Google Chromecast is everything you love on your TV.
Google is a household name nowadays. Most of us browse the internet daily using their search engine and Google has a big market of mobile devices with its Android operating system platform. Now, Google has made it into your living room with Chromecast.
The Chromecast is a media streaming device about the size of a USB drive. It plugs directly into an HDMI port on your TV and can be powered by either a USB port on your TV or by using the power plug packaged with the device. Google has done a really nice job of partnering with a lot of top entertainment channels. Some of the options Chromecast offers for viewing include HBO go, Netflix, Hulu Plus and Plex.
When I tested out the functions of streaming media player, it seemed to work pretty well. It connected easily to my home network Because I have experience with the Apple TV as my primary media streaming device, I was expecting some of the same functionality to be available with the Chromecast. I was sorely disappointed when I discovered that the tiny device did not play nicely with my iOS devices.
One of the things I value with my Apple TV is the ability to stream media directly from my iOS devices. Without the AirPlay ability available through the Chromecast, my viewing experience was greatly disheartening. Even though the regular viewing options worked alright, the advanced features were lacking on the Google Chromecast.
One thing the Apple TV does not have that the Chromecast does is Plex. And, having the option to open the Plex app on my iPhone and send whatever that’s in my Plex Library to the TV was awesome.
Another thing I noticed was that after about 15 minutes of watching a movie, the Chromecast was hot to the touch. This was concerning especially since I had only been using it for a very short period of time. It’s such a small device and even though I didn’t experience it, I would think that continued use with a device that is overheating would effect functionality and long-term use.
Google Chromecast is a fairly standard streaming media player. It worked pretty well, but I’m not happy about the loss of functionality with my iOS devices. With so many players in the market, I’m not sure that Chromecast can compete.
The Chromecast retails for $35 and is available through Amazon by clicking the link below. For more information, visit google.com/chrome/devices/chromecast.
