[Google Chromecast] bhiga:
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FAQ is split into two parts because... I write too much. ;)

Please use the Find function of your browser (usually Control-F or Command-F) to search for words within.

PART 1

General

What can I do with a Chromecast?

Read Google's walkthrough, it's much better than the Chromecast product page. Also see Google's Chromecast app page. Here is a list of Chromecast-enabled apps on the Play store.

Important to note here that Chromecast is

not

a "wireless replacement for a HDMI cable" in all cases. Save for screen-mirroring (coming), use of Chromecast requires that each individual application support it, unlike an HDMI cable which shows the device's entire screen.

In this manner, Chromecast is more like an accessory that enhances applications that support it.

One advantage Chromecast has over an HDMI cable is that it can run at full 1080p on the TV, whereas HDMI cable connections can be limited to device's screen resolution.

Even though Chromecast is technically a standalone device, it's best to think of it as an extension of your tablet or phone's capabilities, rather than a full-fledged device.

How can Chromecast keep playing when I disconnect/shut down/reboot my phone/tablet/computer?

Yes. See this post for more.

How is Chromecast different from Apple AirPlay?

See this discussion.

Can I use Chromecast outside of the United States?

As of March 19, 2014 Chromecast is now available in Canada and Europe.

You can use Chromecast in other countries but without extra fiddling you will only have access to services available in your country. Region-aware services like YouTube, Netflix and Hulu will only show you content for your country.

To view content from other countries will require using a DNS relocation service or VPN to get content from another region if the app is not supported in your region. [MENTION=2541018]bagl0312[/MENTION] wrote a guide that should apply to most OpenWRT-based routers.

See this discussion and Can I use a DNS other than Google? below.

Also, allowed wireless channels vary outside of the US/Canada, so you might have to set your AP/router to a specific channel if it likes to auto-select one that Chromecast doesn't use.

How does Chromecast differ from using a TV output option on my phone/tablet/computer?

The TV output of your phone/tablet/computer shows everything from your phone/tablet/computer, which can be quite nice. But, of course, the output on your TV is dependent on your phone/tablet/computer - you can't turn your phone/tablet/computer off an expect what's playing to continue playing on your TV.

Chromecast, on the other hand, operates independently like a "second screen" type device. You send a request from your phone/tablet/computer to Chromecast and it goes and handle the request to play video, music, etc on its own. Unless you are streaming content stored on your phone/tablet/computer, your phone/tablet/computer is just used to monitor and control Chromecast. You can turn it off, or even have another device take over control. Your phone/tablet/computer is just the remote control for the Chromecast playback, and just like a TV remote control, the TV keeps playing if you take the remote away - you just can't control it. And Chromecast is wireless. :)

If you have a spare Android device with WiFi and TV output, you can try using that as a Chromecast with [App] Cast Receiver app for Android or [App] YouMap Chromecast Receiver for Android

(Below no longer works as of Cast SDK 2.0 release)

If you have a spare Android device with WiFi and TV output, you can turn that into a Chromecast with Cheapcast.

If you already happen to have a computer connected to your TV, you can use it as a Chromecast with the CR Cast extension or Leapcast for Google Chrome.

How does Chromecast differ from other media players like Roku and Apple TV?

There's no remote. Your phone/computer/tablet is your remote. That means no more searching for the remote!

While Chromecast may not have quite as wide a variety of content available, the the list of applications continues to grow.

I'm having trouble setting up my Chromecast with the app - is there a manual setup?

Yes. Go here: https://cast.google.com/chromecast/setup?np=manualsetup

Also check Google's Chromecast setup pages and Troubleshooter.

Any known issues with routers?

Here's Google's Router Compatibility list. (The old Router Known Issues & Workarounds page seems to be no longer)

At least one person needed to disable Parental Controls on their router. Access Control and Content Filtering do similar things so if you are having trouble, try toggling those options as well.

Also, there are some WiFi Bandwidth and Router considerations to consider as well. Sustainable WiFi bandwidth is critical for a smooth casting experience.

ISP-supplied Cisco DPC3825 seems not to allow Chromecast traffic between wired and wireless segments. See this post.

If you suspect there is a bandwidth or router issue and have Netflix, you can try this diagnostic video

What control protocol does Chromecast use?

Chromecast uses the DIAL protocol for discovery and casting.

Can I have more than one Chromecast on the same network?

Yes. Available Chromecasts will appear in a list by name when you initiate the cast.

Can I cast to more than one Chromecast at the same time, from the same device?

Yes, but only from different apps, for example, casting HBO GO to Chromecast #1 while casting YouTube to Chromecast #2.

My Chromecast came with a 3-month Netflix subscription code. I'm already a Netflix subscriber, can I use this?

