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teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqFdNvxLjCY&hd=1

What is the Nexus Player?
The Nexus Player is a digital media player co-developed by Google and Asus. It is the second media player in the Google Nexus family of consumer devices. Running the Android 5.0 ("Lollipop") operating system, it is the first device to employ the Android TV platform. The Nexus player supports Google Cast, the feature for selecting and controlling media playback on a television from a variety of devices that was first introduced by Chromecast.

What features does it have?
  • Less browsing, more watching
    Pick from personalized recommendations that appear automatically on your home screen.

  • Google Cast Ready
    Cast your favorite entertainment apps from your Android or iOS device, Mac or Windows laptop, or Chromebook to the TV.

  • Start here, finish there
    Content syncs across Android devices so you can start a movie on your TV and finish it on your tablet in bed.

  • Elegant remote with voice search
    Nexus Player comes with a voice-activated remote, perfect for playing casual games and finding your favorite shows.

  • Say what you want to see
    Just press the mic button and say “Gravity” to find it without having to dig through your media library.

  • Precise gamepad for serious gaming
    Gamepad for Nexus Player (sold separately) is engineered for fine-tuned control of your favorite Android games.

How's the app catalog?
Sizeable and comparable to pretty much every other streamer on the market. You install apps via Google Play, which include the likes of, Google Play Music, Movies & TV,
Netflix, Plex, HuluPlus, etc. In addition to installing apps, anything that you're able to cast to a Google Chromecast from your tablet, phone, or PC you can also send to your Nexus Player. More info on the Chromecast below.

So how does the Nexus Player stack up against the Fire TV and the Roku 3?
The user interface on the Nexus Player is on par with the Fire TV, meaning it's pretty decent and very nice to look at. The Roku 3 UI in comparison is clunky and looks outdated in most apps, though it's very fast and fluid with pretty much zero slowdowns. The Roku 3's remote lacks voice search, but you can install the Roku iOS/Android app on your phone and use voice search there, although I believe the Roku app voice search integration isn't as robust as the Fire TV/Nexus Player implementation. Unlike the FireTV and Roku 3, the Nexus Player lacks an Ethernet port. If gaming is your thing on these streamers, the Roku 3 has a woeful library and no controller in comparison to the FireTV and Nexus Player.



What is Chromecast?
Chromecast is a $35, thumb-sized media streaming device that plugs into the HDMI port on your TV. Set it up with a simple mobile app, then send your favorite online shows, movies, music and more to your TV using your smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Chromecast is remote free
No need for another remote. Chromecast works with devices you already own, including Android tablets and smartphones, iPhones, iPads, Chrome for Mac and Chrome for Windows. Browse for what to watch, control playback, and adjust volume using your device. You won't have to learn anything new.

Plug in and play
Just plug Chromecast into your HDTV, connect it to your WiFi network, and start sending videos and more from your Android smartphone/tablet, iPhone/iPad, or any PC/Mac running Chrome to your TV with the press of a button. Grab the Google Cast extension here: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-cast/boadgeojelhgndaghljhdicfkmllpafd?hl=en to start casting your Chrome tabs!

Compatible apps
  • Chrome
  • Google Play Music/Movies & TV
  • Plex
  • YouTube
  • Google+ Photos
  • Netflix
  • HBO GO
  • Crunchyroll
  • Hulu Plus
  • Pandora
  • Vevo
  • MLB.TV
  • WatchESPN
View full app listing

FAQ

Does Chromecast require a USB power source?
Yes, the device needs an external power source via the micro USB port. It ships with a wall adapter, or you can plug the USB cable into a powered USB port on your TV (if your TV has one).

Does Chromecast work with my AV receiver?
Yes. Though some AV receivers lack CEC, meaning you can't utilize the Chromecast's ability to automatically switch inputs and turn on your TV when you decide to cast something.

