Google chromecast 1st generation setup for mac 1080p#
Google chromecast 1st generation setup for mac android#
Google chromecast 1st generation setup for mac software#
Google chromecast 1st generation setup for mac series#

Google chromecast 1st generation setup for mac series#

One last point worth mentioning here is that the Chromecast really plays nicely with Google’s series of smart speakers. That can be really handy if you’re having people over for a party and want them to have some control over the tunes, and it’s way easier than trying to keep track of a remote in a crowded room. Speaking of use, one great feature of the Chromecast is that, once it’s setup, anyone in your house can use if you enable Guest Mode. Those will change automatically over time and serve as a nice wallpaper when the Chromecast isn’t being used. Interestingly, when you're not actively streaming something to the Chromecast, it will enter a screensaver mode that displays curated images of Google’s own choosing. That means you’re free to use your phone for something else without impacting the stream in any way. Surprisingly, you’re not actually streaming from your phone to your TV - Chromecast is picking up a link to that content and playing it all by itself.

Press that, and you can send whatever you’re watching on your phone to the Chromecast.

To stream from an app, you’ll need to find the Cast button that looks like a Wi-Fi network signal next to a TV. Finally, once you’ve assigned a name and a room to the Chromecast, you’ll be ready to stream. Once installed, you’ll just need to tap ‘add new device’ and pick the Chromecast from list of devices waiting to be setup.

Google chromecast 1st generation setup for mac android#

(Image credit: Google) Setup and interfaceįor now let’s talk about the simplicity of setting up a Chromecast: Once it’s unboxed and plugged in, you’ll be asked to go to the app store on iOS or Android and download the Google Home app. Inside, the Chromecast uses an upgraded 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi antenna that is likely the source of the 15% performance boost that Google’s touting - but we’ll cover that further down below. The most important part of the Chromecast’s design, however, isn’t anything you can see on the outside. Similarly, the accompanying USB cord is 69 inches and can easily run to an outlet if your TV doesn’t have an open USB port. What matters a bit more in terms of design is the flat HDMI cable that extends from the Chromecast - it’s long enough to slip into the port without interfering with any other cables and allows the Chromecast to hang a few inches off the TV. The subtle palette swap is nice but, considering Chromecast spends all of its life behind your TV, it probably doesn’t matter that much.

That being said, the latest Chromecast takes this simplicity further than ever before - extending subtlety to the plastic covering of the device: the 2nd Generation model was available in bright red, blue and yellow, while the 3rd Generation only comes in a nearly black, dark charcoal color and off-white chalk. There’s only a single MicroUSB port on the back of the disc that you’ll need to connect to either your TV’s USB port or to the wall using the included wall adapter, and a single button that will factory reset the Chromecast if held down. (The exact dimensions, in case you need them are 51.9 x 51.9 x 13.8 mm.) If you’ve seen a Chromecast in the last few years, you probably know what to expect here - a small disc not more than two inches across that can covertly hide behind your TV.

Google chromecast 1st generation setup for mac 1080p#

Read: 1080p not doing it for you? Read up on the 4K-enabled Chromecast Ultra.

It also includes a new remote and 4K capabilities, though it will set you back at least $179 / £169 / AU$249.

Google chromecast 1st generation setup for mac software#

On the software side of things, Apple has opened up its TV app store to third-party developers, making it a bit more well-rounded than the Chromecast. the Apple TV 4K: the newest Apple TV 4K, like Amazon's streamer, favors its own ecosystem, at least in terms of hardware.