(Expired)

Yes! And be sure to use it (or give it to a friend or family member) before December 31, 2013 because that's the date the code expires!

jbl0ggs reports:

According to Netflix rep, the 3-month Netflix code from the Chromecast promo, can be redeemed until 01/31/2014

It'll add on to an existing subscription anyway, so don't delay!

My Chromecast came with a $6 Google Play Movies credit. What can I use that for?

The credit applies to your Google Wallet, so you can use the credit for any content on the Google Play Store except for subscriptions. In other words, anything in Google Play Store with the exception of hardware and subscriptions.

Be sure to redeem your code before March 31, 2014 because that's the date those codes expire, and the funds must be used by March 31, 2015.

What wireless type does Chromecast use?

From the Play Store specifications Chromecast supports 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n, though I really don't recommend trying it on an 802.11b network unless you have zero interference and minimal other usage.

What are the LED statuses for Chromecast?

Blinking white - Chromecast is not connected to a WiFi access point, or it needs to be set up.

* In current FlashCast, this means flashing is in progress.

Solid white - Chromecast is connected to a WiFi access point. It may or may not be able to reach the Internet.

* In older versions of FlashCast, this means flashing is in progress.

Solid red - in the boot process (it should go white afterward), settings reset has been requested (by holding the button down)

* In FlashCast, this means there was a problem flashing. Bad/missing eureka_image.zip or Chromecast may not be rootable.

Where is the Chromecast source? Known issues?

Mirrored source

Cast SDK issues

Google Cast Release Notes

Can Chromecast control my TV?

For automatic TV power-on and channel-switching, Chromecast uses HDMI-CEC. Most TVs with HDMI support CEC. Computer monitors, projectors and non-televisions generally do not support CEC.

HDMI-CEC functionality is sometimes known by other names such as LG Simplink, Panasonic VIERA Link, Samsung Anynet+, Sony BRAVIA Sync. Your TV must have this feature enabled for the input Chromecast is connected to.

In order for Chromecast to turn your TV on, it must be powered on - not all TVs provide USB power while switched off, so it is recommended to use wall power for Chromecast if you want it to be able to turn your TV on automatically.

Chromecast does not turn the TV off.

Where is the Chromecast API or SDK?

As of February 3, 2014, it is here!

Can I use a wired Ethernet connection with Chromecast for better bandwidth/performance?

Yes, Google has released an Ethernet Adapter for Chromecast. The adapter is a combined power and OTG Ethernet adapter. The network plugs into the power "brick" which then has a long single cable that goes to the Chromecast. When using the Ethernet adapter you do *not* need to provide your wireless credentials to Chromecast. Unfortunately, because the Ethernet is hardwired to the OTG lines, you cannot use the official Ethernet adapter in conjunction with a powered OTG cable or USB storage. Some third-party USB Ethernet adapters should work if you want to easily switch out USB peripherals on rooted ROMs. Google "Chromecast OTG ethernet"

Capabilities

What official apps and sites does Chromecast support?

See Google's list of Chromecast apps.

You can also check the Chromecast section of Google Play on your Android device for applications that support Chromecast. Store Home > Apps > Categories > Chromecast button at top

Or you can check the list of Chromecast-enabled apps on the Play store.

What media types does Chromecast support?

See Google's Supported media types page. Also, Avia notes that Chromecast has difficulty with media bit rates over 10 Mbps. [MENTION=744716]Asphyx[/MENTION] recommends "Encode in H.264 Codec MP4. Keep the Video Bitrate lower than 4000."

The author of BubbleUPnP has some great information regarding bandwidth and on-the-fly transcoding requirements and how it affects Chromecast streaming. The page is geared toward BubbleUPnP Server, but the information applies to all local-network Chromecast streaming applications.

Can I cast media stored on my phone/tablet?

If media is in a format compatible with Chromecast...

Avia UPnP/DLNA Media Player (paid option)

Besides using the Avia app to browse, you can also Share most media types to the Avia app and cast that way.

BubbleUPnP (free for Chromecast-native formats, transcoding requires pay BubbleUPnP Server for no time limit, embedded subtitles supported via transcoding, external .SRT subtitles supported for native and transcoded)

AllCast (pay)

RealPlayer Cloud (free, transcoding requires upload to their cloud service)

Transcoding allows a file that is not natively supported by Chromecast to be converted on-the-fly for playback on Chromecast.

Can I cast media stored on my computer?

If it will play directly in Chrome, you can use the Cast extension to cast it. (Chromecast-native formats)

Chromecast Video Chrome extension allows selectioni of video files from computer and send to Chromecast. (Chromecast-native formats)

BubbleUPnP Server will transcode as necessary for Chromecast playback, thus making all your stored media castable. Note that this can require significant CPU horsepower depending on the formats involved.

Plex Media Server will transcode as necessary for Chromecast playback, thus making all your stored media castable. Note that this can require significant CPU horsepower depending on the formats involved.

