Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 So, we previously/currently had a PC for streaming TV. We got a smart TV and want to get rid of the PC, but due to some content not being available we still 'need' the PC... or something else. We could also use a replacement for our laptop. My thoughts were to to do a chrome book for a laptop & Chromecast to mirror streaming TV content that we can't get on the smart TV. Got one tonight and tried to mirror some streaming TV on the Chrome browser to the Chromecast. Streaming isn't that great, jittery (looks like low frame rate) and hick-ups every 5-10 seconds. This is with a Toshiba Chrmoebook 2 (higher end spec one) which is supposed to be one of the 'faster' chromebooks too. When 'casting' the chrome browser to the Chromecase, is it via the Wifi router or via some direct private wifi network that I can't 'see'? Is this a chrome cast issue, HP in the chrome book or wifi HP (it's an older wifi router and is upstairs)? Would a newer higher HP wifi router help, or even just moving it downstairs to experiment... it's really only about 10' away through ~1.5 walls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buelliganx1 Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 It's my understanding that the chrome cast is only using the address that it gets from your casting source to stream from itself. In other words it sounds like a chrome cast problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 That would be true if I was using the 'apps' in the Chromecast. This doesn't really offer me anything over what my smart TV can do and would still limit what I can watch due to it being a tv/mobile streaming device. I'm 'casting' my Chrome browser to the Chromecast which (from what I understand) just mirrors, streams the content in my browser window to the Chromecast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruizin01 Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I messed around with mine for a few minutes just now. My netbook doesn't cast for crap. (win7) Very glitchy/slow. My desktop (built 3 months ago) cast to it like its hardwired. works great. (used a 720p source for testing) Using a $20 D-link N router from Amazon. Hope this helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 (edited) What do you mean by 720p source; streaming or content on your PC? I've only tried 1 stream, from CBS. It got worse as you cranked up the streaming rate (from the browser to the Chromecast), was downright unwatchable by the time you got to 720p high bit-rate. It was still bad at 480p; jittery and hickups every 5-10 seconds I was talking about before. Good idea, we can try the laptop & HTPC to see how they do. But it sounds like it's a graphics/HP issue with the Chromebook. Booo, I think I would really like this thing as a basic laptop (mostly internet) device. But if it can't also cast to the Chromecast it's kind of a moot point. I would just really hope/think that a brand new, 'higher' end piece of Android hardware should be able to do this. Edit: Same issue with HPTC, 4 year old i5-650 based PC so I would think that horse power shouldn't be a huge issue. Wifi router is old... maybe, guessing g is the highest it goes. Edited December 30, 2014 by Trouble Maker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruizin01 Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Yep, you're right. The 720p was local content. I tried some lesser streaming content and it was fine until I went to CBS. Their HD content looked good but the screen refresh was slow and the audio sync was off. Hmm.. I wonder if you turn the quality down on the cast option that would help? edit. If you turn the casting settings down from extreme to high its better. the quality is lower (obviously) but its doable on my 58" but not great. the audio sync is just slightly off. maybe not noticeable too much if you arent looking for it. Im not expert but I would think a G router would do fine. Thats all I had before this one I got recently and I could stream most 1080 content to the chromecast using plex without quality issues. It was always the pc that slowed things down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 This was set at 480p. It would have been borderline watchable if it weren't for the 'hickups' every 5 - 10... 30 seconds, the stream, both video & audio would completely stop for a fraction of a second. I will have to check the specs on the router, wife came into the relationship with it, so it's old. I've kind of been meaning to replace it, but don't want to use this as a reason to if it's not what's causing the issue. CBS is one of the big reasons I 'need' something that's a 'PC'. They are really stingy with their content, you have to watch most of it through their site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruizin01 Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 You might try moving your router and see if it's a signal issue. Or try the chromecast on a different TV that's in a different area. There's definitely something going on though. With mine set on high it didn't glitch. The quality dropped out just slightly for a second but didn't stop or lose audio when on cbs. I assume you have an OTA antenna but can't watch everything you want live? I know this adds a monthly fee but this is the reason i bought a TiVo box and pay a small monthly fee for the dvr service and guide for ota content. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRed05 Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I cast from my Android phone and tablet all the time. It's not jittery at all when the app has chromecast support. I can even play movies I have saved on my Google Drive, you just have to cast your entire screen (mirroring) and then play the movie. That does tend to have a reduction of quality sometimes. I've cast a few things from my chrome browser on a pc, and it usually depends on where/what you're streaming. I streamed the Howard Stern Birthday Party and it had barely any loss in quality, but then I tried to cast a hockey game one time from some questionable website and it was pretty much unwatchable. I'm using a new Asus ac router that's pretty much the tits though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffro Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Chromecast is very CPU intensive when casting an entire tab. Stick with the recommended applications or get a better machine. I had the same issue and was pretty disappointed at first. My MBPr has no issues streaming anything in 720p to chromecast. Just saying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaSSon Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I steam ALL my TV now, so I require a HTPC. I am thinking about replacing it with something like this running Linux. Edit: Same issue with HPTC, 4 year old i5-650 based PC so I would think that horse power shouldn't be a huge issue. ... Sounds familiar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Chromecast is very CPU intensive when casting an entire tab. Stick with the recommended applications or get a better machine. I had the same issue and was pretty disappointed at first. My MBPr has no issues streaming anything in 720p to chromecast. Just saying So, the 'best' Chromeboke out there can't cast it's browser to a Chromecast... just making sure I follow. If so, then the system just doesn't work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I cast from my Android phone and tablet all the time. It's not jittery at all when the app has chromecast support. I can even play movies I have saved on my Google Drive, you just have to cast your entire screen (mirroring) and then play the movie. That does tend to have a reduction of quality sometimes. I think when you do this, it's the stick doing the work and you're just using the PC/Phone as a sort of remote to control what the stick does. I've cast a few things from my chrome browser on a pc, and it usually depends on where/what you're streaming. I streamed the Howard Stern Birthday Party and it had barely any loss in quality, but then I tried to cast a hockey game one time from some questionable website and it was pretty much unwatchable. But when you do this it's the content is being displayed/streamed on the PC/Phone, recoded by the PC/Phone and re-streamed to the stick, putting some heavy lifting on the PC/Phone. If it can't do this second thing, it doesn't do 1 of the 2 things I 'need' it to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 You might try moving your router and see if it's a signal issue. Or try the chromecast on a different TV that's in a different area. Yeah, going to try to move the router downstairs. Going to be a bit of a pain since the only cable connection is upstairs. I assume you have an OTA antenna but can't watch everything you want live? I know this adds a monthly fee but this is the reason i bought a TiVo box and pay a small monthly fee for the dvr service and guide for ota content. Yes, but without time-shifting capability I don't see a point in watching TV. The whole point of this is to get rid of any boxes to mount the TV/soundbar on the wall. I am going to repurpose the HTPC upstairs and should install the tuner card I have. I think then I can record OTA shows on the PC and watch them on the TV via plex. There are some other studios that are clinging to too much control, USA being one of them, which we 'need' something other than smart TV or OTA to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramsey Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 my phone cast better than my old laptop did. just fyi. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffro Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 So, the 'best' Chromeboke out there can't cast it's browser to a Chromecast... just making sure I follow. If so, then the system just doesn't work. Pretty much. chrome books are meant for browsing the internet (ie gmail, google docs, facebook, twitter.) Thats it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CRed05 Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I think when you do this, it's the stick doing the work and you're just using the PC/Phone as a sort of remote to control what the stick does. But when you do this it's the content is being displayed/streamed on the PC/Phone, recoded by the PC/Phone and re-streamed to the stick, putting some heavy lifting on the PC/Phone. If it can't do this second thing, it doesn't do 1 of the 2 things I 'need' it to do. I think it's always being processed by the chromecast. http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/chromecast2.