Amazon FireTV

[techs]

My PC is on the other side of my house. I don't want to walk up/down 40 steps everytime I want to change the channel.

If your wireless keyboard and mouse don't reach you are indeed severely limited because you can't use Chromecasest, and can only use the other devices which lock you in to their limited uses.

 

[rh71]

I forgot to add, with Chromecast you can rip your entire dvd and/or bluray library to your hard drive and play them.

What software on the PC are you using to stream to the tv that has no lag? I tried Plex and the Chrome browser itself. Both lag really badly or skips (low fps) that it's unwatchable. My tv/chromecast is only 10ft away from the PC / wifi router.

 

[openwheel]

Chromecast and Roku's hdmi stick are the two best solutions.

Nothing out there can beat my HTPC built in 2007 though. Nothing.

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

The "other" device is owned by 99 percent of people since its a personal computer, if you want to access all the features Chromecast does that others don't.

I guess you don't have a p.c. so for you Chromecast is not useful.

Why bother running to a PC? Your phone can also be used to control chromecast. And 99 percent of people have their phone on them all the time.

What software on the PC are you using to stream to the tv that has no lag? I tried Plex and the Chrome browser itself. Both lag really badly or skips (low fps) that it's unwatchable. My tv/chromecast is only 10ft away from the PC / wifi router.

I use plex from my phone to stream to chromecast, no lag at all. Anecdotal evidence, sure...but at least its proof that it works. I do need to do more testing with HD videos though. I believe i've had no trouble streaming 720p stuff.

 

[KeithP]

Great, just what everyone wants to see in an Amazon FireTV thread, the pros and cons of Chromecast.

-KeithP

 

[bearxor]

The "other" device is owned by 99 percent of people since its a personal computer, if you want to access all the features Chromecast does that others don't.

I guess you don't have a p.c. so for you Chromecast is not useful.

Essentially, I don't want to keep a PC in the living room. I mean, I'm fine with a tablet or phone, so Chromecast has some functionality for me that works fine. But I don't want to start up Netflix or Hulu or Plex on my phone, naviagte using the phone and then stream it to the Chromecast. I've had way too many problems where my phone turns off, loses connection to the Chromecast and then I can't reconnect it.

See, I don't understand why people still want 10-foot interface. Yes, it's not the worst idea, but frankly the two-foot interface of my ever-present phone or tablet is better in every way. Hence Chromecast... but Google really needs an ethernet version, or at least one with 5ghz/ac.

I'll give you an example of where a dumb remote is better at controlling the experience that a tablet or phone.

Watching House of Cards during dinner on Netflix. Need to get up to get a drink refill. Turn phone on and unlock it. Wait for the Netflix app to reconnect to the Chromecast (cross fingers it does), once reconnected, wait for it to recognize it's place in the video, hit the pause button. Process takes about 10 seconds. Go to kitchen, make drink, come back, repeat process except this time to press play.

Watching a video on my Boxee, same situation. Pick up Boxee remote, press pause. I think there's room for both situations here. A tablet/phone to browse content and pick it out, a dumb remote to control playback functions.

I forgot to add, with Chromecast you can rip your entire dvd and/or bluray library to your hard drive and play them.

Yeah, how? Don't they have to play through the browser? Or through a device app that you can browse to them? Doesn't Plex provide the same functionality?

To be fair, a remote is also another device.

No, I'm not buying the argument that a remote control is equivalent to a smartphone or tablet. See above a few replies.

Our Apple TV never gets any use because everyone in our house hates having to use the remote. Easier to use what you're comfortable with (phone/tablet) and everyone's phone or tablet can be the remote. It's probably the biggest advantage Chromecast has IMHO.

AppleTV is IR. Why not program it in to the universal remote you (likely) already use for everything else?

If you like using your smartphone/tablet to control things, why not download the Remote app for AppleTV? Isn't that exactly what you say you're looking for?
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/remote/id284417350?mt=8

You say this as if the streamers don't need a device to control them. Those little remotes are annoying, touch screens are faster and easier to use, and certainly don't get lost as often.

As noted, completely disagree.

