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Comment by bkjelden | Hacker News Reader

I more or less accidentally found out that Google released an ethernet adapter for the original Chromecast[0]. Purchasing that has given me a lot more utility from my Chromecast.

I love the device. I am loving how much support there is for it among sports streaming services: WatchESPN, BTN2Go, and NFL Sunday Ticket all support Chromecast streaming.

My biggest issue with the device right now is the lack of official Spotify support. I would love to be able to stream spotify from my phone to my Chromecast.

[0]: https://store.google.com/product/_ethernet_adapter_for_chrom...

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Spotify announced support for Chromecast (and Chromecast Audio) a few days ago[0]

[0]: http://www.wired.com/2015/09/spotify-might-best-new-thing-ne...

I can confirm Spotify now works perfectly well on Chromecast

xfinity and hbogo are great too

Hmm, can you provide more details about the xfinity functionality? As of a week or two ago I wasn't able to find any support for it beyond just generically casting the tab from a PC to chromecast.

I love using HBO Now on my Chromecast but man is it a bear to fast forward and reverse using the iPhone app.

It's not any better on Android, and Hulu isn't any better either (but they do have an ad-free subscription now, which makes them actually nice to use finally).

I don't know why they don't just add time input dialog box on all video apps. Scrubbing just isn't cutting it

Google releases new device. Top comment: "but the proprietary x doesn't work with the proprietary y." Proprietary software is the trap.

IMO this is the future: https://w3c.github.io/presentation-api/

This. My Bravia no longer works with iPlayer. That was the first and last time I got burned by that.

Spotify support for Chromecast was announced today. http://www.theverge.com/2015/9/29/9409673/google-chromecast-...

For me what's missing is Amazon instant video. I understand why it doesn't have it, but it's a real bummer. Would also be nice if I could watch NBC sports, but I think I might be able to and just haven't figured it out yet.

It is annoying that Amazon Instant Video doesn't directly have an option to cast to a Chromecast. You can, however, configure[0] Amazon Instant Video to use Flash instead of Silverlight. Once you switch to using Flash, you can use the "Cast Tab" feature of the Google Cast extension to watch your video on a Chromecast, assuming you're using Chrome.

[0] https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/settings (near the bottom of the page)

Thanks, but if I cannot control it from my phone it just not worth the hassle.

Thanks! Had no idea you can switch it off Silverlight.

Amazon Instant Video is the reason the Roku stick is plugged into the TV and not the Chromecast.

Roku seems to be supporting everything I can think of except iTunes store movies/tv.

I know each company has their own product, but supporting all the popular formats/apps would really mean the best platform wins. After all, is Roku _really_ the best product?

Compared to the "smart" Samsung TV I bought, the Roku is great. It's fast and supports all the major formats.

The not so smart TV software is horrible. If I pause anything it basically crashes, and it takes 6 min from boot to wifi connection.

For Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, and Google Play it works great.

> After all, is Roku _really_ the best product?

Well, it's not bad at all, it's cheap, it comes with a massive amount of content, it doesn't require a phone or tablet, and it comes with a remote. Considering the market... maybe?

It doesn't support YouTube.

Apparently it does, but only on recent revisions of their hardware.[1]

I actually have the original youtube channel from way back, before it got pulled from the available channels. it may have been a private channel of someone's and Google didn't like it looking like it was from them, it wasn't even close to parity with youtube phone/web features.

1: https://blog.roku.com/blog/2014/04/22/youtube-update-channel...

My roku is at least three years old and we added the YouTube channel just fine.

"This product is unavailable in your country."

Not available in UK apparently, clearly shows a UK plug too. :'(

I have to admit that this frustrates me. This is Google, not a scrappy start up. Google have a large presence in my country and the Chromecast has sold pretty well here.

Announced < shipping. Soon...

Yeah, Spotify is the reason I use my Apple TV much more than the Chromecast.. There's no AppleTV app for it either, but at least you can do the Airplay from any Apple device and it will play from my good speakers and show the album art on the screen.

