Chromecast, Chrome browser and iOS

[tbradnc]

Is it my imagination or is it not possible to cast a video from Chrome on an iPhone to a Chromecast? For that matter, I'm not able to cast from an Asus tablet to a Chromecast. No problem with Chrome on my MBA because the cast tab is there...

Followup question: I'm trying specifically to stream something from video.pbs.org from an iPhone to a Chromecast - is there no way?

 

[Lloydbm41]

Is it my imagination or is it not possible to cast a video from Chrome on an iPhone to a Chromecast? For that matter, I'm not able to cast from an Asus tablet to a Chromecast. No problem with Chrome on my MBA because the cast tab is there...

Followup question: I'm trying specifically to stream something from video.pbs.org from an iPhone to a Chromecast - is there no way?

Casting from Chrome is still in Beta and believe it only works with PC's, not mobile.

 

[Fanaticalism]

Is it my imagination or is it not possible to cast a video from Chrome on an iPhone to a Chromecast? For that matter, I'm not able to cast from an Asus tablet to a Chromecast. No problem with Chrome on my MBA because the cast tab is there...

Followup question: I'm trying specifically to stream something from video.pbs.org from an iPhone to a Chromecast - is there no way?

If your Asus tablet is on 4.4.2 or later you can mirror your screen

 

[Robisan]

Casting from Chrome is still in Beta and believe it only works with PC's, not mobile.

I'll give Apple this - as of now Airplay is far superior to Chromecast. I really hope they catch up to similar functionality across all platforms.

 

[soulsyphon]

http://www.airserver.com/

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koushikdutta.cast
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.kineticgamestudios.airtunes.android

links that may help you.

 

[Lloydbm41]

I'll give Apple this - as of now Airplay is far superior to Chromecast. I really hope they catch up to similar functionality across all platforms.

Actually, not true. Casting from a Chrome tab to a Chromecast is in beta, but anyone with an Android phone running KitKat and Lollipop can cast their screen to Chromecast. There is actually a screen cast quick toggle to do this built in to Lollipop.
Additionally, now there are some TV's that will allow you to use the TV remote to pause, play and rewind Chromecast video's.

Airplay is great, but it is not superior in the fact that the weak link is being stuck with an outdated Apple TV running a slow 802.11n wifi. Buffering of 1080p video's can be excruciating.

 

[bandrews]

Actually, not true. Casting from a Chrome tab to a Chromecast is in beta, but anyone with an Android phone running KitKat and Lollipop can cast their screen to Chromecast. There is actually a screen cast quick toggle to do this built in to Lollipop.
Additionally, now there are some TV's that will allow you to use the TV remote to pause, play and rewind Chromecast video's.

Airplay is great, but it is not superior in the fact that the weak link is being stuck with an outdated Apple TV running a slow 802.11n wifi. Buffering of 1080p video's can be excruciating.

I prefer Chromecast too. Makes much more sense that the device should stream the content directly rather than go from your wifi router to your iPhone to your router to the Apple TV.

 

[tbradnc]

Sigh... something that should be so easy.

Compounding the problem even further is Comcast will not allow their Xifinitiy TV Go app to stream via Airplay. Works great via my Macbook with Chromecast and Airplay - just not the iOS app.

So now we have no cable bill but we've got a toolbox full of kludges to sorta-kinda-maybe watch something if we can figure it out.

 

[mattopotamus]

Actually, not true. Casting from a Chrome tab to a Chromecast is in beta, but anyone with an Android phone running KitKat and Lollipop can cast their screen to Chromecast. There is actually a screen cast quick toggle to do this built in to Lollipop.
Additionally, now there are some TV's that will allow you to use the TV remote to pause, play and rewind Chromecast video's.

Airplay is great, but it is not superior in the fact that the weak link is being stuck with an outdated Apple TV running a slow 802.11n wifi. Buffering of 1080p video's can be excruciating.

That is a lot different than casting a tab. For example, go to the website afdah.com to watch a movie. If you "mirror" to the chromecast it is awful and choppy. If you use airplay to truly "cast the tab" to an ATV it runs flawless.

^ that is just comparing a mobile device to a mobile device.

If you use a PC/mac and the chrome browser, "tab casting" is just like airplay.

 

[Fanaticalism]

I'll give Apple this - as of now Airplay is far superior to Chromecast. I really hope they catch up to similar functionality across all platforms.

