Become a master caster with these Google Chromecast tips and tricks

[Wireless News]

http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/4jG9OdMUezAsOfEAORiC0g--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3NfbGVnbztmaT1maWxsO2g9ODY7cT03NTt3PT EzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en-US/homerun/digital_trends_973/317a1328937c03155a17f9a9669c54ba (http://news.yahoo.com/become-master-caster-google-chromecast-001510794.html)Chromecast has become a staple in living rooms across the country, thanks in no small part to the clever device’s rapidly growing app-support. Capable of streaming Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Spotify, and literally hundreds of others, Chromecast is a worthwhile investment (just $35) for those looking to smarten up their TV on the cheap. But aside from its-staple video and music streaming, Chromecast offers a bevy of other useful features which can easily go overlooked. From mirroring your full desktop on your TV-to turning your big screen-into a personal photo album, there are plenty of tips and tricks you can use to get a richer-Chromecast experience. To help you master your Chromecast, we’ve put together a breakdown of our favorite lesser-known features that allow you to get the most from your streaming adventures, whether you’re new to the device, or a Chromecast vet. Related: Roku Streaming Stick vs. Google Chromecast First things first: You’ll want to download the Google Cast extension for your Google Chrome Browser via the Chrome Web Store. This extension allows you to send content to your Chromecast from your browser, and it’s crucial when executing many of the tips and tricks listed below. Setting up Chromecast If you’ve already setup your Chromecast, skip to the next trick, but-we wanted to help you get things rolling-in case you’re new to the product and just pulling it out of the box. Here’s the essential equipment: a TV with an HDMI input, Wi-Fi accessibility, a free USB port or power outlet, and a computer, smart phone, or tablet with either Google’s Chrome browser or the Chromecast app installed. Simply plug the device in to your TV’s HDMI port, give it power, then visit the Chromecast setup page to download the necessary app, and the Chromecast will walk you through the rest. Note: If after connecting your Chromecast to your Wi-Fi network, you still can’t “see” the Chromecast from your Chrome browser casting extension or compatible apps (such as Netflix), you may need to make some adjustments to your Wi-Fi router. Visit the aforementioned Chromecast page for troubleshooting help. Use Chromecast as an audio streaming device Bluetooth is great for streaming-audio to newer hi-fi systems and wireless speakers, but what about all those-notifications? You can bypass those, and still user your phone while you jam out thanks to a slew of-iOS and Android music apps with Chromecast support, including Pandora, Google Play Music, and Spotify. If you’ve got modern A/V-receiver, amplifier, or powered speakers with an optical input, using the Chromecast to stream is-as simple as setting your TV audio to “external speakers,” (typically in the settings menu under sound), and connecting an optical cable from your TV’s audio output to your audio device’s-optical-input.-Have an older amplifier with only analog inputs? Just get an optical to RCA adaptor online-and plug into the RCA input of your sound system. But you want better sound, you say? While most modern TVs will do-just fine pumping out-your stereo signal, you may get better sound quality by simply-connecting your Chromecast directly to an HDMI input on your A/V receiver and using your phone as both the controller and the-viewing window to see what’s-playing. Mirror your Android phone using Chromecast Fans of vertical integration will appreciate that Google has brought Android and Chromecast together, allowing users with most Android devices to “mirror”-content-from those devices to a big screen via Chromecast.-The service is-available on most Android devices with Android OS 4.4.2 or higher. To start mirroring, simply connect your Android device to the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast, open the Google Cast-app and tap the navigation drawer in the top left. Tap the “Cast Screen” button, select your Chromecast, and voila! All that is on your phone is now available for viewing in the bright lights of your HDTV. To end casting,-open the navigation drawer again, tap the Cast Screen button, then select Disconnect. Experience 3D virtual reality without the clunky headset This tip is a bit more expensive and complicated than others on our-list, as-you’ll need a 3D TV, an Android phone, and Google’s freemium cardboard app to pull it off. If you find-yourself-in this category, keep reading. To use the feature, you’ll first want to activate SBS mode on your 3D TV, typically via your-television’s settings menu. Then,-download-the cardboard app on your smartphone and launch it. After-that, simply-mirror the content of your smartphone to your television as directed above, and-put on your-3D glasses packaged with your TV, allowing you-to enjoy a 3D experience akin to virtual reality from the comfort of your living room. Score free offers from popular apps Google often goes out of its way to thank its Chromecast users with an abundance of monthly freebies. The tech giant offers deals for apps like Hulu and-Google Play among others, many of which-include access to free movies, extended streaming trials, and months of unlimited music. Simply visit Google’s Chromecast offer page to see a list of available offers, or if you prefer, access them through the options menu in iOS or Android. Stream a slideshow using Google Slides Got a slideshow you want to broadcast on the big screen? If you use Google Slides, you can stream your presentations over Chromecast. First, make sure that whatever device you are streaming from is on the same Wi-Fi network as your Chromecast. Then, click