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Chromecast (Read 24088 times)

slackline

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Chromecast
April 06, 2014, 01:52:13 pm
Dedicated thread for Chromecast stuff.

I document some stuff here (will load slowly as its running on my NAS).  They are one of the simplest pieces of hardware I've ever had to install/configure (so easy my technophobe wife could do it).  NetFlix/YouTube/iPlayer and all the other default supported programs work fine casting from the tablet or phone (all of which are running >= Android 4.2*).

To cast anything (web-pages, local content, media from a uPnP server on your home network) I'd recommend using LocalCast (free and works very well, picks up Mediatomb uPnP and my ReadyNAS uPnP as well as wifes M$-Win shares).  Don't see the point in paying for a Plex server having already been using Mediatomb for ages (and there not being a version for my GNU/Linux distro of choice anyway).  Found a web-site/Vimeo or anything else you want to cast, then just "Share this page" with LocalCast and it will appear on your TV.

Automation can be achieved with the Tasker plugin AutoCast (potential to turn your TV on & start playing things/showing information etc etc).

The /r/Chromecast sub-reddit is pretty useful (but has a lot of noise of repeated questions, but sift through and there are good posts with useful information and resources).

As has been mentioned elsewhere a lot of what it does can be done with a Raspberry Pi running XBMC, but there isn't any way to get Netflix working on Raspberry Pi's at present (due to lack of Linux support from Netflix) and you need to have the inclination to tinker and learn what you're doing (which not everyone is).  I can envisage TVCatchup/4OD/ITVPlayer/etc. incorporating casting in due course too (none of which currently work on Pi's).


Couple of cool things to cast and have on in the background...

7.5hr timelapse of a train journey in Norway (suggested other videos include a different 5hr journey if you like it)




5 day cruise along the coast of Norway by M/S Nordnorge from Bergen to Kirkenesshortened to 37 minutes


Paul B

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#1 Re: Chromecast
April 06, 2014, 06:18:34 pm
I can envisage TVCatchup/4OD/ITVPlayer/etc. incorporating casting in due course too (none of which currently work on Pi's).

Are the plugins currently broken, I used iPlayer just the other night via the Pi?

That said, plugins (in general) do seem to come and go as iplayer etc. change the sites etc. (that, and a text list isn't the easiest form to find things).

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#2 Re: Chromecast
April 07, 2014, 11:08:21 am
4oD has been marked as broken for quite some time (Full list of Add-ons).

<aside>
I'll be re-deploying my Pi to replace my NAS using WoL and rsync to scheduled via cron on my main system to boot it and back up my main server as I've decided having a NAS thats on 24/7 is overkill as my desktop is on anyway.</aside>

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#3 Re: Chromecast
April 08, 2014, 10:42:57 am
Had one since Christmas (US version, present from my 'early-adopter' bro  ;))
Initial experience although easy to set up and neat, was that it replicated built in features of our TV and Sony blu-ray.

However last night found a great feature that neither of the others let me do. My bro has a Synology Diskstation NAS on his network which he's given me access to. There is a set of Android Diskstation apps including a video one...which is chromecast compatible.

So my bro has ripped all his DVDs to his NAS, and I can access them via my Nexus tablet and them use Chromecast to play them on my TV like a private Netflix. Great quality, no lag or freezing issues. Now we just need our bro in law who has 1000s of movies to do the same.  :popcorn:

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#4 Re: Chromecast
April 08, 2014, 12:27:22 pm
Thats what I was alluding to when I mentioned using Mediatomb.  Your brothers NAS will have some sort of uPnP on it which broadcasts the media on it for other devices (PS3, RaspBMC, Chromecast etc.) to pick up and play back.  Sounds like you've got this working over the t'internet by setting up port-forwarding of some description?


Although re-reading it could be that the NAS is serving up the files as a network share that the tablet can see (e.g. through ES File Explorer) and these are then being cast.

Be interested in the finer details as I can then share my media with my brother too.

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#5 Re: Chromecast
April 08, 2014, 03:10:59 pm
My bro gave me Synology URL in the format of http://xxxxxx.quickconnect.to along with a username and password. Once you login to the web interface you can see the public IP address and port number (5000 I think), he didn't say if he had to open any ports on his router.

It may be using a Synology server as a proxy to avoid to much config on either end. Before I found the Synology apps I tried a 3rd party one but couldn't get it to connect. With the Synology one, I just pasted the IP address of the web interface and username and password and ©It just works.

Lots of info here including a live demo site
http://www.synology.com/en-global/products/dsm_livedemo

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#6 Re: Chromecast
April 08, 2014, 03:14:23 pm
Forgot to say, why the Chromecast is especially good is that although the box and apps supports DNLA it only does for devices on the same network, so from my tablet that feature is unavailable, however the Chromecast button still works fine.

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#7 Re: Chromecast
April 08, 2014, 03:28:52 pm
Cheers Obi, so neither plain NFS nor uPnP.

uPnP/DLNA should be workable if there are no rules in the firewall to prevent it and port-forwarding is active.  I'll see if I can convince my non-geeky brother that he might want to have access to my videos on his RaspBMC and if he's game for trying it report back.

