anytime soon” for chromecast?
Yeah, I think it would be a good idea to check the CM Nightly changelogs for the HTC One and Nexus 4… Those two get really quick nightlies.
The only reason I can see why Google is locking it down so hard is to preemptively keep the content owners (HBO, CBS, etc) happy. I have a feeling if they designed something like this into the OS, the content owners would hold it against the content buyers (Netflix, Hulu, etc.). But for gods sake, at least let me cast my pictures to my TV!
I don’t really care if Google doesn’t build this right into Android for that very reason; the content controllers would never go for it, at least not voluntarily at first.
Still, good on the CM team for making this a reality! Open source at it’s best right here!
been off of CM for a few months….waiting for 10.2 to drop for my device to give it a go. hopefully this will come standard in 10.2 builds.
I just installed 10.2 on my s3 Tuesday and its running flawlessly….found the ROM in highonandroid.com which I subscribe to……….
if i don’t see a d2att 10.2 CM ROM from “get.cm” then i’m not installing it :)
Good call! I I tried unofficial cm10.2 on my vzw gnex and though things seemed fine, I got an angry call from my gf saying I sent the same txt 26 times and the next txt 16 times! I only sent one each though! Definitely some flaws to work out
Instead of focusing on what it doesn’t offer out of the gate you should be giving some praise to Koushik for his super freak skills with what he’s going to allow us to do with the device. I’m surprised you didn’t drop an Apple TV comparison in here. Did you post this to the wrong forum Kevin? I bet Chavez wouldn’t speculate this as another “flop” . . . tool
give it a rest bro….
I am still waiting for mine too. Ordered on Google and it says 2-3 week for delivery. It use to say 3-4 weeks
I picked mine up at Best Buy. It was faster than shipping, and I was lucky enough to get the Netflix promo too.
There is NO limitation people!!!
They released an API…ANY APP DEV CAN SUPPORT IT.
In a few weeks theres going to be a TON of apps that stream to it natively anyway.
Actually, as of now, each app has to be ‘whitelisted’, so only the ones that Google officially approves will be able to work. Even if they released the apps to sideload, they would not work.
*Ahem* root.
How is Koush not head of Android Engineering by now???
The Beardy Troll strikes again, misusing words and being assumpsious, despite the fact that it has sold out which indicates the complete opposite of what hes indicating. Go crash a jack links commercial or something troll
I Fn love android!
<3 CM
i wanna buy this…but i have no reason to get it honestly id be a novelty id never use…i have my xbox to stream netflix and hbo go
any word on the app version of this that he was working on? I like my clean rom and dont want to lose my s-pen stuff by switching to cm. but i may have to cuz this is awesome
I don’t see it. I have last night’s nightly build on my Galaxy Nexus and I don’t see anything that would allow me to Chromecast. I’ve tried several video players. What do you have to do to enable it?
it’s expected to be in an upcoming release–as a previous commentor stated, “”Keep in mind, this will not be distributed until the Chromecast SDK is finalized/allows it.”
Cant wait to get one or 2 of these bad boys for home. Heres hoping the local Best Buy or Frys has one in stock.
Mine does! Picked up a second one this morning
Is this streaming “through your device” like chromecast can do when you mirror a tab on your laptop, or is it acting the same way as it does with Netflix so your mobile device isn’t bottlenecking?
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Exactly. I guess you really do
have to put :sarcasm: after any sarcastic thing you say. I thought the
context would have been enough, but…you know….
That’s what I’m dying to know as well! Someone enlighten us!
This has to be done the same way as mirroring your tab. However that should really work well since it is all going across your wifi network. Someone needs to say how well it actually works.
Only problem as I see it is you’re creating another potential bottleneck when it passes through your (mobile) device.
Okay this is awesome but I am wondering whats the viability of using this newfound feature to stream emulators or games? Is it feasible? If so I am buying one in a heartbeat
yeah sadly it seems like it’s only apps that employ the Media apps (music/video player). if they enable something like a mira-cast feature (full screen mirroring of device or apps) then the Chromecast will completely blow away all miracast devices (which the lowest i’ve found is $59 (netgear ptv3000).
playing muppen64 on the tv would be amazing (outside of my current setup of DropSync on s4 synced to my GNEX which is connected to my tv via $12 mhl adapter) with my ps3 controller.
thats a bummer =/
Hulu and HBO can go to hell.
“Keep in mind, this will not be distributed until the Chromecast SDK is finalized/allows it.”
https://plus.google.com/+CyanogenMod/posts/7Fhq67R9oar
What CM needs most is web video hardware support other than Flash. On most devices web video sucks.
up and running on pc window 8, Utube works fine, I am unable to push the screen as I see it om to the tv. any help? runs fine from the S III phone, help thanks
” we’re sure companies like Hulu and HBO wouldn’t appreciate Google giving users the ability to stream from their apps to a TV without official support.”
HBO’s official Android app (HBO Go) already does have official support for streaming to a TV! The app has HDMI output enabled. I watched Game of Thrones Seasons 1-3, on my TV using an MHL cable.
Netflix also has HDMI output to TV enabled.
I don’t use Hulu, so can’t comment on whether it has HDMI output enabled or not.