the “Present” button in the upper-right corner of-your slideshow to open a drop-down menu, and-select “Chromecast.” How to stream local videos Although Chromecast doesn’t work like an Apple TV or Roku, you can nonetheless stream videos stored on your computer or network if Chrome supports the file type on your PC or Mac. With a Chrome browser open, hit CTRL+O for PC or Command+O for Mac and locate the video you wish to play. This gives you the option to choose local videos from an installed hard drive, an external hard drive plugged in to your computer, and some network locations. Check out the natively supported file formats here or move onto our next tip for playing additional file types. Making the most of third-party apps, and more… Using Plex to play any type of local media Because Chrome can’t play every video file format, you’ll need a little a little help from a third-party app. That’s where the Plex application comes in. It indexes video, audio, and photos on your computer or media server and takes care of all the background work, allowing anything you own to be streamed to your Chromecast. Once you’ve downloaded the app, you point it toward where you store your media. It will then organize all your content for easy access. Using your smartphone, tablet, PC, or Mac just select what you want streamed to your Chromecast and it will cast on to your TV. However, you will have to pay $5 to use the app to its full potential. Send websites to your TV Google Chromecast makes it easy to send web pages from the Chrome browser to your TV via the device — and if you don’t already use the Chrome browser, you should download it now anyway. Once done, you can cast any web page you’re viewing to your TV via the Chromecast by-clicking on the “Google Cast” button-located on the right side of your address bar. The page you are viewing will then magically appear on your television. This function is also referred to as “casting a tab.” Finding Chromecast supported apps Though you’re able to send almost anything to your TV via tab casting, there are Chromecast specific apps which offer improved streaming and dedicated support. The list of compatible apps for the Chromecast continues to grow and Google provides a list of these on its website. Improve video playback by adjusting streaming quality Those familiar with streaming videos via YouTube or Netflix have-probably been stricken at some point with buffering issues and loading screens. Chromecast works wonders with streaming video from the Internet to your TV, but it’s not impervious to buffering. Buffering and lag are usually a bigger problem if you have a poor Wi-Fi connection or if the server from which you’re streaming has a high amount of traffic. It’s possible to improve playback speeds, but it comes at the expense of lower quality video. If you’ve got all sorts of buffering issues, just navigate to the Google Cast extension options and set the “Tab projection quality” to “Standard (48op)”-to switch to lower resolution playback. Add Emojis to your Chromecast name The Chromecast app-lets you have some fun when naming your device by allowing the use of Emoji characters. Emoji character choices populate in the flower tab while entering a device name and this option is available for use with the Android, Windows, iOS, and Mac OS X apps. Hosting parties, using a smartphone for a remote, and more… Host a YouTube party Playlists are among Chromecast’s notable features, which give you the ability to set the order of YouTube videos. Other people on different mobile devices or computers can also contribute to the YouTube queue, provided they’re on the same Wi-Fi network. To use the feature, simply search for the YouTube video you wish to watch and open it. You can then browse for new videos, and once selected, the app will ask if you want to play now, or add it to the playlist. Just like that you’ve created a YouTube party. How to make videos always play in full screen This particular tip is useful when sending video from the Chrome browser on your PC or Mac as opposed to casting video from your phone or tablet. If you need to do something else on your computer but want to keep the video you are streaming from the Chrome browser full screen, simply press Alt+Tab to switch tasks. The video that was originally playing in full screen when you switched tasks will continue to do so on the TV. Use your smartphone to turn on your TV One of the Chromecast’s-more unique features allows it to turn on your TV and switch to the proper HDMI input as soon as you start streaming videos or music from your smartphone or tablet.-The Google Chromecast uses the HDMI-CEC technology which most newer televisions support and allows HDMI devices to power on those TVs. Television manufacturers don’t always have this function turned on out of the box, so you may have to do some searching around your TV’s settings to toggle it on. What’s more, not every television brand calls the CEC function the same thing. For the more popular television manufacturers the names are as follows: Samsung — Anynet+ , Sony –Bravia Link or Bravia Sync, Panasonic — Viera Link, LG — Simplink, Toshiba — Regza Link. To use this feature, first plug the Chromecast in using the provided AC adapter as opposed to using a USB port. This assures the Chromecast is receiving power even with the television turned off. With the proper CEC function turned on, start streaming music or video from your smartphone to your Chromecast and your TV will turn on and display the correct HDMI input for your content automatically. Use your own pictures as wallpaper to create a digital photo album While the Chromecast’s default stock photos are gorgeous, you can also customize your wallpaper, allowing you to add your own photos as well as artwork from the Google Cultural Institute, news outlets like the New York Times, and even weather data and satellite imagery. The feature requires the latest software version for your Chromecast and for the Chromecast app on your Android or iOS device, though both should update automatically. To add personal photos, however, you’ll need to grab them from Google Photos.