Chromecast

So finally I got my hands on my chromecast, a small HDMI device that attaches to your TV and allows you to cast YouTube videos from your casting device (mobile/tablet/laptop) to the TV directly. You can also cast your entire phone/tablet/laptop-chrome-browser screen to share images with family and friends.

It works by connecting to the same WiFi network as your casting device (mobile/tablet/laptop) and allows you to cast a video right away or create a list of videos to run in sequence (called a TV queue). Particularly useful if you have kids (cartoons?) or spending sometime with your family and/or friends. So, movie night (Netflix), music list, etc...

Once the casting starts, your casting device is then free to be used as you normally use it and the chromecast will be pulling the videos directly from the online source as it is connected to the WiFi when you first set it up.

Setting it up is simple, the process is straight forward:
  1. Connect the chromecast to the HDMI port of your TV
  2. Connect it to a power source or use the USB cables which acts as a power source (power plug & USB cable both comes enclosed in the chromecast box -images below) 
  3. Download the chromecast application on your device (mobile/tablet). Or if you are using your laptop, use the chrome browser extension 'chromecast' from the chrome browser market place.
  4. Open the application, it will automatically search for nearby chromecast devices.
  5. The chromecast application will ask you for the WiFi password to allow the chromecast to directly connect to your WiFi network.
You're done!

Here are the pros and cons that I found so far:
Pros:
  1. Cast YouTube/Netflix videos to your TV screen
  2. Cast your android/chrome browser screen to your TV screen (go through websites, photos & videos with family and friends)
  3. You can use your phone as you normally use it after adding a list of videos (called TV queue) to your chromecast device. No need to always be connected.
  4. Magnificent photos & images when idle =)
  5. Easy setup
  6. Any user with the chromecast application and connected to the same WiFi network can cast directly!
  7. I believe there might not be local technical support in Egypt at this point.
Cons:
  1. Any user with the chromecast application and connected to the same WiFi network can cast directly!
  2. I wonder what does it do apart from pulling magnificent image when idle, one should read the privacy policy ;)!

The chromecast box

unboxing..

Simple instructions

Power plug, USB cable and a little HDMI extension (useful in tight spaces) comes ready in the box


Setup screen - you can also start your chromecast app form your phone


Your chromecast is now ready to cast


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Tahrir @ Cairo, Egypt #Jan25 ...The humor side ;-)

Image
             The Egyptian humor will never seize to amaze me, even in the darkest times we are still sarcastic, artistic and full of humor. A lot of people would expect that I'd state here some of the stories that happened, some of the horrifying videos, but I won't, so if you are here to know more about what happened, I am telling you from the start this is not the right place :)!               I will state here some of the comments, jokes, signs that are told at this time, right when we're still in the middle of the actions...while history is being made... Here we go... أفلام جيل الثورة: أبي فوق الدبابة, عودة النت, المندس والأجندة, الرصاصة المطاطية لاتزال  فى جيبي, في بيتنا بلطجية, كيف تصرف العفريت، رد نتي، ستاتس هزت عرش مصر،  حرامية في لندن، جاءنا الرئيس التالي، نحن لا نرمي المولوتوف ،الريس عمر سليمان يعنى ايه كوكولا زيرو.....يعنى تبقى واقف فى لجنة شعبية بتحشش..و ي...
Read more

Relay circuit module

Image
Circuits are somewhat like programming, sometimes you use ready made functions when you program. It is useful to have some basic circuit modules around you in case you need to test something or want to work on your next robot and don't need to create everything from scratch. In this article or tutorial,  I'll share with you making a 12V relay circuit module. A relay circuit is used to control (switch on/off) AC or DC voltage line without affecting your micro-controller (Arduino, Raspberry Pi, PIC, AVR...etc.) or digital control unit, at least when done right :)! When you toggle the voltage on a relay coil, it works as a mechanical switch, moving a metal arm/contact from one node to the other, literally switching on or off. Read more about relays here I started drawing the circuit using Eagle PCB design software , there is a free version for personal use here Eagle Express . Schematic: PCB: Once you have the PCB design ready, you want to print and transf...
Read more

Arduino controlled two servos based robot - achieving a straight line

Image
Introduction In this article I will discuss how I came close to syncing the rotation speed of two continuous rotation servo motors to allow movement in straight line and control the speed of the robot forwards and backwards. The Problem If you are making a robot and want it to move in a straight line, and assuming you are using two motors for the drive, you need them to rotate in the same speed. As most people know choosing the correct motor type for the job is important, but sometimes you don't have options and need to work with what you have. Motor Types: Motor Types Source:  https://backyardbrains.com/experiments/MuscleSpikerShield_GripperHand Hobbyists & makers usually choose one of these motor types to drive their robot. To achieve a straight line, stepper motors seems to be the right choice since they can be controlled in terms of speed and direction accurately without encoders or feedback circuit. In my case I was stuck with servo motors, and thought ...
Read more