Chromecast Guides

Update: a mini user guide is available on how to use Ethernet adapter for Chromecast.

Google quietly released a $15 Ethernet adapter for Chromecast in July 8.

The adapter will not only improve the network performance of Chromecast especially if your WiFi  network signal (strength and quality) is not so good, but also may introduce new usages for Chromecast.

I will share with you why this $15 Ethernet adapter for Chromecast actually is a big thing for the e  .

Will $15 Ethernet adapter for Chromecast drag you back to wired era?

The  is supposed to be very simple to setup and simple to use.

Most of the time, it is.  But not always.

Some Chromecast owners have faced such problems:

• weak WiFi signal or poor WiFi signal quality near TV.
• no idea how to connect the Chromecast to the wireless network.
• very old wireless router only supporting 802.11b.
• no WiFi in office.
• poor network performance of Chromecast.

Ethernet adapter for Chromecast will surely solve these problems.

Why?

1. Ethernet connection is far more stable than WiFi. Even the  10M/100M Ethernet ports  in some aged routers usually can offer better and smoother streaming than 5G Hz wireless AC  connection

… Continue to read the post....

The post Google released $15 Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast appeared first on All About Chromecast.

What is Chromecast Audio multi-room group playback?

If you have two or more Chromecast Audio devices, you can let them play exactly the same music simultaneously.

This Chromecast Audio feature is named as multi-room group playback (multi-room support).

Chromecast Audio multi-room group playback was announced when Chromecast Audio was announced. About two months later, in December 2015,  this feature was released through a firmware update (and Chromecast app update).

Essentially, Chromecast Audio multi-room group playback allows you to play music on all of your Chromecast Audio devices in the same WiFi network.

Currently, Chromecast Audio multi-room group playback feature is available for Chromecast Audio only. You cannot add a Chromecast device to the group.  You may read this page on differences between Chromecast and Chromecast Audio.

Update: Group playback is available for all Chromecast (Chromecast, Chromecast Audio, and Chromecast Ultra) and all Google Home speakers (Google Home, Google Home Mini, Google Home Max, Google Nest Mini aka Home Mini 2nd Gen).

Also, you should not confuse the group playback with the Google Home speaker group. The differences between the group playback and speaker group are explained here.

The requirements of Chromecast Audio

… Continue to read the post....

The post How to use Chromecast Audio multi-room group playback? appeared first on All About Chromecast.

You can play games on Chromecast from Android or iOS devices

Two of the new features for Chromecast and Chromecast Audio are multi-room group playback for Chromecast Audio  (for Chromecast Audio only) and playing games on Chromecast through Android and iOS devices (for Chromecast only, including 1st generation Chromecast). Please refer to this guide on how to use Chromecast Audio multi-room group playback.

For Chromecast-enabled apps, you can cast the game to the TV through Chromecast. Your mobile device then can act as a game controller and can display other info.

You can also challenge your friends or family members with multi-player games.

Please note, playing Chromecast-enabled games on Android and iOS devices is fundamentally different from Android screen mirroring (Android screen casting).  When you play Chromecast-enabled games on Android and iOS devices, you get split view of the game, not simply mirroring the screen.

This post will try to show you how to play games on Chromecast from Android devices.  The procedure is similar to that from iOS devices.

What are the requirements to play games on Chromecast from Android?

The requirements for playing games on Chromecast from Android devices include:

1. A ready-to-cast Chromecast. Both the first generation and

… Continue to read the post....

The post How to play games on Chromecast from mobile devices (Android and iOS)? appeared first on All About Chromecast.

Update 1: Videostream for Chromecast is now named as Videostream for Google cast following Google’s naming convention changes. Google now refers software as Google cast, and hardware as Chromecast. We don’t think it is necessary to update the page for such a name change.

Update 2: If you are not sure how to launch Videostream after initial installation, you may check this guide.

To stream local videos to Chromecast, here is another (4th) simple method using a Chrome extension: Videostream for Chromecast.

This method of using a Chrome extension (Chrome app) is a compliment to the other 3 methods of streaming local media to Chromecast: Chrome browser tab casting, desktop sharing, and using Plex media server (and a web app).

Advantages of Videostream extension for streaming local media to Chromecast

The advantages of using Videostream extension to stream local media files to Chromecast include:

• Simple to setup and use, compared to using the Plex media server.
• Support more video formats (with some sort of trans-coding), compared to Chrome browser tab casting.
• Very reliable and stable, compared to desktop sharing.
• Remote control for Android (currently it is free).
• Works just like a local media player

… Continue to read the post....

The post How to use Videostream extension to stream local videos for Chromecast? appeared first on All About Chromecast.

Why do we need one more solution (robust and free) of streaming local media to Chromecast?

To stream local media to Chromecast is not as simple as many expected. Google intends to make Chromecast an internet thing, not a local media player.

If you used Chromecast for online streaming, you probably are very happy with this $35 device. It works with more and more services, and the online streaming quality is quite impressive most of the time.

But if you have a lot of media files in the hard drive of your PC, you may feel the pain to stream local media to Chromecast  (to watch on the big screen).

In the Chromecast how-to guides section, I shared two methods of streaming local media to Chromecast:

1. Stream local video to Chromecast through a Chrome browser tab.
2. Share the whole desktop screen (and audio) to Chromecast through desktop sharing.

Both of the methods are not robust, with obvious limitations.

Using a Chrome tab to stream local media to Chromecast is the simplest method. But it is severely limited by the media formats that you can play through Chrome browser. Very often, the user has to install additional software or … Continue to read the post....

The post How to use Plex media server to stream local media to Chromecast (from your PC) appeared first on All About Chromecast.