If you are running a DLNA-compliant server such as Plex Media Server or BubbleUPnP Server on your computer, the following client apps can pull from it and cast to Chromecast:

AllCast (pay)

Avia (paid option)

BubbleUPnP (free for Chromecast-native formats, transcoding requires pay BubbleUPnP Server for no time limit, embedded subtitles supported via transcoding, external .SRT subtitles supported for native and transcoded)

Plex

Can I cast my computer's desktop?

Yes, via the Cast extension for the Chrome browser. Note that there will be some lag between what you see on the computer and what you see on Chromecast as performance will depend greatly on your computer's processing power and your (home) network's bandwidth and latency. See this discussion for more.

Can I cast my phone/tablet's screen?

Android screen mirroring to Chromecast was officially announced at Google I/O 2014 and went live July 9, 2014. It currently requires KitKat 4.4.1 or higher and a supported device, though see below...

Supported devices at the moment are

Nexus 4

Google Nexus 5

Google Nexus 7 (2013)

Google Nexus 10

Samsung Galaxy S4

Samsung Galaxy S5

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

Samsung Galaxy Note 10 (2014)

HTC One M7

LG G Pro2

LG G2

LG G3

The list is expected to grow, though the exact device limitations/requirements for screen casting are still not known.

r3pwn has created an enabler to use screen mirroring on unsupported devices. Your mileage may vary, but worth checking out.

The lag for screen mirror is minimal under ideal conditions

If you can't get native mirroring for whatever reason, there is a pure software mirror called mirror4cast. It requires root and performance is nowhere near the native screen mirroring, but it does show what's on the Android display and works on devices running older Android versions.

Can I cast a browser tab?

Yes, via the Cast extension for the Chrome browser

with video?

Yes, though playback performance will depend greatly on the source format of the video, your computer's processing power and your (home) network's bandwidth and latency.

with full screen video?

Yes, subject to above, just full-screen the video and it should appear full-screen on Chromecast as well. You can Alt-Tab (Windows) or Cmd-Tab (Mac OS) to let things play in the background while you do other tasks

Can I use my computer's speakers while casting to Chromecast?

While casting, audio will be redirected to Chromecast, so audio will play out of your TV, not your PC. Besides, even if you got the PC speakers playing audio, it would be out of sync with the video on your TV because of compression/decompression and network transfer delay between your computer and Chromecast.

Can I use a DNS other than Google?

By default Chromecast uses Google's DNS servers, regardless of what your DHCP-supplied DNS is.

Stock

You might be able to have Chromecast "fall back" to DHCP-supplied DNS by having your router

Block requests to the Google DNS servers

Route Google DNS IPs to a bogus gateway.

Use your router's advanced or parental control to set specific DNS servers for specific clients.

Which one works will depend on your router's response. See this this thread

If you have a more-intelligent router, you can set up iptables rules to intercept and re-route DNS requests to a different DNS server.

Rooted

Flashcast-AutoRoot lets you set the DNS in /data/dns.conf

Eureka-ROM defaults to using the DHCP-supplied DNS servers, and includes presets for common DNS relocators, or you can set manually specify DNS IPs.

If you are not using Eureka-ROM, there is a mod to use DHCP-supplied DNS. There are also mods to use the Unlocator DNS service and use the UnoTelly DNS service.

Can I specify what output resolution (480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p, etc) Chromecast uses?

Not at this time. You can specify streaming resolution for tab casting, but as far as actual output resolution, Chromecast appears to use the HDMI handshake to determine what it should output. This can potentially be a problem for displays that report 1080p support but do not correctly support 1080p input.

Can I use Chromecast on a public hotspot or hotel Wi-Fi?

While Chromecast might connect to a public hotspot or hotel Wi-Fi network, most public hotspots and hotel Wi-Fi networks are configured to disallow connections between clients, which will prevent Chromecast from receiving cast requests and control from your tablet/phone/computer.

Also, most of them require accepting some Terms of Service in a browser. Since Chromecast has no interface, you can't accept the terms. The same applies if the service requires a passcode or other authentication.

Do I need to have another device with WiFi in order to use Chromecast? Can't I just use it from a wired device on my network?

Yes, at least for setup. Chromecast setup requires a supported Windows computer with WiFi, Mac OS computer with WiFi, Android device with WiFi, or iOS device with WiFi in order to set up Chromecast. This is because Chromecast acts as an access point during its setup process, so you need a WiFi-enabled device to connect to its access point to configure it. Once it is set up and connected to your wireless network, you can cast to Chromecast from both wired and wireless devices (assuming you're on the same subnet and wireless and wired networks are bridged, which is the default for most routers).

Casting my own media - which app is the best?

It all depends on your needs and your media.

[MENTION=744716]Asphyx[/MENTION] posted a comprehensive comparison of the initial offerings.