Actually, not true. Casting from a Chrome tab to a Chromecast is in beta, but anyone with an Android phone running KitKat and Lollipop can cast their screen to Chromecast. There is actually a screen cast quick toggle to do this built in to Lollipop.
Additionally, now there are some TV's that will allow you to use the TV remote to pause, play and rewind Chromecast video's.

Airplay is great, but it is not superior in the fact that the weak link is being stuck with an outdated Apple TV running a slow 802.11n wifi. Buffering of 1080p video's can be excruciating.

Not to mention that once casting via a supported app (as opposed to screen mirroring) the source device no longer is required to be on the network.

 

[gotluck]

That is a lot different than casting a tab. For example, go to the website afdah.com to watch a movie. If you "mirror" to the chromecast it is awful and choppy. If you use airplay to truly "cast the tab" to an ATV it runs flawless.

^ that is just comparing a mobile device to a mobile device.

If you use a PC/mac and the chrome browser, "tab casting" is just like airplay.

Im not sure I understand, android can 'cast' mp4/supported videos from chrome browser to chromecast (like the little chromcast button shows up in the lower right hand corner of the video player). It can also mirror from any app. Yes, it was a slideshow last I tried from PC, but mirroring is flawless from my GS4.

it is really the same as airplay afaik, except no mirroring from PC, I would actually give the nudge to chromecast, since so many apps have airplay morroring capability disabled (unless jailbroken with flex patches). I have yet to come across an app that cannot be mirrored to chromecast. Even apps that wont work via MHL/hdmi out work when mirrored to chromecast. However I'm sure content providers will block chromecast mirroring soon enough, I'm surprised it hasnt happened already

 

[mattopotamus]

Im not sure I understand, android can 'cast' mp4/supported videos from chrome browser to chromecast (like the little chromcast button shows up in the lower right hand corner of the video player). It can also mirror from any app. Yes, it was a slideshow last I tried from PC, but mirroring is flawless from my GS4.

it is really the same as airplay afaik, except no mirroring from PC, I would actually give the nudge to chromecast, since so many apps have airplay morroring capability disabled (unless jailbroken with flex patches). I have yet to come across an app that cannot be mirrored to chromecast. Even apps that wont work via MHL/hdmi out work when mirrored to chromecast. However I'm sure content providers will block chromecast mirroring soon enough, I'm surprised it hasnt happened already

Since when? It didn't work with lollipop and the chrome browser when I had the nexus 5. Yes, it works like that with apps, but I am pretty sure chrome browser only works on PCs/Macs.....unless there was a very recent update.

casting your screen and casting a tab play back very differently.

 

[gotluck]

Since when? It didn't work with lollipop and the chrome browser when I had the nexus 5. Yes, it works like that with apps, but I am pretty sure chrome browser only works on PCs/Macs.....unless there was a very recent update.

casting your screen and casting a tab play back very differently.

I mean explicitly casting a video from chrome on android, not the actual webpage. The cast icon comes up in the video player. Believe it's gotta be your standard MP4 video in the stock player. You can't cast the tab

 

[mattopotamus]

I mean explicitly casting a video from chrome on android, not the actual webpage. The cast icon comes up in the video player. Believe it's gotta be your standard MP4 video in the stock player. You can't cast the tab

That is what I was thinking. Casting compatible apps/media is great on chromecast, but nothing works quite like safari and the appleTV for videos that do not have apps.

 

[gotluck]

That is what I was thinking. Casting compatible apps/media is great on chromecast, but nothing works quite like safari and the appleTV for videos that do not have apps.

dont you have to mirror to get a safari webpage on appletv?

That's how you would get a chrome webpage from android on Chromecast

I thought it was exactly the same.

I feel like I'm as dumb as a brick

I think the problem is that website you mentioned doesn't use the stock player on android for some reason but does use the stock player on iOS. Which messes with the ability to cast instead of resorting to mirror. I Think that's the websites doing, using a custom player, which Apple seems to override

 

[mattopotamus]

dont you have to mirror to get a safari webpage on appletv?

That's how you would get a chrome webpage from android on Chromecast

I thought it was exactly the same.

I feel like I'm as dumb as a brick

I think the problem is that website you mentioned doesn't use the stock player on android for some reason but does use the stock player on iOS. Which messes with the ability to cast instead of resorting to mirror. I Think that's the websites doing, using a custom player, which Apple seems to override

That could be true. That website is amazing though