I cant get Chrome on my PC to see the Chromecast device.
You probably need to change some settings in your router. Look for settings like AP isolation (you want this off) or IGMP Snooping (you want this on).

Can I stream my cable TV service?
Currently there are no cable providers that have native Chromecast support in their mobile apps. The best you can do at the moment is open up your cable providers online live/on-demand TV service in Chrome and cast via tab casting.

How do I stream music or videos that are stored locally on my phone?
AllCast for Android or PixoCast for iOS.

Is it possible to stream video files that are stored locally on my PC/notebook to a Chromecast without having to use tab casting or setting up a Plex server?
Yes, install the Videostream Chrome extension: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/videostream-for-google-ch/cnciopoikihiagdjbjpnocolokfelagl?hl=en

Can you mirror an entire Tab from a Chrome browser on my PC/laptop/phone/tablet?
Yup. Just install the Chromecast extension for desktop PCs/laptops. Chrome recently added the ability to cast across all mobile platforms.

Can you mirror your entire screen from my PC/laptop/phone/tablet?
You can mirror your entire desktop from your PC or laptop. You will need to install the Chromecast extension in Chrome, and then right click the cast button at the top right of the browser and choose "Cast entire screen". Note: The Chromecast extension for Chrome is still considered a Beta product, and may not work flawlessly. You cannot currently mirror the homescreen from a mobile device (phone or tablet). This feature will be available to select Android devices soon.

What is Plex for Chromecast?
Probably the best way to cast all your media content to your TV from any device. Hit up the Plex megathread for more information: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3620605

teagone fucked around with this message at 21:29 on Nov 15, 2014

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teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

AlexDeGruven posted:

Google did say that browser tab casting...

Nit picked.

My excitement for this device is no excuse for poor grammar. Thanks for that :3:

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Knightmare posted:

I don't use Chrome but I can definitely use it if I got one of these. I'd imagine Twitch should work with that beta program?

Theoretically, it should. Won't really know until someone tries it :) Basically anything you can view/stream in a Chrome tab, you should be able to view on your TV via Chromecast.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Since I read that Chromecast is capable of shouldering the load of 1080p MKV files, I guess that would mke it powerful enough to potentially stream games from your Android tablet/Chrome device right? Kind of like what AirPlay mirroring does with iOS games.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Rabble posted:

Not going to hate on it but I also don't really see the point. It is a WiFi streaming device that needs a more expensive tablet/phone/computer to be a remote. For 20 more you can get a roku which does all of this streaming but doesn't need to be tethered to another device.

I don't think the Roku LT can do Chrome tab casting or stream Youtube (at least, not without more effort than needed), or have family and friends share their content onto your TV effortlessly using their iPhones, Android smartphones, iPads, Chromebooks, MacBooks, or Windows laptop.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

nimper posted:

If you ordered yesterday or this morning they will still honor it, apparently.

Even if the item hasn't shipped? I ordered from Amazon Prime yesterday, but the delivery estimate is like August 20th or something.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

nimper posted:

https://plus.google.com/113479694798313988314/posts/Uir1Udg8iGd

That's Play store support; don't know if that applies to Amazon.

Yeah, just sent an email to Amazon Support just now inquiring for those who are in the same boat as me.

[edit] That's not to say I don't mind if I don't get the Netflix promotion since I already pay for the $8 a month for it. Just would have been a nice bonus is all. I still think $35 for Chromecast is a ridiculously amazing value.

teagone fucked around with this message at 23:32 on Jul 25, 2013

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Wagonburner posted:

edit: If I chromecast a tab with flash video from windows chrome, like from my own subsonic server or from a news site it's completely unwatchable levels of choppy.

Weird, I just watched the vergecast today and they demo'd playing their livestream via a casted Chrome tab from one of the hosts MacBooks and it played back the flash video smoothly.

teagone fucked around with this message at 00:56 on Jul 26, 2013

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Wagonburner posted:

If it was on YouTube there's some type of native YouTube on laptop to chromecast function that makes yt vids smooth.

