![]() The Google Home app is used to set up and manage your Chromecast device (and any other Google Home devices you might have), and connect it to your home’s WiFi network. Plus, you need a Google account – so if you didn’t have one until now, you’ll have to create one. It’s important to note that you MUST have a smartphone or tablet for this step – you can’t set up the Chromecast on a PC. Once everything’s connected, and you turn on your TV, you get a message asking you to install the Google Home app on your phone (it’s available for both iOS and Android). (That, however, means the Chromecast will turn off and restart every time you turn your TV’s power off and on).Īnother option is to connect the Chromecast directly to the power outlet in the wall – so that’s what the USB power adapter is for (it’s similar to what you use to charge your phone). If your TV set has a powered USB port, you can connect the Chromecast directly to that, and it’ll get its power from the TV. You also need to connect the Chromecast to a power source – hence the mini-USB cable. It might not be the prettiest sight, but who’s going to look behind your TV? (Other than Aunt Hilda, perhaps, when she’s looking for dust). The Chromecast doesn’t suffer from that issue, as it already has a cable – so the “disc” can just dangle behind the TV. ![]() Some streaming sticks are so big, it’s hard to fit them into your TV’s HDMI port, and some might need an extension cable. If you do want to use an Ethernet connection, you’ll need to buy a Chromecast Ethernet Adapter.Ĭonnecting the Chromecast to your TV’s HDMI port is easy, thanks to its shape. ![]() There’s no Ethernet port – as WiFi is the only way to directly connect the Chromecast to the internet. The Chromecast itself (with its built-in HDMI cable), a mini-USB cable, and a USB power adapter. When you open the small Google Chromecast box, you’ll notice there isn’t much there. Is that a good thing? Let’s take a deeper look. No new interfaces to learn, no remotes to lose, and it works via the apps “you already know” from your phone. To sum it up, Google’s Chromecast is more of a bare-bones streamer. There’s a more expensive version, the Chromecast Ultra, that supports 4K. The 3rd Generation Chromecast supports video up to Full HD (1080p). When you want to pause the show, select another title, or anything else – you need to do it via the app on your phone/computer, and not directly on the TV (though there are workarounds for that – more on that later). When you want to watch something, you need to run the appropriate app on your other device – and then, with a special button, “cast” it to the Chromecast that’s connected to your TV via the HDMI port. Instead, it relies on 3rd party streaming apps (like Netflix, BBC iPlayer, etc’) that live on your phone or your computer. Unlike most of its competitors, Google’s Chromecast doesn’t have a remote – or any sort of on-screen user interface, for that matter. The small size means it’s quite portable, and you can take it with you when you go on holiday, to use in a hotel room, for example. ![]() Streaming devices come in many shapes and sizes – from set-top boxes, to sticks, to… a hockey puck? Yes, Google’s streamer looks like a small, round disc, with a short HDMI cable attached (and a mini-USB port, for power).
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