Google chromecast

[FarmerPug]

A bit of a quick review of these devices

I don't really watch the tv because I'm sick of adverts particularly payday lenders and injury lawyers, but I bought a chromecast a few weeks back and put it into the back of our living room tv, it connected to the wifi and the iPhone (or other android phones) controls what it plays.

It has turned an ordinary LCD TV into one that can play youtube videos, Netflix movies (if you have a subscription), bbc I player and a few other services, for all it cost it seems like a very nifty bit of kit.

[OllieNZ]

Sounds like it does the trick but tbh it seems like everything is going "smart " these days. My TV does all that stuff so does my bluray player and my xboxes (1&360) not to mention my TV can use my pc or laptop as a media server. The problem I have is why manufacturers see the need to cram all of this stuff into their devices.

[steve_earwig]

It's because people expect their fridge to be able to talk to their toaster

[rwb]

I recently got one, and it's such a bitch to get working with a BT Home Hub that I just end up watching stuff on the computer

[rwb]

It's because people expect their fridge to be able to talk to their toaster

I can't look at my fridge at the moment because it de-friended me. So I've been bitching to the sink about it on Twitter.

[D4B]

I can't look at my fridge at the moment because it de-friended me. So I've been bitching to the sink about it on Twitter.

[OllieNZ]

It's because people expect their fridge to be able to talk to their toaster

I can't look at my fridge at the moment because it de-friended me. So I've been bitching to the sink about it on Twitter.

Sums up modern life perfectly. Sometimes I think I should have been born 30 years earlier.

[steve_earwig]

Nice!

I recently got one, and it's such a bitch to get working with a BT Home Hub that I just end up watching stuff on the computer

Most pcs can output to your tv now anyway, I've got the pc here right next to the telly so I can stuff Iplayer or whatever onto it via HDMI (although it doesn't actually need to be that close as you can buy HDMI cables 10 meters long for very few quids on the bay). In fact, I've been looking at monitors recently, and the functions of monitor and tv seem to be getting closer together - even this tv's 5 years old but it has a D-sub for an analogue monitor input as well as HDMI, and most monitors they sell now have digital tuners in them. Pretty soon they'll all be the same thing, telemonitors? Monivisions?

Google

Bleurgh

chrome

Argh no! Head for the hills!!

[Doggy]

Sums up modern life perfectly. Sometimes I think I should have been born 30 years earlier.

I was - it's very much over rated.

[FarmerPug]

It connected to the wifi without any problems, and our router is a bt home hub one aswell.

I had considered buying a mac mini for the side of the tv but it, or a similar small PC would need to be switched on all the time otherwise there would be a few mins waiting for the thing to load up, a keyboard and mouse would be required etc.

The chromecast just went into the back of the tv and is hidden from view,
Its much easier looking through netflix movies or bbc iplayer, on an iPhone (or iPad) screen than trying to use the app that some smart TV's come with, which requires the use of the remote controls which are slow to use, and always lost down the side of the sofa, at least an iPhone can be called to find out what sofa its sitting in.