If your wireless keyboard and mouse don't reach you are indeed severely limited because you can't use Chromecasest, and can only use the other devices which lock you in to their limited uses.

I can't imagine using a chromecast to surf the internet without having the computer right beside me. Since Chrome only casts one tab at a time, what do you do if something opens a new tab? Do you use keyboard shortcuts to search around for it like a blind person? Is there a keyboard shortcut to start casting (not sure, actually).

 

[s44]

What software on the PC are you using to stream to the tv that has no lag? I tried Plex and the Chrome browser itself. Both lag really badly or skips (low fps) that it's unwatchable. My tv/chromecast is only 10ft away from the PC / wifi router.

If you're trying to play back Blu-Ray rips, the wifi on the Chromecast is too slow to do 1080p. You'll need transcoding. If you have an Android I suggest BubbleUPnP as the remote/control app, Serviio as the PC server program, and Bubble UPnP Server as the Chromecast go-between. It all goes together rather well.

 

[bearxor]

I use plex from my phone to stream to chromecast, no lag at all. Anecdotal evidence, sure...but at least its proof that it works. I do need to do more testing with HD videos though. I believe i've had no trouble streaming 720p stuff.

I've noticed a fairly significant degradation in picture quality on Plex via Chromecast vs playing it via a dedicated device like the Boxee Box. Audio also seems softer. It's likely the transcoding that has to happen.

I haven't noticed dropped frames when I have a strong connection, but the state of 2.4ghz wireless in my neighborhood is terrible so it does happen.

 

[Red Storm]

I use plex from my phone to stream to chromecast, no lag at all. Anecdotal evidence, sure...but at least its proof that it works. I do need to do more testing with HD videos though. I believe i've had no trouble streaming 720p stuff.

I use Plex just about every night and no issues for me either. Chromecast is behind the TV in the basement while the router is two floors up.

 

[vi edit]

Oh one other thing...if the chromecast is tied to my phone...then if I'm not home no one else can watch it. My 6 year old knows how to turn on the TV, switch imputs, and then pull up netflix on the Apple TV. Dedicated streaming devices are much more family friendly.

 

[SAWYER]

Any device can control the Chromecast

 

[tential]

Chromecast is the best device for the most people.

Advantages of Chromecast:

1) Play anything that you can find on the internet that you can access with the Chrome browser. You never see the other devices mention this because they only have a few "channels" they play. With Chromecast you have EVERY website that embeds video.

2) You can play any saved video you have on your hard drive. Even if you just save a youtube video because it buffers and you want to play it from your hard drive. Or IF YOU TORRENT LEGAL VIDEOS AND WANT TO PLAY THEM, CHROMECAST CAN. HUGE ADVANTAGE.

3) Use a mouse and keyboard.

4) Surf the web using Chrome with a wireless mouse and keyboard.

5)Chromecast is only 35 dollars.

Chromecast wins big time.

It's nice and all that you like Chromecast but it isn't for everyone.

I would NEVER consider Chromecast in a million years because it doesn't do what I want at the speed I want it to.

To use Chromecast I'm REQUIRED to have my laptop/phone out at the same time. That's a steep requirement. So ANYTIME I want to watch TV I have to take out my phone/laptop.

Surf the web? You can do that on MOST DEVICES and play videos off EVERY page. Amazon Kindle, FireTV, etc. ALL have webbrowsers.

Lets not even begin to talk about the INSANE requirement that I must play LOCAL content when using chromecast. Sorry, but I'm a power user I don't save my videos to my laptop. With 10TB of media (Movies/TV) I'm not chromecasting it to my TV. I'm playing it off my HTPC server.

A box like this is PERFECT for many users, even more so if it supports XBMC (Although plex could be used anyway I just don't want to setup plex). Chromecast may be good enough for you and it's nice. But for those of us who want a more serious setup that doesn't require you have a second device charged/ready to use then no, the Chromecast doesn't offer what we need. Chromecast has WAY TOO MANY LIMITATIONS for you to be touting it the way you are.