-Either go to Google Photos on the web or install the Google Photos app on a device. Once you have, make sure your device and your Chromecast are on the same Wi-Fi network. Then, tap the Cast button while in Google Photos. This will broadcast your photos to your TV. How to mirror your full desktop Although this tip involves using an experimental aspect of the Chromecast it is still a very useful feature. To send your entire desktop to your television simply click the drop down menu to the right of the Cast this tab to … option and select Cast entire screen (experimental) . This option requires a high level of processing power from your computer and may slow down video playback, lower video quality, and function slower if your PC or Mac isn’t very powerful (it will also put a dent in your laptop’s battery, if you’re not plugged in). With the full desktop cast in experimental mode there is the risk of stability issues as well, so temper your expectations. How to use your Chromecast in a hotel room Using a hotel’s provided television service can leave a bad taste in your mouth, but Chromecast with a portable Wi-Fi access point lets you ditch hotel TV for good. We recommend a portable Wi-Fi hotspot because a hotel’s Wi-Fi network tends to run incredibly slow for streaming video and hotels often charge for usage per device. To use your Chromecast on a hotel room TV, first plug the device in to one of the TV’s available HDMI inputs. This may be challenging (or impossible) with TVs either bolted to a dresser or into a wall and most hotel’s don’t leave the provided TVs floating around the room for easy access to the ports. But once you have Chromecast plugged in, turn on your portable router and connect the Chromecast and your mobile device, PC, or Mac to the wireless network. Once the Chromecast and casting device syncs, you are now able to stream any content to the hotel television exactly as you would with your home TV. Note: Using your phone as a mobile hotspot works but keep in mind your data limits — Chromecast can eat up data quickly. Also, some hotel’s put their TV’s inputs on a sort of lock-down, restricting the use of third-party devices. Hidden settings and other strange functions Guest Mode: Let any Android device-cast to-your TV without signing in to Wi-Fi Are you one of those people with a Wi-Fi password that’s ten miles long, and you refuse to change it (or don’t know how)? If so, this little trick will allow your guests to send anything they want from their own device without the need to jump onto your network. To use the Guest Mode feature,-open the Chromecast app on your Android device, tap on the device you want guests to use, tap on the triple dots at the right-hand corner, and select “Guest Mode” and slide the feature on. Your Chromecast will then send a “special Wi-Fi beacon” that allows any user to stream safely, thanks to special authentication from your Chromecast via inaudible audio tones. How to factory reset your Google Chromecast In the event your Chromecast develops an issue you can’t seem to get around or stops functioning entirely, there are a couple of ways for you to revert the device back to its factory settings. The first method involves opening the Google Cast app on your device. Next, select the Chromecast device you want to reset, then open the settings by tapping the button in the upper right . Next, tap the “More” button in the upper right, and then select “Factory reset Chromecast” (on iOS, this is simply labeled “Reset”). You can also restore the factory settings manually on the device by holding down the Chromecast’s physical button. The LED light will turn orange, and eventually white. At this point, release the button and the Chromecast will begin to reboot. Access Chromecast’s hidden settings menu If you want extra control over the streaming quality of your content, then you’ll want to access Chromecast’s hidden extension options. Click on the Google Cast extension button on the right side of your address bar and select “Options.” Right-click anywhere in the Options page and click “Inspect Element” to bring up the page’s HTML code. Expand the “quality == ‘custom’” code line and look for two lines of text which read “display: none.” Delete both lines of text and then the Google Cast extension options will appear. Note: Keep the Options window open while changing the hidden settings, otherwise you’ll have to search for and delete the lines of HTML again to produce the hidden menu. Use Chromecast with Amazon’s Kindle Fire Though the Chromecast claims to only support apps on iOS or Android devices you do have the ability to cast using a Kindle Fire. Streaming apps like Hulu, Netflix, or Pandora work great when using a Kindle Fire. Play motion control-games using your smartphone and Chromecast Yet another function which isn’t officially supported by Google is the ability to play motion-controlled games using your smartphone and Chromecast. The games themselves aren’t groundbreaking, but they do support multiplayer functionality so you can enjoy some retro-style gaming with your friends. Google offers one such game called Super Sync Sports and using the motion functionality for it is easy to do. First, cast the page from your computer to your TV via the Chromecast and follow the game’s on-screen instructions. Before you know it you’ll be waving, flicking, and swinging your smartphone around in hopes of beating your friends in a virtual race. We recommend keeping a firm grip on your phone or else you could find yourself the star of a motion controller accident montage. This article was originally published on February 21, 2015, and updated on April 27, 2016, by Will Nicol to include tips- on how to use Chromecast with-Google Slides.



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