Here's the video. Skip to about 55:30 to watch them cast a couple different tabs and full screen flash played videos; both from Youtube and their own site http://www.theverge.com/2013/7/25/4557134/the-vergecast-086-july-25th-2013

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Athenry posted:

More importantly it says: Offer expired on July 24, 2013 at 5:31 PM PST. So if you ordered after that, you're up a creek.

Yes, I totally ordered before time expired. Yay!

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

hotsauce posted:

So I returned the first Chromecast I got from BB. Thought it was defective because the hotel TV wouldn't display an image. I held down the reset button on the stick for 26 seconds, it rebooted. The Chrome "restoring to factory defaults" appeared. Then, nothing.

Got another one. Same exact thing, so it's the terrible hotel TV I guess. Strange as the reset dialogue shows fine, then the screen flashes green and ... nothing. "No Signal" floats around the screen. I've tried every goddamn thing and it simply will not work.

Ah well, at least I got $47.94 applied to my Netflix account. Good by me. Guess it will work when I get home in August.

Hmm, have you tried asking a hotel person to see if they could help you out?

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Just confirmed with a person from Amazon customer service named Aftab that I did in fact order my Chromecast before the expiration date :neckbeard:

Was kind enough to put through an email request to be sent to me that says I qualify for the 3-months of Netflix as well. So if any of you goons ordered via Amazon, just start up a support chat and ask if you qualify :D

teagone fucked around with this message at 05:30 on Jul 26, 2013

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

EugeneJ posted:

...so the Netflix offer is still good as long as you order from Best Buy?

Best Buy probably has a stock of codes that matches their inventory. And if anyone who ordered from Amazon/Prime is unsure if they qualified for the 3-months of Netflix, just start up a chat with customer support and ask; they'll look up your order and see if you got in before the promotion expired.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

WTFBEES posted:

Interesting oddity I ran across everyone should be aware of - a friend of mine came over and I showed him how Chromecast works. He jumped on my Wi-Fi, YouTube was watched and all was well. After he left he asked if I was watching the new video I was watching. Turns out his phone was still updating with what I had on, and he still had control in the same way he has when he was here.

Switching from YouTube to Google music kicked him off, but I never thought it would stay connected outside of the local network. So if you've had people using your Chromecast, might be a good idea to change apps before queuing up some weird sit you don't want them to see you watch.

Yeah, you can only stream stuff onto a Chromecast if you're connected to the network that the Chomecast is on.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Hopefully a future update to the Chromecast mobile app allows it to be like a hub to see exactly what you have streaming and can control what's playing directly from the app itself.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Oh cool, Amazon got more Chromecasts in and mine shipped. Should be in by Thursday :neckbeard:

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Got my Chromecast today. Worked from home just so I could mess around with it. What an amazing little device. Ran into a slight hiccup during setup, as I had Wireless Client Isolation on in my router settings (don't even know what that is). After I disabled that, everything setup without a hitch. I love that I can work at my desk and send music to my TV speaker setup so loving effortlessly. Can't wait for my family/friends to just send poo poo to my TV and be all :psyduck:

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

SLOSifl posted:

edit: Mirrored a tab in Chrome and dropped a video file in there, and it streamed to the TV in perfect quality. Awesome.

Whenever I try to drop an MKV file into Chrome, it just queues it up as a download instead of playing it. Any idea why that happens? I've read online other people gotten to play MKVs in Chrome just fine, and were able to cast the tab to the Chromecast. I tried an MP4 file just now and worked fine, but MKVs just start downloading.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Yeah, it's not that big of a deal that I can't drop MKVs into a chrome tab and stream it; Plex/Web works just fine to stream anything in a tab. Looking forward to having Plex officially support Chromecast.