Edit: By the way, I own a chromecast. Was only $30 bucks my dad got one to fool around with. So far it just isn't user friendly for everyone. My little cousin was here and was watching Curious George/WildKratts. You think he has a phone and knows how to use Chromecast? No. But he can click the XBMC app with a remote and navigate XBMC using a remote. Not to mention there are TONS of times where I'm using my HDTV and my phone is CHARGING.

I have a Nexus 7 actually that I tried to use as my XBMC remote as a tablet. I Thought using a tablet would be more convenient than a traditional remote. Between the unlock period/connect period it just wasn't worth it. EVery time I want to pause a movie/video I had to wait to unlock/connect/pause. Even if the process took 5-10 seconds it was 5-10 seconds longer than simply hitting PAUSE on the remote. I just always ended up using the remote because it was faster/more efficient.

 

[bearxor]

Any device can control the Chromecast

Sure, but I don't think six-year-olds have their own devices yet.

Right... ... ?

 

[Red Storm]

Essentially, I don't want to keep a PC in the living room. I mean, I'm fine with a tablet or phone, so Chromecast has some functionality for me that works fine. But I don't want to start up Netflix or Hulu or Plex on my phone, naviagte using the phone and then stream it to the Chromecast. I've had way too many problems where my phone turns off, loses connection to the Chromecast and then I can't reconnect it.



I'll give you an example of where a dumb remote is better at controlling the experience that a tablet or phone.

Watching House of Cards during dinner on Netflix. Need to get up to get a drink refill. Turn phone on and unlock it. Wait for the Netflix app to reconnect to the Chromecast (cross fingers it does), once reconnected, wait for it to recognize it's place in the video, hit the pause button. Process takes about 10 seconds. Go to kitchen, make drink, come back, repeat process except this time to press play.

Your issues seem tied to network problems, I don't have these problems so there's no 10 second waiting. When a video is playing on Chromecast my phone has the controls in my Nav bar ready to go.

I don't have a universal remote, nor do I need one. I have Fios TV and the Chromecast, that's it. Using the Remote app is a joke, it's like the physical remote only slower and just as cumbersome. Try searching for something on that remote (or the Remote app) compared to typing on a phone or tablet.

Oh one other thing...if the chromecast is tied to my phone...then if I'm not home no one else can watch it. My 6 year old knows how to turn on the TV, switch imputs, and then pull up netflix on the Apple TV. Dedicated streaming devices are much more family friendly.

Chromecast doesn't get "tied" to a single device, that's the complete opposite of how it works. Every Android/iPhone/iPad can control the Chromecast, that's the nice thing about it.

Your 6 year old is no different from my friend's daughter. Except she does it via an iPad to Chromecast.

 

[rh71]

I use Plex just about every night and no issues for me either. Chromecast is behind the TV in the basement while the router is two floors up.

Trying to understand how Plex works with my android as the remote. My PC is the Plex media server. I just grabbed Plex Remote from Google Play store and it found my server but CHOOSE CLIENT shows nothing. This should be where it finds my chromecast perhaps? Manual setup also shows 0 clients. I also don't see where in Plex media server on the PC where I can point to possible wireless clients.

You don't have to have the $5 Plex app for Android do you? Don't really understand why you'd need that unless you're server is your android phone...

 

[ultimatebob]

Yeah, I don't understand the need for this product. At this point, almost everyone has a SmartTV, Blu-Ray player, game console, Roku, Apple TV, or Chromecast device to stream media from the cloud.

That said, I remember saying the same thing about the Chromecast as well

 

[Red Storm]

Trying to understand how Plex works with my android as the remote. My PC is the Plex media server. I just grabbed Plex Remote from Google Play store and it found my server but CHOOSE CLIENT shows nothing. This should be where it finds my chromecast perhaps? Manual setup also shows 0 clients.

You don't have to have the $5 Plex app for Android do you? Don't really understand why you'd need that unless you're server is your android phone...

I go to the Plex app on my phone or tablet and then tap the Cast button to choose which Chromecast to stream to.

I've had PlexPass membership for a long time, so I use the Plex for PlexPass app.

Anyway, getting back to what this thread is about. I do not see the gaming aspect taking off until they make some actual good games and not just the equivalent to PC flash game time wasters.

 

[ultimatebob]

Sure, but I don't think six-year-olds have their own devices yet.