There are a number of offerings now including BubbleUPnP, Plex, Avia, RealPlayer Cloud, Localcast, etc. so it's probably best to do some searching and read feedback from other users to determine what's best for your case.

Old information based on the initial offerings (Avia, Plex, RealPlayer Cloud) hidden below.

Avia is better if...

Your primary playback client is your Android phone/tablet

All your media is in a Chromecast-compatible format, or you are willing to convert it to a Chromecast-compatible format

You have a lot of media on your phone/tablet that you want to play and is Chromecast-compatible

You have a DLNA server that is not a Plex server and you want to cast content from it

You don't want to have a media server running (you don't have a server, or a system you're willing to have running for media playback)

BubbleUPnP is better if...

Your primary playback client is your Android phone/tablet

All your media is in a Chromecast-compatible format, you are willing to convert it to a Chromecast-compatible format, or you are willing to run BubbleUPnP server

You have a lot of media on your phone/tablet that you want to play and is Chromecast-compatible

You have a DLNA server that is not a Plex server and you want to cast content from it

You don't want to have a media server running (you don't have a server, or a system you're willing to have running for media playback), but you want the option to use one in the future (BubbleUPnP Server)

Plex is better if...

Your media is not in a Chromecast-compatible format or you have no idea what that means

You have no clue what transcoding means, or you know what transcoding means, but you are unwilling to transcode your media library to make it Chromecast-compatible

You are okay with running Plex Media Server on a system for media playback

You have multiple playback devices (Roku, etc) that you use

RealPlayer Cloud is better if...

You need transcoding but are unwilling or unable to have a Plex Media Server in your network

You want the convenience of having media on the RealPlayer Cloud

You don't mind uploading non-Chromecast-compatible media to RealPlayer Cloud

Connectivity

Can I connect Chromecast to...

a computer monitor?

Yes, in most cases, as long as the computer monitor supports video (as opposed to computer graphics) over HDMI or DVI.

Note that connecting over DVI may not provide audio, so you may need an HDMI audio extractor device to "break out" the audio to go to speakers or an aux input.

a HDTV with VGA?

To be honest, it's probably cheaper and easier to upgrade your TV to one with HDMI.

Yes, but it will require some kind of HDMI-to-VGA or HDMI-to-RGB converter, preferably one with audio output(s) like the HDfury2 or newer.

If the converter does not have audio output(s), you will also need an HDMI audio extractor device to "break out" the audio to go to speakers or an aux input.

a HDTV with analog component HD input?

To be honest, it's probably cheaper and easier to upgrade your TV to one with HDMI.

Yes, but it will require some kind of HDMI-to-Component converter, preferably one with audio output(s) like the HDfury2 or newer.

If the converter does not have audio output(s), you will also need an HDMI audio extractor device to "break out" the audio to go to speakers or an aux input.

a TV without HD inputs?

To be honest, it's probably cheaper and easier to upgrade to an HDTV with HDMI.

Yes, but it will require some kind of converter to convert HDMI to SD Component, S-Video or Composite video and audio.

Unless your TV automatically handles widescreen input and the converter you choose sets the widescreen flag on output, make sure to get a converter that handles aspect ratio conversion (ARC, not to be confused with Audio Return Channel for HDMI, which is also ARC) as the Chromecast outputs 16:9 widescreen. Otherwise your Chromecast output will be horizontally squashed (people will be extra skinny).

If the converter does not have audio output(s), you will also need an HDMI audio extractor device to "break out" the audio to go to speakers or an aux input. See this discussion.

an UltraHD ("4K") TV?

Sure. The TV will upscale the Chromecast output to the TV's native resolution.

How do I get audio from Chromecast out my...

AV receiver?

If your Chromecast is plugged into your AV receiver, it should pick up the audio automatically.

If Chromecast is connected to your TV and both support ARC (Audio Return Channel), Chromecast's audio should be able to route through the HDMI cable connected between your TV and AV receiver.

If Chromecast is connected to your TV and one or both do not support ARC, then you will need to take the audio output from your TV back to your AV receiver. TVs usually have a Digital output for this purpose, either coax SPDIF or optical TOSlink which you can take back to your receiver. If you TV's output and receiver's input don't match, you can get a Coax-to-Optical or Optical-to-Coax converter box.

If Chromecast is connected to your TV, and one or both do not support ARC, and your TV does not have a digital audio output, then you will need to use analog audio, or get an HDMI audio extractor box to "break out" the audio from the HDMI stream so you can route it to your receiver.

external sound bar or speakers?

If your sound bar or speakers have HDMI input the information above about hooking up to an AV receiver applies.

For other situations, you will need an HDMI audio extractor box to "break out" the audio from the HDMI stream so you can route it to your receiver as either a digital or analog signal.

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