Will Google Chromecast Change the Way You Watch TV?

That’s been the big question since the release of Google Chromecast. People were so eager to answer that question for themselves, that all of the units were sold out on Amazon and Best Buy in the first week, according to Newsok.com. For $35, that’s not a big risk to take. But, even before you spend your $35, let’s see what you get for your money.

You get the Chromecast device, which is a little bigger than a USB thumb drive. The device does not have a USB connector, though, as it plugs into your HDTV’s HDMI port. There is a short extender cable to go between the Chromecast and your TV if it is mounted in such a way as to make the port awkward to get to.

The device needs power, so there is an AC adapter that plugs into the wall and a micro-USB cable that connects the Chromecast device to the AC adapter. If you have a free USB port on the TV, you can run the micro-USB cable from that port to the Chromecast. A few people have stated their HDMI port appears to have enough power to support the device without external power. Try all of the configurations until you find the one that works with your TV set-up.

Once you have everything plugged in, you need the Chromecast app on whatever device you wish to control it from. Currently, the app is available for Windows PCs, Macs, and Android phones and tablets. Apple iPads and iPhones are supported only through a Chrome browser app.

You’ll download and run the app. Once it connects with the Chromecast, it will ask you for a network name to assign to the device. Your PC, Mac, laptop, or phone will now be connected to the Chromecast device. Now, you can bring up your favorite streaming service, and the video will be sent to your HDTV.

Right now, you can stream from Google Play, YouTube and Netflix. When you bring up these services, a Chromecast icon will appear. Click on this icon to start the stream to your TV. It’s not quite accurate to say the stream comes from the computer or phone to the TV. The Chromecast device actually pulls the stream directly from your home network. Your computer and phone control what Chromecast does with the stream.

You can use your computer or phone as a remote control with the Chromecast. Multiple devices can be used and are kept in sync with the Chromecast. For instance, you can start a movie streaming to your TV from your Samsung S4 and bring up the app on your Lenovo Ultrabook to rewind the movie to where you left off before taking that phone call.

Google has given you Google TV, the Nexus Q, and now Chromecast. The $35 price tag is way below the $99 price of the Apple AirPlay, which is the nearest competitor. Hayley Tsukayama in the Washigton Post quotes Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey as claiming that Google is more focused on the future software sales, than on the sales of the physical Chromecast device.

Probably not. It does give you some different options for watching TV, but the handful of supported streaming services is limited. When it’s time to watch your favorite show, and it's not on one of the Chromecast services, you’ll turn it off, and find your program on cable or satellite.

There is a lot of potential with the Chromecast, which makes it a technology to keep an eye on. Google has published an API to allow developers to connect their services to the Chromecast. While it may not change your TV viewing habits right now, this technology is still young and growing.

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