Very likely, Google will reveal the 4th Gen of Chromecast on September 30, 2020. But the details of the Chromecast 4th Gen (aka Chromecast with Google TV, or Chromecast 2020) were leaked. A few retailers have released the product inadvertently.

Google TV here simply means Google-branded Android TV (not the old Google TV). It is not a new platform. Instead, it is a new form factor (dongle) for Android TV.

This post will summarize the key features of the Chromecast 4th Gen (Chromecast with Google TV) compared to the 3rd Gen of Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra.

Chromecast 4th Gen converges Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra

The new Chromecast (4th gen, Chromecast 2020) is a natural successor for the 3rd Gen of Chromecast (Chromecast 2018).

But Google worked the extra mile. The Chromecast with Google TV also converges the Chromecast and Chromecast Ultra.

The 4th Gen of Chromecast supports 4K and HDR, which were the exclusive features of Chromecast Ultra. So, the new Chromecast with Google TV surely will replace not only Chromecast 3rd Gen but also Chromecast Ultra.

In other words, Google simplifies the Chromecast product line into one.

Unfortunately, Google does not offer any successors for … Continue to read the post....

The post Chromecast 4th Gen (Chromecast with Google TV) is coming! appeared first on All About Chromecast.

Although Chromecast Audio was discontinued, you can still make your vintage speakers or favourite AVR systems alive by using Chromecast to stream music to dumb speakers, just like what Chromecast Audio does.

Of course, this may require additional setup and one additional gadget (a few bucks) unless your speaker or AV support HDMI input.

This Chromecast guide explains why you may consider using Chromecast to stream music to dumb speakers and how to set up the system so that you can continue streaming music to the speakers and AV systems without Chromecast Audio.

Update: the latest Chromecast 2020 (Chromecast with Google TV; Chromecast 4th Gen) merges Chromecast, Chromecast Ultra, and Android TV. There is no successor for Chromecast Audio

Why do you want to use Chromecast (or Chromecast Ultra) as Chromecast Audio?  Because Google discontinued Chromecast Audio!

In early 2019, Google silently discontinued Chromecast Audio. Now, it is almost impossible to get a “new” Chromecast Audio even on eBay.

The asking price of a “used” Chromecast Audio is about that of two new Chromecast units!

Chromecast (including Chromecast Ultra) is designed for videos/TVs, and Chromecast Audio for speakers/AVR systems. The comparison of Chromecast and … Continue to read the post....

The post How to use Chromecast to stream music to dumb speakers (as Chromecast Audio does)? appeared first on All About Chromecast.

Android screen casting makes the TV your second screen!

The latest Chromecast app (1.9.6) update brought  Android screen casting (screen mirroring), one of the most anticipated features of Chromecast, to all Android devices with Android KitKat 4.4.2 or later.

If you are new to this feature, you may refer to this post.

Essentially, Android screen casting (screen mirroring) through Chromecast will make your TV the second screen of your Android devices.

You can enjoy videos, games, music, and everything on the TV with Android screen casting through Chromecast.

Anything displayed on your android screen and the audio can be mirrored on your TV through Chromecast.

This makes your $35 Chromecast more values.

Previously, screen casting feature is only supported on a few selected (high-end) devices.

How to start and stop Android screen casting?

After you update Chromecast app to 1.9.6 or later, you can find the cast screen option as shown below.

If your device is not among the supported device list (see this post for the updated officially supported devices), you will see the following warning messaging

“Screen casting is not optimized for this device, your experience may vary.”

Tap OK to continue as shown below.

Now tap … Continue to read the post....

The post Android screen casting for Chromecast is now supported on all Android devices with KitKat 4.4.2 or later appeared first on All About Chromecast.

When Chromecast is idle, it pulls some nice pictures on your TV screen from Google servers.

It also shows time (and date) on the TV screen. Sometimes, you may want to change the time format from 12-hour format to 24-hour format for your Chroemcast. Or, you may find the time is not correct because the wrong time zone was used.

This guide shows you how to change Chromecast time format and time zone from your Android devices using the Chromecast app.

Step 1:  Turn on the TV and power up your Chromecast device

You should see the normal Chromecast screen with photos, your WiFi network ID and time on the TV.

If there are any error messages on the TV screen, you probably need setup your Chromecast again. You may follow the Chromecast manual or Chromecast setup page to setup your Chromecast.

Step 2: Install Chromecast app in your Android device

To  change Chromecast time format or Chromecast time zone from an Android device, the Chromecast app is required. Of course, the Chromecast app has some other functions.

You can start Play store in your Android device, then search for “Chromecast”.

Tap the Chromecast, then tap install as shown below.… Continue to read the post....

The post How to change Chromecast time format and time zone? appeared first on All About Chromecast.

Although  the Chromecast is simple to setup and simple to use, you may encounter this issue or that issue.  Google’s support is robotic.

So, we decided to start a new community for Chromecast owners and enthusiasms.

AllAboutChromecast.com will cover Chromecast news and updates. You will get the latest info on Chromecast.

Chromecast how-to guide section will teach you everything on using Chromecast for all occasions.

Chromecast manual section gives you the best guide on setup, using and troubleshooting Chromecast.

Chromecast Forum is a public forum for you to share your views on Chromecast, and discuss anything related (or even unrelated) to Chromecast.

We will also discuss the technology behind Chromecast. A lot of people confused Chromecast with Miracast or screen mirroring in Android 4.2 or later versions.   For screen mirroring, you may check this screen mirroring guide.

If you have any questions or want to leave a feedback, please leave comments in the relevant pages/posts, or use the contact us page to send your message.

Of course, the most valuable assets for you is the Chromecast Tips and Tricks, our free newsletter. You should subscribe now!… Continue to read the post....

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