12 Chromecast Set up

How to Reset Your Chromecast If your Chromecast isn’t working properly, or you can’t seem to cast from your phone or tablet, you might want to reset it. Resetting your Chromecast will refresh the device, and restore it to its factory settings. This means you’ll be able to use it again as though it was fresh out of the box. Here’s how to reset your Chromecast in two ways. How to Factory Reset Chromecast Resetting your Chromecast back to its default factory settings is very quick and easy. You can push the factory reset button on your Chromecast device, and then disconnect and reconnect the power cable. Or you can reset your device from the Google Home app on your phone or tablet. Press and hold down the reset button on your Chromecast . If you’re using a model, like the second- or third-generation Chromecast or a Chromecast Ultra, you’ll see the reset button on the si...

How to Reset Chromecast - Method 1 Chromecast allows you to broadcast your Chrome window to your TV or other display. Like all electronics, though, things can go wrong. Usually, the easiest way to fix any problem your Chromecast is having is to simply reset it to factory defaults. You'll need to set it up again afterwards, but that only takes a few moments. Method1 Using the Chromecast Desktop App       1.  Open the Chromecast app on your computer.  This may be located on your Desktop, in your Start menu, or in your Applications folder. If you don't have the Chromecast app installed, you can get it from  cast.googl...

How to Reset Chromecast - Method2 Using the Chromecast Mobile App       1.  Download the Chromecast app from the Google Play Store on your Android device.  You cannot perform a factory reset from the iOS app. If you only have access to the iOS app, click here to reset the Chromecast manually. This method only works if you can connect to your Chromecast.       2.  Tap the Menu button.  This is located in the upper-left corner       3.  Tap "Settings".  This will open the Settings menu for your Chromecast.   ...

How to Reset Chromecast - Method 3 Using the Chromecast Reset Button     1.  Locate your Chromecast on your TV.  Make sure to leave it plugged in so that it is able to reset. The Chromecast cannot be reset when it is unplugged.     2.  Press and hold the reset button.  The button is located next to the Micro USB port at the end of the Chromecast dongle.       3.  Hold the reset button for 25 seconds.  The light on the Chromecast will begin blinking, and your TV screen should display the Chromecast logo and the message "Resetting to factory defaults". ...

How I tested Chromecast with Google TV HD The Chromecast HD can refresh an older Smart TV or 1080p TV with sluggish software. (photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report) With that in mind, I tested the Chromecast with Google TV HD on a 15 year old Samsung TV in my garage that has 1080p picture resolution.  The Chromecast connected to my home network over Wi-Fi. There are no inputs for Ethernet on the Chromecast. I then measured how quickly five popular apps launched from the Chromecast’s main menu. I compared those results with the similarly priced Roku Express 4K+, an Amazon Fire TV Streaming Stick 4K and Walmart Onn 4K streaming device. (See a breakdown of the results below under the “Speed test” section.)  Streaming sticks, in general, are marketed for non-Smart TVs with an HDMI port, and to update older Smart TVs in need of refreshed software. So I did the same speed test on a 2017 TCL Roku TV (mo...

Design of Chromecast HD The design of the Chromecast HD is identical to the Chromecast 4K. It’s a dongle-style device that plugs into the HDMI port on the back of a TV.  The Chromecast with Google TV HD looks exactly like its older sibling, the Chromecast 4K. (photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report) The entire length of the device is 6.4 inches long, but streamer itself is like an oblong coin that’s three inches long and about two and a half inches wide. If you were to put the Chromecast HD next to the Chromecast 4K, you wouldn’t be able to tell them apart. The same goes for the remote controls.  The Chromecast is powered by a USB-C cable and a power adapter. The HDMI plug on the end of the Chromecast can be added to any HDMI port on a TV. Chromecast with Google TV specs The aim of the Chromecast HD is to refresh the software your old TV runs on.  The term HD, short for High Defin...

