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Liberal 
Group: Moderator
Posts: 11451
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: May 27 2014,12:07 am |
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I just picked up a google Chromecast last week and it's pretty impressive especially if you download the allcast app from the google play store for $3. With the two of them I'm able to put all my movies, music, and pictures on the hard drive connected to my router. And then I control everything from my android phone or tablet.
It also has native support for several apps like netflix, hulu, hbo2go, songza and several others. And if you happen to have the TV Portal app or the Show Box app you can watch movies and tv shows straight from the app to your chromecast device. You can even cast any tab from the chrome browser on your pc to the device. Also they will apparently have native chromecast support in next version of the Android os.
The Chromecast device hooks up trough an hdmi connector and it needs a usb port for power or you can use the included small usb power supply.
You can buy them from google for $35 or you can get one from Wally World for the same price.
http://www.google.com/intl...dRm0ATw
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The people are masters of both Congress and courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert it!
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| Post Number: 2
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ControlledHyperness
Group: Members
Posts: 1056
Joined: Jul. 2009
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Posted on: May 30 2014,12:09 am |
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We have the Chromecast and totally enjoy it. Pandora works with it via app. I know that we run Netflix thru it, and I tend to run various music stations via Chrome browser. The one thing that one should watch for is the fact it shows up as a wireless connection on some devices. It really doesn't do much as far as internet connectivity, but there is a possibility you can (I have tried and succeeded on a short term basis).
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I once had a thought...then it ran off before I could remember what it was...
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| Post Number: 3
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alcitizens
Albert Lea
Group: Members
Posts: 3664
Joined: Jul. 2009
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Posted on: May 30 2014,5:33 am |
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Hey Liberal, I don't have a smartphone, I do have a laptop with hdmi and internet access. How is it compared to Charter?
My conservative side wants to dump Charter TV.. 
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| Post Number: 4
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nzeroesc
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 258
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: May 30 2014,7:14 am |
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With a Chromecast / Roku what you are giving up is live TV. A lot of the major cable networks are jumping on the bandwagon and creating "channels" of content for the devices, along with the partnerships signed with Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu for network shows. A fair number of them require you to have a cable TV subscription you can verify before you get access to the network apps. Sports and local news are both still a weak point for both devices as well. Some of the sports season ticket type packages have started to come to Roku in the form of subscription channels, but not all.
If you don't mind or couldn't care less about not seeing a show "live" or aren't a diehard fan of any prime network shows, you'd do just fine with Roku and/or Chromecast.
I pay for a Amazon Prime membership that averages out to $10 a month or so, which gets me access to their movies, tv shows, and original content. They also signed a deal with HBO a couple weeks ago and are carrying most catalog seasons of some of their popular shows, just not anything that is currently airing. Also have Netflix streaming only plan for $6 a month. I skipped Hulu Plus, but that is another common source for some current, but mostly older tv shows and movies as well. Some overlap with Netflix, but enough different that it may interest someone.
With the Chromecast there are currently far less channels than Roku, but a better interface that allows you to connect your existing in home content to your TV, along with Google Play Music, and Google Play TV & Movies.
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| Post Number: 5
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Glad I Left
Group: Members
Posts: 2306
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: May 30 2014,8:36 am |
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We dumped directv a few months ago (we have basic charter cable just for the $10 discount off the internet, so in reality I'm paying about 4 bucks for basic) and bought a Roku3 box and a 4 subscriber Netflix subscription. There are plenty of websites out there where you can add unlisted (by Roku) channels to it to get more stuff but for the most part it has served us well.
I am a die hard sports fan so I've had to resort to streaming stuff from Europe and Russia on my computer which can be sketchy if I want to watch any live sports since I don't feel like paying for NHL Center Ice or any other sport package. I've looked into getting/adding Hulu/Amazon Prime as well to supplement what Netflix doesn't offer.
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After we screw up health care reform, let's take on the initiative of unscrewing the education system (gov't education)
Tacitus: (c. 56 AD-c. 117) "The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates."
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| Post Number: 6
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Glad I Left
Group: Members
Posts: 2306
Joined: Aug. 2005
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Posted on: May 30 2014,2:10 pm |
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(ControlledHyperness @ May 30 2014,11:31 am)
QUOTE
(alcitizens @ May 30 2014,5:33 am)
QUOTE Hey Liberal, I don't have a smartphone, I do have a laptop with hdmi and internet access. How is it compared to Charter? My conservative side wants to dump Charter TV.. For the amount we pay for the cable thru Charter, one can easily pay for a Ruku unit and an indoor HD antenna... and then start seeing the savings. My main hesitancy at THIS point is the fact we use the DVR to record shows that come on the local channels...and stores have stopped selling the VHS tapes needed to record shows the old fashioned way. Granted, if one were to subscribe to Hulu Plus, they would get said show the next day, which is when we tend to watch the shows anyway, but still. LOL!! I may decide to keep the local access channels thru cable and just get the Ruku box in addition to the Chromecast. August is still a looooong ways away...unfortunately.
The only reason we kept basic through charter was that if we cancelled cable altogether it would add 10 bucks back to our internet because we didn't have at least 2 charter services. Basic is about 15 bucks so really only paying 5/bucks month for basic in the end (I looked at my bill to get exact numbers).
For DVR if you want to avoid the TiVo monthly fees you can get a Magnavox MDR535/H which is basically a hard drive equivalent of a VCR, but still lets you do DVR functionality. I'm still looking into that one that though.
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After we screw up health care reform, let's take on the initiative of unscrewing the education system (gov't education)
Tacitus: (c. 56 AD-c. 117) "The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates."
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| Post Number: 8
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hymiebravo
Group: Members
Posts: 4989
Joined: Jan. 2006
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Posted on: Jun. 01 2014,9:36 am |
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A cheaper smaller version of Roku.
All TV's with internet capabilities surely can't be too far off on the horizon.
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