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Last night I had a magical moment from one of the most seemingly mundane pieces of modern technology. Google's Chromecast isn't the first media streamer and, at the moment, it likely isn't even the best. But there's something special there and it goes way beyond the obvious.
Chromecast has attracted a lot of attention, primarily because of its size — imagine a box the size of a large USB stick with ports for HDMI and power — and its ultra tiny price, just $35.
I convinced my wife we needed one, in spite of a video game system and Roku box eliminating the usefulness of the device, with the promise of HBO Go on the living room TV. I had found one of the few remaining original Chromecast bundles, which included a credit for three months of Netflix (a $24 value), left at Best Buy with free shipping. So for the equivalent of $11 plus tax, I was in.
That was a week ago, and tonight the package finally arrived. It came in a small colorful white box with pictures and descriptions baring a strong resemblance to the packaging from arch-rival Apple Inc. Think Apple's AirPort Extreme Base Station circa 2009, except a third of the size.
Pulling the main cover off a blue-and-white box that holds the actual Chromecast, you're also treated to a micro-USB to USB cord, an optional HDMI extender and USB power charger.
Installation is fairly straightforward. If you have a spare USB port on your TV then you plug in the USB cord from the Chromecast to power the device. If not, you plug the charger into the other end and connect it to a power outlet. The other end of the Chromecast goes into an HDMI slot on your TV. If both ends of the Chromecast are plugged in, you're good to go.
Changing the input to match the HDMI slot on the TV, I discovered a confusing paradox. How does something with no remote connect to the Internet and therefore no Internet connection work? A picture on the TV generated by the Chromecast directed me a to website with instructions.
I chose to install it from a Macintosh computer, but you can also use a Windows PC or iOS or Android tablet or phone. In all cases, setup requires downloading an application.
This is where things got weird. Even though the Chromecast wasn't attached to the Internet, my computer recognized it to connect it to my wireless network. This seemingly minor detail is a huge deal.
First, it is important to know my wireless is highly protected. I use an encrypted password and even filter devices, so the chances of the Chromecast just jumping on was nil. Most devices use either a USB or Ethernet cord to bridge the technology divide or an on-screen keyboard, but the Chromecast was using none of that. My computer has Bluetooth, but again that process is protected and not easily accessed. Would Google configure the Chromecast to grab on to any open WiFi signal for setup? No chance. Does it have a single-use cellular connection? Remember it's just $35.
I still don't have an answer for how it was able to do this, but I would welcome suggestions or answers from some of our more techie readers.
The rest of the setup was simple, just put in your WiFi information.
Now, that it's setup, you can play video from one of three approved apps: Netflix, YouTube and Google Play (Movies and Music) from your phones, tablets and computers. In this way, it's very similar to the more established and polished AppleTV and the Roku.
The Chrome functionality is where the device is most unique. Using the Chrome Internet browser on a PC or Mac you can send virtually any Web or local video to your TV. It doesn't always work perfectly. In my limited time testing it, I noticed it froze more than a few times on a single frame, but the audio continued paying. However, it worked more than it didn't and local video files looked surprisingly good. The video continues to play on the computer and changes to the playback there are reflected on the TV video. Local video tends to work better than Internet-based video, which can fluctuate between excellent and terrible based on your Internet speed and buffering. Action scenes look particularly awful.
While most of the marketing for the device has been for personal use, it seems like it or a future similar version could be an easy winner for businesses. Combined with an inexpensive HD TV, the Chromecast's Chrome video feature makes it an excellent system for pre-prepared client presentations. Would I suggest a business buy it now? Not yet. Let Google work out some of the bugs first. Chromecast is still officially in beta and Google says it plans to refine it with additional functionality.
Although its uses are limited to start, with its $35 barrier to entry and remarkably easy setup its seems certain the Chromecast will have a longer shelf life than Google's earlier failed flirtations with delivering Internet content to the TV.
Sean Roth is a self-professed geek. When he's not following real estate and businesses for the Business Observer, he's musing about the latest doohickey.
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