It finally came. The Chromecast. When I initially read about the Chromecast in August, I knew I had to try it out. The device was touted as being able to stream from any device for a small $35 price. Since we are looking to put Apple TVs and iPads into classrooms, the Chromecast seemed to be a much more affordable option.
The setup was relatively easy. I plugged it into my tv and installed the app on my Chromebook, iPad and my Mac. I really like how I can use my laptop to screencast one particular tab while browsing on another. I can show a Google Presentation and work in a different tab at the same time without showing the second tab. This is a great perk that the Chromecast has over the Apple TV. Only one tab can be mirrored at a time, not your entire device. You can show a YouTube video on your laptop and then have another tab open where you can setup the next part of your lesson. If you are using the YouTube app, or the Netflix app for that matter, you can actually shut down your device and the video will continue to play.
However, since we have numerous iPads already deployed within my district, I wanted to see how well the iPad interacted with the Chromecast. I have to admit, I was hoping for a device that would rival the Apple TV's ability to mirror the iPad. A Chromecast is not an Apple TV. You can stream Netflix and YouTube videos through the iPad apps, but you cannot mirror anything on the Chrome browser app, yet.
If you are looking for a simple device that mirrors video streaming apps. This is great. If you want a device to mirror a laptop to allow you to bounce between tabs while being invisible, this is it. If you need a device that actually mirrors your tablet or laptop screen, this is not it. Until the Chromecast has some better mirroring capabilities, I will have to stick with the more expensive Apple TV, but for what the Chromecast does do, the price is right.
The setup was relatively easy. I plugged it into my tv and installed the app on my Chromebook, iPad and my Mac. I really like how I can use my laptop to screencast one particular tab while browsing on another. I can show a Google Presentation and work in a different tab at the same time without showing the second tab. This is a great perk that the Chromecast has over the Apple TV. Only one tab can be mirrored at a time, not your entire device. You can show a YouTube video on your laptop and then have another tab open where you can setup the next part of your lesson. If you are using the YouTube app, or the Netflix app for that matter, you can actually shut down your device and the video will continue to play.
However, since we have numerous iPads already deployed within my district, I wanted to see how well the iPad interacted with the Chromecast. I have to admit, I was hoping for a device that would rival the Apple TV's ability to mirror the iPad. A Chromecast is not an Apple TV. You can stream Netflix and YouTube videos through the iPad apps, but you cannot mirror anything on the Chrome browser app, yet.
If you are looking for a simple device that mirrors video streaming apps. This is great. If you want a device to mirror a laptop to allow you to bounce between tabs while being invisible, this is it. If you need a device that actually mirrors your tablet or laptop screen, this is not it. Until the Chromecast has some better mirroring capabilities, I will have to stick with the more expensive Apple TV, but for what the Chromecast does do, the price is right.