That said, I didn't realize you could cast your entire PC/Laptop desktop to your TV via the Chromecast. I only thought you could do a browser tab. This thing is ridiculous.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

First Chromecast update should be rolling out over the next few days that gives some general improvements. You don't have to do anything to update it; poo poo happens like MAGIC! http://googlechromereleases.blogspot.com/2013/07/chromecast-update.html

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

How do you add Youtube videos to the queue from an iPad? I cannot for the life of me find the add to queue option. On my android phone it just brings up a little button that says add to queue when I view a video, nothing on the iPad.

Nevermind, my brother just doesn't know what buttons do what on his iPad. Figured it out.

teagone fucked around with this message at 04:59 on Aug 1, 2013

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Radbot posted:

Got my Chromecast yesterday and was grooving with some Google Music, but after this morning's update, casting from my N4 Google Music app stops after a random, short period of time. The devices seem to lose connection, as the Chromecast goes back to the "ready to cast" screen and the Cast button in the app turns gray again. Has anyone else experienced this?

I've experienced the Chromecast crashing (where the cast button disappears or greys out and goes back to the ready to cast screen), but it only happened when my brother and I were overloading it with videos and constantly interrupting each others streams while trying to figure out how to queue stuff on his iPad. I also noticed his GS3 has some issues casting stuff from YouTube; I have no issues casting from my Galaxy S Blaze, Nexus 7 or even my HP Touchpad running some Android 4.2 ROM.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

My Toshiba TV is always in a standby state (the power light is orange, and the screen is off) when not in use. I have my Chromecast plugged into the USB port and can turn on the TV/switch input to the CC via my phone/tablet/PC with no delay :shrug:

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

syphon posted:

I hate you guys with your fancy TVs built less than 10 years ago with the fancy HDMI control features. I bought my Chromecast for my bedroom TV which is a bit old and doesn't support that. :(

How old and what make/model is your TV? I had to enable something called "Regza Link" on my Toshiba TV to get the Chromecast to automatically switch inputs when queried to cast something and to turn on the TV when it's off.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

The Dude posted:

As teagone mentions, pretty much every manufacturer decided to give CEC their own dopey name, sometimes more than one.

Hitachi's name for CEC is :effort:

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

syphon posted:

Yeah same here. The TV I was referring to originally is a Samsung 32" LCD TV I bought back in... '09? It was the cheapest one Fry's had at the time (it's just the bedroom TV, after all). I'll check its menu when I get home tonight.

I bought my 47" Toshiba HDTV circa 2009 as well, so I think you should be good.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

The Dude posted:

Samsung calls it Anynet+, since they used to have Anynet that used a cable separate from HDMI and was Samsung only: http://www.samsung.com/us/support/SupportOwnersFAQPopup.do?faq_id=FAQ00000534&fm_seq=702

Before everyone gets too excited by the wonders of CEC, you should know that it can cause behavior that you might find inconvenient. If you just engage it on whatever device you have the Chromecast plugged into, it should be fine. But odd things may happen if you try to make it live up its promise of being a universal control protocol that lets you run your whole system from one remote.

Yeah it's nothing like... WHOA SPECTACULAR AMAZING! I just find it convenient that if my TV is off, and I had been watching some live TV via lovely AT&T U-verse prior, all I have to do is hit the cast button on my phone to start playing music though my home theater setup without having to turn on the TV and switch the input.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

"d[-.- posted:

b" post="418054577"]
Got mine today. It's awesome. However I am having trouble figuring out how to share a music queue with another person on Play Music. The two phones just keep interrupting each others' queues instead of adding to each other.

Are you able to queue music? I thought that feature was only when using the YouTube app. I can't remember if they demo'd making a shared playlist with music during the event.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

blowingupcasinos posted:

I think the most potential for chromecasting is for when there are a lot of people at a gathering and everyone is putting together different play lists of things to watch/listen to. To me it's like an $11 jukebox that anyone can control from anywhere in your apartment. I wish there was some sort of way to queue and make a playlist instead of just wait your turn to play something, though.

