G+_Chris Lefebvre Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Check this out Jason Howell Ron Richards Gina Trapani This needs to be on next week's Hardware segment. http://mobile.theverge.com/2013/7/24/4552204/google-reveals-chromecast-tv-streaming Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joseph Cappellino Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 This is Chrome related, not Android. This should actually be on TWiG. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Alan Char Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Except any Android app can (theoretically) use the Cast API. Will the Android Netflix and YouTube apps be able to talk directly to the ChromeCast or only when using the Chrome browser? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joseph Cappellino Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 It's actually using a Web API. So, any app (Android, iOS, or Web) can implement this. The Web maybe limited to Chrome though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Chris Lefebvre Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 It was just implemented into Google Play movies in the most recent update and it says Netflix and YouTube support to come soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Chris Lefebvre Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 Imagine the possibilities if developers can find a way to implement this to where you can be playing a game on the TV screen while using your phone or tablet as a remote. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joseph Cappellino Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Chris Lefebvre - I didn't think about it from the app side. I agree, then. But, I'm sure they were going to cover it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_McKinley Tabor Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 I put down a pre-order for one of these, but I'm going to withhold judgement until I see it work. It does not seem to be a true "streaming target" in the mode of Air Play or Miracast, but rather just an HDMI dongle to stream content from the Web as directed by another device. One of the benefits of Air Play is that ANY content from your iDevice can be sent to it, regardless of the app. In fact, app makers have to specifically deny Air Play functionality if they want to artificially cripple their product for marketing or to abuse their copyrights. I fear that units like this will not be widely adopted until Google creates a method at the OS level where audio and video can be sent to an external streaming target for playback independent of the apps. Much in the same way audio can be sent to any A2DP bluetooth target now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joseph Cappellino Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 McKinley Tabor - I have one, and it's pretty awesome. Especially for $35 (technically $11 after the Netflix discount). True, MiraCast would be awesome, but that is built into Chrome for this. Hopefully, it'll lend itself to apps as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Neil Sedlak Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 How does Chromecast authenticate on secure wireless networks? That's seriously glossed over in the help files. How does your mobile or computer talk to it to set it up the first time if it's not connected? Bluetooth wasn't mentioned as a requirement, so I'm at a loss to understand how that's going to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joseph Cappellino Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Neil Sedlak - The best I can figure is that it's using WiDi (WiFi Direct). It will first try to search your current WiFi network. If it can't find one, it tells you it will turn of your WiFi to try again. At this point, it will find non-associated ones. You can click it, then enter the setup. This will allow you to enter the SSID and passphrase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Neil Sedlak Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Joseph Cappellino The device itself has no interface, it's controlled through your phone or computer. How do you enter a pass phrase on the device before it is connected to the network such that the phone or computer can connect to it? Unless, are you suggesting the Chromecast unit itself has an access point that your phone or computer connects to in order to configure it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joseph Cappellino Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Neil Sedlak - The phone connects to it via WiFi Direct (i.e. - it doesn't need/use an Access Point). From there, you can use the app to change the network settings. Once successful, you connect to it via your regular wireless network. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Neil Sedlak Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Joseph Cappellino Ah, ok. That's basically what I meant in that it had a built in access point the phone/computer connects to. But it's very interesting since the support docs say to connect your computer to the same access point your Chromecast is connected to and then run the setup app, with no mention before that of connecting the Chromecast to anything, and no mention of WiFi Direct. Why would you explicitly connect your phone/computer to a wireless network only to have the setup app disconnect it and connect via WiFi direct to the Chromecast? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joseph Cappellino Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Neil Sedlak - I guess that's for "post-setup". Either way, it's pretty easy. I did just have a hiccup. For some reason, it wouldn't connect to my work network for a demo. I solved that by running a WiFi hotspot, but I couldn't control it. It had to be done with another phone, as I was no longer connected to WiFi. This would put a damper on connecting at a hotel, but I'm sure I'll have another device I can use as the "remote". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Neil Sedlak Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Wifi isolation settings on well configured networks will keep it from working. If you did set it up on public Wifi, anyone else on the network could stream content to you with no restrictions! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Joseph Cappellino Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Neil Sedlak - This is true, but for demo purposes, this worked fine. Also, I don't think it was isolation settings, as I can connect any other myriad of devices. Though, I have seen issues where connecting to this WiFi is problematic as the passphrase starts with a number. I even had to run my own "hidden" network just so I could connect. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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