A number of months ago, we picked up a Chromecast device for our television, actually, we ended up buying three. This little device has changed what I watch. Because of Chromecast, we now have more flexibility in what we watch and when we watch it.
The Chromecast device is plugged into an HDMI port on your television. It needs to be connected to a WiFi signal, and software must be loaded on your mobile device or computer. Once you have this all configured, you can begin to stream content to your television. This content can come from NetFlix, HuluPlus, YouTube, or hundreds of other applications. Google is increasingly adding applications that are capable of streaming to Chromecast. When I install a media app, I now look to see if it can be streamed to my television.
Bernadette and I regularly stream shows from HuluPlus to our TV. We are watching a British show called Ultimate Force. We also like Inside Combat Rescue. I have been able to rewatch an old favorite called Ellery Queen, and Bernadette has been able to catch up on missed episodes of her favorite shows.
While we have streamed a YouTube video or two to the Chromecast device, this morning I queued a number of interesting videos I found on YouTube and streamed them to my TV. Because of Chromecast, my TV is becoming increasingly useful because I can select my own quality programming, and I am not tied down to the schedule dictated by the cable company.
Increasingly, I am finding myself going to the Chromecast device first. What have your experiences been?
(Image by EricaJoy (Flickr: Chromecast) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