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I bought amazon firetv stick. It is their take on chromecast. You can manually load apk files with ADB. It isn't that hard even if you have zero experience with ADB. Using Plex, XBMC, and my gaming PC I can stream anything but high end MKV files. It works okay in my opinion. If you want an all in one machine that will play anything and everything you just need to buy a low end PC. Trust me I am done with sticks, roku boxes, apple tvs, mac minis(I should probably sell my mac...) and anything else. $200 at microcenter will get you a refurb core2duo winxp or win7 tower and a cheap bluetooth handheld keyboard/mouse combo. You can run a video wire directly to a 60 inch tv. That setup will stream anything even MKVs from another PC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Here ya go. Even has a DVD reader in it. This is not the same as my rig that I bought but it is close. http://www.microcenter.com/product/435340/DC5700_Desktop_Computer_Off_Lease_Refurbished http://www.amazon.com/iClever%C2%AE-IC-RF01-Wireless-Keyboard-Touchpad/dp/B00HMXIKCS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1419960179&sr=8-5&keywords=bluetooth+keyboard+mouse+handheld Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I bought amazon firetv stick. It is their take on chromecast. You can manually load apk files with ADB. It isn't that hard even if you have zero experience with ADB. Using Plex, XBMC, and my gaming PC I can stream anything but high end MKV files. It works okay in my opinion. If you want an all in one machine that will play anything and everything you just need to buy a low end PC. Trust me I am done with sticks, roku boxes, apple tvs, mac minis(I should probably sell my mac...) and anything else. $200 at microcenter will get you a refurb core2duo winxp or win7 tower and a cheap bluetooth handheld keyboard/mouse combo. You can run a video wire directly to a 60 inch tv. That setup will stream anything even MKVs from another PC. I know there was a lot of text above this, but did you literally not read any of it? I've had a PC that I built hooked up to the TV for the last 3 years or so. Just got a smart TV and the ease of use and picture quality are worlds better. So I want to get rid of the box to mount the TV on the wall. But there are things you can't stream to a 'tv/mobile' device, some things on Hulu due to agreements with studios, USA, CBS. Additionally, we could use a new laptop. I've no interest in modifying, hacking any of these devices, or downloading illegal content from all over the web using tormegafatguypiratbay. I hit play on the thing and it plays. If I'm going to work that hard to do something it better be more rewarding than just watching TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I think I'm going to keep the Chromebook because it works great for internet, streaming video. Just not video streaming to the stick thingey. We will just hook it up directly via HDMI when we need a 'computer device' hooked up to the TV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Pretty much. chrome books are meant for browsing the internet (ie gmail, google docs, facebook, twitter.) Thats it. Looks amazing streaming video. Just not restreaming to the stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87GT Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 I know there was a lot of text above this, but did you literally not read any of it? I've had a PC that I built hooked up to the TV for the last 3 years or so. Just got a smart TV and the ease of use and picture quality are worlds better. So I want to get rid of the box to mount the TV on the wall. But there are things you can't stream to a 'tv/mobile' device, some things on Hulu due to agreements with studios, USA, CBS. Additionally, we could use a new laptop. I've no interest in modifying, hacking any of these devices, or downloading illegal content from all over the web using tormegafatguypiratbay. I hit play on the thing and it plays. If I'm going to work that hard to do something it better be more rewarding than just watching TV. No I did not read all of the posts in this thread. I just read the first one. Also I did nothing illegal to my stick. I also didn't go to "tormegafatguypiratbay". Nothing is rooted or hacked. I was just trying to help you out. From what I did read it sounded like you are/were in the same boat I used to be in. I wanted an all in one box that streamed and played everything. So far it took me buying everything above that I mentioned. If you don't want my help don't reply to my post. No need to be a prick about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trouble Maker Posted December 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Maybe I missed the part about where you were getting content from? If I'm not mistaken, to use things like Plex, XBMC, you have to have some files you already downloaded onto the 'host' PC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffro Posted December 30, 2014 Report Share Posted December 30, 2014 Maybe I missed the part about where you were getting content from? If I'm not mistaken, to use things like Plex, XBMC, you have to have some files you already downloaded onto the 'host' PC? Plugins. 1channel for XBMC has every thing you could possibly think of. All streaming. All "free." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.