To add to this, I'm hoping Google eventually adds "native" casting from Google Play Music on the desktop. Having to cast the tab works just fine to play music from my PC, but I'd prefer it if it used the actual Play Music app the Chromecast uses when queried by a phone/tablet to stream songs.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

"d[-.- posted:

b" post="418111391"]
I'm on Windows 7, and I have the latest Chrome with the extension. Am I supposed to be able to cast my entire desktop? It only gives me the option to cast the tab or go to audio only.

When you click on the Chromecast button in Chrome, in the top right corner of the dialogue box, you should see a little/slightly grey'd out drop down arrow. There are two options from that drop down menu; cast current tab, or cast entire desktop.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

"d[-.- posted:

b" post="418122606"]
Yeah, I only have the option to cast the tab or cast in audio mode.

Weird. Guess you could try uninstalling the extension. Maybe there are certain requirements in order to be able to stream your PC/Mac's entire desktop?

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Mister Fister posted:

Does anyone know how to see their netflix 3 month chromecast promotion balance in their netflix account? I don't see that in my account anywhere, even though i know i applied it.

I just did a chat with customer support to ask if my promotion code went through (I got an error initially, then when I tried to enter it again, it said I already used the code). The service rep told me the code was applied. Only took like 3 minutes or so to get the confirmation that my free 3 months starts in 2 days.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Rhyno posted:

Just got an email from Amazon telling me my CC should ship by mid October.

:stare: I was thinking about ordering another one for my downstairs TV, but I'll just I guess. None of the BB's near me have any stock, so I Amazon is my only go to (gently caress the Play store).

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

crm posted:

Has there been an ios app put out yet?

You mean the app that sets up/manages your Chromecast? No, I don't think that's available on iOS. You can download it for Mac OS though.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

myron cope posted:

Yeah I got it too. Goddamn. I guess I should look at Best Buy. Although, how accurate is their online store locator thing? It lists every store within like 50 miles as "unavailable"

Could call nearby stores to see if they have any in stock.

[edit] Just called the one nearest me and the associate told me there's a shipment coming in tonight and that I should call tomorrow morning to put any I wish to purchase on hold for pickup.

teagone fucked around with this message at 20:56 on Aug 8, 2013

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

ThermoPhysical posted:

Most of the non-techie places I've noticed all say it's not worth buying because the Roku and Apple TV still do more and thus are worth their higher price points.

I honestly have only used my Roku once or twice in the days after I received my Chromecast; it's so much more convenient to just cast everything from my phone/tablet/computer. Also the Roku doesn't do YouTube that well, and the Apple TV is only able to speak to Apple products. I enjoy the fact that when my brother, parents, or friends are over they can all stream poo poo to my TV despite owning a plethora of devices. All that for $35 is kind of ridiculous.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

drat, I was going to go to BB this morning at like 11 since the associate I called yesterday said they were getting a shipment in last night, but they already sold out the moment they opened. The gently caress. Are employees able to buy items before they hit the shelves or something?

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Star War Sex Parrot posted:

I believe stock for in-store pickup releases at some point overnight, so you should have been up :f5:ing their website, not camping the front door.

I didn't have the the time this morning to be hawking the Best Buy site :(. No big deal, I can wait for my second Chromecast. I'm just amazed how fast this thing sells out.

teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

FlyingCheese posted:

As a CM user, this is awesome news and further cements my CC purchase... as soon as they're actually purchasable, that is.

Yeah, my phone/tablet is pretty much the ultimate Plex remote now. Still excited to see when Plex officially bakes the Chromecast button into the actual app though :haw:

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teagone
Jun 10, 2003

That was pretty intense, huh?

Does it happen to anyone else when casting videos to YouTube the audio get out of sync after a while? The only way I can remedy it is by rebooting Chromecast (at least to my knowledge).

[Edit] Only have seen it happen when I cast youtube videos from my phone so far.

teagone fucked around with this message at 22:51 on Aug 10, 2013

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