It should be quite easy really as the uPnP server I have installed on my server has a webUI running on a specific port.  Opening that in the firewall and port-forwarding to the correct IP address on my network should mean that its viewable from any browser at my brothers (or anywhere else I happen to be with my phone/tablet/laptop for that matter) and I can then click on whatever I want to play/view.

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#8 Re: Chromecast
April 15, 2014, 02:28:46 pm

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#9 Re: Chromecast
April 28, 2014, 09:48:14 am
£5 of Play Store credit for sharing your Chromecasts DeviceID (and get advertising of subsequent Chromecast offers).


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#10 Re: Chromecast
May 06, 2014, 05:08:04 pm
Spoticast (requires premium account).

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#11 Re: Chromecast
May 12, 2014, 10:48:53 am

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#12 Re: Chromecast
May 23, 2014, 07:05:04 am
Latest update of the Chrome browser on Android includes...

Quote
• Support for casting some videos with Chromecast

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#13 Re: Chromecast
July 09, 2014, 12:08:06 pm
If you don't like paying to stream your movies/TV series/documentaries.... PopcornTime is coming to Chromecast

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#14 Re: Chromecast
July 09, 2014, 05:23:43 pm

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#15 Re: Chromecast
July 22, 2014, 08:37:35 pm
So. Is it any good? I'm thinking of getting one (mainly so we can netflix stuff easy from tablets etc.. bla blah..)..

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#16 Re: Chromecast
July 23, 2014, 07:32:42 am
I think they're great.

Get something like LocalCast (my preference over AllCast) and you can send anything on your tablet or from your uPnP/DLNA media server that the phone/tablet detects straight to the Chromecast.

If your tablet/phone is Android and up-to-date (definitely works with 4.4.4, possibly 4.4.3) then you cast your device to your Chromecast and browse or do anything you would there.

Netflix works without any problems as does YouTube (hint : make playlists on YouTube, then cast them when wanting to watch something) and Google Music (not sure if you have this on iFern's or whether Apple have bared it as its a competitor to iTunes).  You can play pretty much any HTML5 video in your browser and when you full-screen it you get a little icon to cast it to your choice of Chromecast device on your network (we have two).

Sits behind the TV using not much power at all and is ready to go just by switching to the appropriate input.

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#18 Re: Chromecast
July 25, 2014, 08:17:35 am
Got this a couple of days ago (Chromecast). Piss to set up though not the greatest wifi reception...

I think its 'alright' but MrsTT loves it. Now Netflix etc. works on the main telly she's taken full control of the sofa zone leisure area.


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#19 Re: Chromecast
July 25, 2014, 09:03:25 am
Got this a couple of days ago (Chromecast). Piss to set up though not the greatest wifi reception...

I think its 'alright' but MrsTT loves it. Now Netflix etc. works on the main telly she's taken full control of the sofa zone leisure area.

Is the poor reception down to the WiFi signal?  Could you use an iOS equivalent to WiFi Analyzer to see what the signal strength is like next to the Chromecast and perhaps switch channels to something stronger.

Does it actually affect the streaming?  You can check the quality of streaming on Netflix by watching this film which is pretty boring but displays the streaming speed for different resolutions of film.  Various people in the US found that their ISP was throttling their streaming and that going through a VPN improved the speed of the streaming.  You could perhaps try checking this too to see if your ISP are messing with your connection.

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#20 Re: Chromecast
July 25, 2014, 02:24:29 pm
Could you use an iOS equivalent to WiFi Analyzer to see what the signal strength is like
Unless things have changed recently Apple banned these from the app store as they thought they would only be used as hacking tools.  :slap:

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#21 Re: Chromecast
July 25, 2014, 02:34:57 pm
Could you use an iOS equivalent to WiFi Analyzer to see what the signal strength is like
Unless things have changed recently Apple banned these from the app store as they thought they would only be used as hacking tools.  :slap:



Have to buy an Android device then :clown:

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#22 Re: Chromecast
July 30, 2014, 08:28:01 am
Any joy troubleshooting the weak WiFi tomtom?


An interview with the guy in charge of Chromecast (hence the slightly biased title)....

Why Chromecast is more than just an impulse buy

Really the metric of number of minutes the Chromecast is watched/used should be put in the context of the total number of minutes that each user watches other things, i.e. a proportion, because different people watch different amounts of TV (e.g. I don't watch a great deal as when I'm not climbing I'm wasting time posting on forums).

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#23 Re: Chromecast
July 30, 2014, 08:31:06 am
Looks like its just a bit crap at picking up the wifi... suppose I may ahve to get a booster of some sort - though TBH nothing else has a problem... it gives 2-3 bars on the Chromecast homescreen...

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#24 Re: Chromecast
July 30, 2014, 09:06:12 am
Looks like its just a bit crap at picking up the wifi... suppose I may ahve to get a booster of some sort - though TBH nothing else has a problem... it gives 2-3 bars on the Chromecast homescreen...

Does this actually affect connectivity/playback though?

If not why bother with a booster?

Not all connections need to be full strength to be usable.

 

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