Tag Archives: cast

Setup Chromecast on your Windows 10 or Mac

Setting up your Chromecast on Windows 10 has changed recently and we will go step by step on how to download and setup your Chromecast. When Chromecast initially rolled out, most of us still had Windows 8 or even Windows XP. At that time, you were to download a setup file to install a Chromecast application onto your Windows machine. However, when Google re-branded Chromecast to just Cast, things have changed. You know no longer need to download a Chromecast app to use Chromecast or to setup. As a matter of fact, if you go to

https://www.google.com/chromecast/setup/

you are only given option to download the Google Cast app for Android Play store and Apple App Store.

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To use Chromecast on your Windows 10 machine, all you need is the Google Chrome browser which you can download here.



Once you have installed your Chrome browser, go to this link -> chromecast.com/setup
If the link doesn’t work, copy and paste (chrome://cast/#devices) into your url.

From here, it will search for Chromecast in your WiFi. If it doesn’t detect your Chromecast, make sure your TV is on and the input it set to the HDMI port, the USB power is plugged in, and your Windows PC is connected on the same WiFi as your Chromecast.

Walk through the setup Wizard per below. chromecast-windows-setup-1

chromecast-windows-setup-2chromecast-windows-setup-3chromecast-windows-setup-5chromecast-windows-setup-4 Once you see the below screen, you are ready to cast! You can click on the upper right icon for more settings.

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Under settings, you may change the name of your Chromecast, forget or reset your WiFi network, change the timezone and see what firmware version you are on. You may also perform remote reboot or even factory reset.

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To start casting your Chrome tab, click on the Google cast icon which will be next to your Chrome extension add ons on the upper right of your screen. In the middle of your screen, you should find the name of the Chromecast you assigned at setup.

cast-iconI named mine, Digital 1.

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And here I am Watching Amazon Prime using my Chromecast. chromecast-amazon-primechromecast-windows-setup-8

 

Google Chrome browser now comes default with ability to Cast

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cast extensionGoogle announced today that the latest Chrome update includes the Cast option by default. Previously, you had to go to the Chrome Webstore from your Chrome browser, search for Google Cast extension, download then install. As of now, the Google Cast version Version: 15.1120.0.4 updated March 2016 is still available on the webstore. If you have Chrome browser Version 52.0.2743.116 m for Windows, it will have Cast icon at the upper right of your screen.
Google bragged that in the month of July, users have cast content from their Chrome browser over 38 million times while watching and listening to more then 50 million hours of content.

This improved integration will encourage more people to Cast their screen or content. You can also now seamlessly Cast Hangouts, play games, Google Education tools, and content that supports Chromecast.

Note, this is for PC devices only and not for Chrome mobile browser. There is no word yet if or when we can Cast from Chrome mobile browser.

Google Home Announced at Google I/O

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Google-Home-OKGoogle just concluded their annual I/O conference. Google’s I/O is a 3 day conference is designed to bring together developers around the world to showcase its upcoming products in software, mobile, and technology. One of the more interesting product Google showcased is Google Home. Google Home is the answer to Amazon’s surprisingly successful Echo powered by Alexa. Google claimed Home is their very own assistant. During the 2016 I/O showcase, Google played a video of how Home can be used during a typical morning routine of a family. You can see the video here:

There were only two features that were unique to Google’s Cast enabled devices which are not available to Amazon’s Echo. First, is the ability to issue command to all Google Cast enabled speakers. The father in the clip issued, “Google, turn on music to all the rooms.” as a way to wake up the kids in the house. The other feature was to issue a show command which triggered a Chromecast to play a video. There was also a sequence where the father asked Google to check the traffic and upon reporting the traffic, the shortest route was sent to the phone.

For the time being, Google has offered scarce details on Google Home. It guaranteed integration to Cast enabled devices and services such as making dinner reservations and text messaging. It will be interesting to see the availability as well as the price. Google indicated that they purposely limited its functionality of the Home but it must have some wow factor to get people to jump from Amazon’s Echo or have both the Home and Echo in the same house.

The battle of the smart home is on!

How to add Chromecast Extension on your Chrome Browser

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How to add Chromecast extension onto your Chrome browser. By adding the Chromecast extension, you can stream from many websites such as ESPN, FOX, CBS, Netflix, Pandora, and even movie files straight from your PC. This is great for people who does not want to install individual apps onto your tablet or smartphone in order to stream content. In my personal experience, I found that casting from Google Chrome website seems to be more stable and reliable. Besides, I’m usually on my PC when I am working on a project so it is convenient to be able to stream right from where I am working!

  1. First, make sure your PC has WiFi enabled and is connected to the same network as your Chromecast.
  2. Launch Google Chrome browser. If you do not have Google Chrome browser, you can install it from here.
  3. Once you launch Chrome browser, click the three horizontal bars just right of the url bar at the top.

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4. Next, click ‘Settings’ and you will see the below options.
5. Select ‘Extensions’ from the menu on the left. chromecast extension 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. From the Chrome Web Store, search ‘chromecast’. Select ‘Google Cast’ offered by google.com. Do not install any other Chrome or casting extension or app other than from Google unless you trust the source.

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7. Click ‘add to chrome’. The below pop up will appear. Go ahead and select ‘add extension’.

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8. You will see a banner pop up saying Google Cast – Chromecast extension has been installed. Click onto the cast icon on your chrome browser and you will see a request to ‘Help Improve Cast’. It is enabled by default, uncheck it to disable this feature unless you are want to be a willing contributor.

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9. If you click on the cast icon, you will be able to select your Chromecast that is on the same WiFi network.

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10. Once you cast, you have options to mute volume, change quality of video, or to stop casting. Changing the video quality is useful if your Internet connection is not so great and you want to downgrade the streaming quality to prevent streaming issues.

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