Chromecast with Google TV interface and menus Google TV draws apps from the Google Play Store, so all your major streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV Plus, Amazon Prime Video and ESPN Plus are available with thousands of others. On the top of the main menu, there are tabs for Search, For You, Live, Movies, Shows, Apps and Library. Subscribers to YouTube TV, Sling TV or Philo will be able to see their channel lineup under the Live tab. To start getting the most out of recommendations, you need to scroll down to the bottom of the home screen and click on the “Manage services” tab to add streaming services to your recommendations. Google TV is aiming to give individual recommendations for everyone in a household. Each person can have their own user profiles by adding their Google account to the Chromecast. The upshot? You can have your own watchlist of movies, TV shows and get customized recommendations that are in large...

Chromecast with Google TV Search and Voice commands The power of Google search within the Chromecast is pretty evident once you start hunting for specific genres, directors or actors. The Google Assistant button adds voice commands. So you can easily see what movies starring Brad Pitt are available on your streaming subscriptions and whether his latest movie, “Bullet Train” is available to rent. (It is.)  Among all the streaming hardware that I currently own, I have been using Google TV the most since purchasing a  Sony Bravia OLED TV  last year.  Roku may win the day with its easy-to-understand grid of apps. But I think Google TV is closer to what most consumers new to the streaming world actually want. A homepage that pulls together recommendations from multiple services onto one screen is the future of streaming.  But Google TV wisely reserves the option to peruse a queue of streaming apps on the homepage...

Speed test results: How fast is Chromecast HD? Timing how fast apps such as Netflix launch on the Walmart onn 4K streaming box and comparing it to the Chromecast HD. (photo credit: Jim Kimble / The Cord Cutting Report) It should be noted that I tested and compared the speeds of an HD streaming device (the Chromecast HD) with three 4K streaming devices, which likely have greater processing power. (The Roku Express 4K+ and Fire TV Stick 4K and onn 4K streaming box were chosen because that’s what I had around the house at the time of these tests.) I did not perform any benchmarks against processors running these streaming devices.  Walmart’s onn streaming 4K device has some of the fastest speeds for launching these five popular apps compared to Roku Express 4K+ and the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K. This shouldn’t be a huge surprise because it operates on an Amlogic S905Y2, a very similar processor used for the Chrome...

Google Chromecast (3rd Generation): design Simple small disc design MicroUSB on the back connects to your TV Flat HDMI cable doesn't interfere with other wires If you’ve seen a Chromecast in the last few years, you probably know what to expect from the Google Chromecast (3rd Generation). The streamer is a small disc no more than two inches across that can covertly hide behind your TV. (The exact dimensions, in case you need them are 51.9 x 51.9 x 13.8 mm.)  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. It’s basic, but it does the trick. That being said, the Google Chromecast (3rd Generation) takes this simplicity further than ever before—extending subtlety to the plastic covering of the device: the 2nd Generation mode...

Google Chromecast (3rd Generation): setup and interface Simple to use Screensaver mode Guest Mode is very handy For 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. Once installed, you’ll just need to tap ‘add new device’ and pick the Chromecast from list of devices waiting to be setup. Finally, once you’ve assigned a name and a room to your Google Chromecast (3rd Generation), you’ll be ready to stream. 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. Press that, and you can send whatever you’re watching on your phone to the Chromecast. 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 i...

Google Chromecast (3rd Generation): content Supports most major streaming services Can be tricky to find new things to add Music, games and other apps available So what can you actually watch with the Google Chromecast (3rd Generation)? Well, at this point, quite a lot.  Basically every major streaming service out there has a Cast button built-in. That includes the main services like Netflix, Hulu, Disney Plus and Amazon Prime Video, plus tons of smaller streaming services like Crunchyroll and Twitch. If you’re in the UK, expect support for Sainsbury’s Movies and TV, Blinkbox, BT Sport, NowTV, Napster and, of course, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport. There are clearly a lot of options out there—many of which you probably use on a daily basis. Even better, if you use the Google Chrome browser, you can Cast your entire web browser to the screen by going into the settings in the top-right corner and clicking ‘Cast...