Happily we announced Chromecast support today: http://www.wired.com/2015/09/spotify-might-best-new-thing-ne.... Hope you like it!

That's fantastic. I'll definitely give it a go, my life is measurably better with Spotify.

as an enthusiastic spotify user and chromecast user, thank you!

But does the Ethernet adapter work with the new Chromecast? I'm also unhappy that Chromecast doesn't use USB-C yet.

> I'm also unhappy that Chromecast doesn't use USB-C yet.

Why would it need to? It only draws 1A @ 5V. That's well within what one would expect from a high-output USB2.0 or 3.0 port.

You're also not likely to be frequently removing and reattaching the power cable to the device, so who cares if there's only one way to plug it in?

Edit: Or are you talking about Displayport-over-USB-C vs. HDMI? If you are, I, too am disappointed that the CC doesn't output over DP or miniDP. Displayport->HDMI adapters are easy to come by (and one could be packed right in to the CC box), DP is technologically superior to HDMI, and its consortium is not run by a bunch of evil thugs. ;)

Just a minor clarification but USB-C is not necessarily USB 3.0. It's solely a form-factor as such a USB 2.0 type-C can be a perfectly normal thing to find.

Because the Nexus phones use it, and it's easier to have one standard across your devices (where possible)?

Just my guess.

Very few devices use USB-C cabling. Very many mobile devices use Micro USB cabling. Most folks will have a mess of Micro USB cables on hand, but very few USB-C cables.

Your argument is sound, but you're making it four or six years too early. :)

But as long as new devices are coming out with micro usb the usb c cables won't become as common as micro usb cables.

Uh... Chromecast doesn't support USB anything. The microUSB connector on the device is just a convenient power plug form factor.

(Edit: I should add that there is in fact a USB host controller behind that port, or at least there is per the rooting instructions I remember reading. But the product as shipped has no USB "support" for anything but 5V DC power.)

Since the Ethernet adapter uses the microUSB connector, it clearly supports USB something besides just power.

I'm guessing its a full-fledged general-purpose port that just has limited uses in the Chromecast devices (upgradeable) software.

The ethernet adapter using that connector absolutely does not mean it is a USB device. Note that that's a microUSB-B connector, which is not generally used for a host controller. For all we know, the connection between the ethernet adapter and the device is completely proprietary. I'd be willing to bet it's a USB device and they just used a very strange connector setup, but we certainly don't know that just based on the connector.

It's not that uncommon. Many phones can act as USB hosts. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_On-The-Go

Given that the Ethernet adapter is 100mbit -rather than 1gbit- ethernet, it's a good bet that the port is USB 2.0.

If we cheat a little, and look at Chromecast rooting instructions [0] we get a strong indication that that port is totally a USB 2.0 port. :)

[0] http://cord-cutters.wonderhowto.com/how-to/root-your-chromec...

Not true. It supports usb ethernet adapters.

Can it power the device from PoE (Power over Ethernet) link?

I can't find PoE to micro-usb cable anywhere else but this comes close.

I didn't know that either. That is definitely interesting. That definitely can overcome the lack of 5Ghz. But that plus the original chromecast is now more than the new one. I only have a Roku so they only thing I am interested in is the chrome tab casting.

So, am I wrong, or does the Steam Link do all of this and more? http://steamcommunity.com/app/353380/discussions/0/535152511... you can add any program, including spotify and google chrome to your steam library, and thus stream it to your TV.

Steam Link is a different kind of product. With Steam Link, your PC is loading the content and then sending it to your TV, with Chromecast, you are telling (in most cases) your Chromecast to load that content directly.

Also, Steam Link doesn't work with phones. Many apps have specifically designed experiences for the Chromecast as well.

Can I do it from my phone?

I wish they'd release that adaptor for Oz.

Try Spoticast.

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