Not got a smart TV but want to view Netflix or iPlayer? Google has you covered!
The clever little Chromecast device, priced at a very clever £30 is all you need to turn your old TV into a Smart TV. We can now easily cast from our smart devices to our TV with a simple tap of a button. All you need is a Chromecast and the Chromecast app available in the Play store on Android or the App store on iOS. For a while this was only available to the UK as a USA import, but now we can pick up a UK version from several UK based outlets. I’ve listed these below, but the best price has got to be click and collect from Currys as buying direct from Google will cost for delivery. Added bonus! If you purchase before 15/7/14 you will be able redeem £4.99 worth of Google Play store credit.
“How to redeem your Google Play store voucher”
Currently the device supports a small but growing number of UK broadcasting channels such as; BBC iPlayer and BT Sport. The big online streaming players such as; YouTube, Netflix are also onboard and streaming works without a hitch. The real genius of the Chromecast is that the streaming is being done by the Chromecast unit itself, your device merely sends an instruction to the Chromecast. This allows us to enjoy the media on a big screen while our device is fully functioning not being bogged down with streaming HD videos. Eg. you can still update your facebook/twitter whilst watching Breaking Bad on the box.
The final trick up the sleeve of the Chromecast is it’s ability to mirror a Chrome tab from your laptop or desktop computer to your TV. This is a cool feature which is great for sharing pics and stuff with everyone in the room. This is a beta feature at the moment, which means “tab casting” can be a bit less than stellar at times. We need a couple of things in place to be able to use this feature.
First, you will need the Google Chrome browser, if you aren’t already using it, please do so.
Second, download the Google Cast extension from the Chrome Web store (a future post will cover the must have Chrome extensions) it’ll give you a familiar cast button within the top right of your browser. Simply, click and cast tab your currently viewing straight to the TV! Magic.
The beauty of the Chromecast is its simplicity. Once you have completed the easy setup guide and connected it to your network you are ready to cast. The below video demonstrates how to navigate through various apps to use the Chromecast.
GeekPoint gets loads of use out of the Chromecast and at £30 its an excellent piece of tech, if you enjoy watching stuff online. Hopefully you have found this quick guide beneficial. Please drop us a question in the comments box if you want any more info or have any tech questions.
Buy the Chromecast: Currys, Google Play, Amazon UK
Apps: Google Playstore, iTunes Store
Google Chrome Browser Extension: Google Chrome Extension
