Google Chromecast - Streaming Device with HDMI Cable - Stream Shows, Music, Photos, and Sports from Your Phone to Your TV

UPDATE: I now have an LG V40 ThinQ with Android 10.0 and the Chromecast is still great. I can send almost anything on my phone to the Chromecast and my TV. It is wonderful.I was looking for a way to send videos from my Android phone to my 2013 Samsung Smart TV. I use Netflix and my TV has an old, outdated version. I also use Prime Video and Kodi which my TV doesn't have. This Chromcast allows me to watch both of these and more on my TV. It was simple to install. I plugged it into my TV's HDMI socket and the power into my home's AC outlet. Then installed Google Home on my phone and followed the instructions. It took some fiddling with the programs but it works great. I read in one of the other reviews that it didn't work plugging the power cable into the TV's USB port. They were right and wrong. The Chromecast uses a 1 amp power supply. My TV has 2 USB ports; a 1 amp and a 0.5 amp. When I used the 1 amp port, it worked the same as plugging it in to an outlet. Now Netflix works simply as per the instructions. However, to get the others to work needs a little ingenuity. I have an HTC 10 phone, but this should work with others. I start Google Home first. Then go into my phone's settings to where the VPN and data exchange settings are. My phone calls the setting "HTC Connect". It tells the phone where to play the media. When you choose it, it lists the Phone, DNLA devices and the Chromecast. When you pick Chromecast, the phone's screen gets played, in real time, on the TV along with the phone. Now, anything you see on your phone gets played on your TV also. It's like using a phone with a 40 inch screen. Along with movies, you can stream music, photos, games, etc. I will be getting a new phone in a few days and will update these instructions when it arrives.UPDATE: I purchased a new LG V40 ThinQ cell phone. And it works with Chromecast just like my HTC phone did. You can stream with supported apps like Netflix or share using settings. The setting is under "Connected Devices". It is called "Screen Sharing" and Chromecast is listed like it was on my HTC. Obviously, I cannot promise that it will work with all phones, but it seems likely that it will.

High quality and worked very well

Really easy to setup using the Google Home app. I have a Google Home mini(smart speaker) that works with this device and allows you to play and pause just by speaking, which is really nice.I like the idea of the Google Chromecast. I think it's a neat idea and it is really reliable (more so than Amazon fire TV). As long as you understand that this IS NOT a standalone device, you should be happy with it. The way it works is-you use your iOS or Android device with a compatible app (look for the cast icon), establish a connection, and then you use your phone as a remote. The Chromecast has no user interface to speak of. You pick what content you want on another device and then cast to the Chromecast. If you are watching a tv series on Netflix for instance, when the episode you are watching finishes, the next one will automatically play. You can also cast from the Chrome web browser which will let you access things like Prime Video which doesn't have casting capabilities in the mobile app. I would recommend using an app over the browser when you can, because it's a smoother experience.There are a few extras like being able to mirror the screen from your mobile device to your tv, if that is something you have a need for. You can also view your google photos in a slideshow while the chromecast is inactive. You can do this in the settings for the chromecast in the google home app. I think this is worth $35, and I would recommend it if you can deal with a slightly less conventional TV/Movie watching experience. After using this a while, I prefer it to an android tv or roku type of OS. I just think they should beef up the Google Assistant features( more like Android TV).Edit: In the time since my original review, Amazon prime video now allows for casting from the iOS and Android mobile apps. Amazon and Google are on better terms now and as a result the fire tv and echo shows now have the YouTube app again and Amazon is selling Google hardware on this site again too. Just wanted to update my review.

Works great!

I never thought I would need to purchase a Chromecast because I have been very happy with my Fire Stick. Unfortunately Hulu Live TV recently developed a software issue with Fire Sticks and Rokus where the video freezes up and remains that way until the software resets. (Hulu is aware of the issue.) So, I looked for a streaming hardware alternative since I like the channels and format offered by Hulu Live. The Chromecast was the least costly alternative to the Fire Stick. I'm glad I discovered this alternative. The setup was a bit wonky and didn't work the first time. The Chromecast couldn't read my TV correctly. I have a smart TV that became dumb when it could no longer read my wifi, so I need that interface that a Fire Stick or Chromecast provides. So, I reset the Chromecast and reinstalled the Chromecast. It worked this time. While I like the onboard functionality and menus that Fire provides and Chromecast does not, the Chromecast will do its job for me. The Chromecast also is controlled by an Android or iOS phone. This is pretty slick and makes it easy to control the functions of not only the Chromecast, but Hulu and my TV as well. I will still use my Fire Stick with most of my other paid streaming services, but I'll use the Chromecast for Hulu Live TV. This has (hopefully) put the video freezing issue in my rearview mirror.I gave it 4 out of 5 stars because of the issues with the setup.