Right... ... ?

Speak for yourself. My 13 month old already has her own hand me down Netbook and iPad... although she no idea how to use the Netbook yet

 

[Red Storm]

Sure, but I don't think six-year-olds have their own devices yet.

Right... ... ?

Our iPad sits in the living room where everyone uses it, including the little ones.

 

[bearxor]

Your issues seem tied to network problems, I don't have these problems so there's no 10 second waiting. When a video is playing on Chromecast my phone has the controls in my Nav bar ready to go.

Mine acts like that too until it goes to standby. When the screen goes off, wifi turns off. So when you wake a device up it has to reconnect to wifi then the app has to reestablish a connection with the chromecast to get the status of what's playing.

But I'm not completely eliminating the possibility of network problems. But then that's one of my major issues with the chromecast, 2.4ghz wifi only. And that problem is unsolveable for me.

 

[Red Storm]

Mine acts like that too until it goes to standby. When the screen goes off, wifi turns off. So when you wake a device up it has to reconnect to wifi then the app has to reestablish a connection with the chromecast to get the status of what's playing.

But I'm not completely eliminating the possibility of network problems. But then that's one of my major issues with the chromecast, 2.4ghz wifi only. And that problem is unsolveable for me.

My devices don't disconnect from wifi when they go to sleep. Well, maybe the iPad does but I'm not sure, but I know my Android devices don't because I set them not to.

I agree that 2.4GHz only was definitely a letdown by Google. Thankfully it's not a problem for me, but with Amazon now entering the field as well this should mean everyone tries harder to make us happy, so that means better products.

 

[poofyhairguy]

This device looks ok not amazing. The real value is the fact Amazon restricts the platforms for their video service. In fact I would probably get one just for that if my Panny TVs didn't have Prime steaming built in.

The controller seems like an afterthought and I don't think this will make huge waves in the gaming community.

See, I don't understand why people still want 10-foot interface. Yes, it's not the worst idea, but frankly the two-foot interface of my ever-present phone or tablet is better in every way.

Not every way. I can think of three advantages of a ten foot interface:

1. A 65 inch screen can visually represent a large library better (or more attractively at least) than a 5 inch phone or a 7 inch tablet.

2. A ten foot interface can often be easily customizable beyond the initial plans of the developer (without you having to be a developer) because by its nature it is a more basic interface. I don't know of any app or collection of apps that can seamlessly tie together all the things I have tied together in my 10 foot HPTC interface (like controlling and launching local movies and TV shows, 3D movies, emulators of every major console I have owned, streaming content, etc.).

3. A ten foot interface is more comfortable for older generations that have worse eyesight or aren't as tuned to mobile device. As long as I programed my Harmony correctly, I could give my Grandad my remote and he could access 80+ percent of the capabilities of my HPTC setup. Without becoming an app developer, or only using a more simple device with less capability, there is no way I can do that with a mobile device.

I think the best solution is to have both options.

 

[SAWYER]

Sure, but I don't think six-year-olds have their own devices yet.

Right... ... ?

6 year olds shouldnt be home alone

 

[sweenish]

It's looking like all these Chromecast complaints can be chalked up to things that aren't the Chromecast. Except for the lack of 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

Being a bit pragmatic, I don't try to stream transcoded 1080p files across my network. Not until I own ac hardware on both ends and have an actual server with loads of space. 720p does the job just fine, and at full quality. I use Plex, my server is our desktop with more than enough horsepower. All devices have a strong Wi-Fi connection because I didn't cheap out/get stuck with ISP provided crap.

My phone/tablet does not lose its connection to the Chromecast, so if I want to pause, I turn the screen on and press the pause button.

Using Plex as an example, the Chromecast is ideal for me. No stupid remote that will just get lost, transcodes "just work" on it where the type of video dictated what console I used before, and some files simply didn't work regardless.

This amazon box doesn't fit in with our house mostly because we already have a Chromecast, but to completely discount the Chromecast due to outside factors isn't fair.

 

[openwheel]

Been streaming 1080p content over my network since 2007.

I wouldn't go backwards in anyway. 1080P+ or nothing.