Chromecast - how to get it in Ireland???

clearlyn2

Hi

Just wondering if anybody has had any success in ordering Google's new Chromecast gadget in Ireland yet. I have looked on line all weekend but to no avail.

As it happens I was in the US on business last week and heard that it was on release. Believe it or not when I then went to two nearby Walmart and Radio Shack retail outlets (in Charleston,SC) they said had never even heard about Chromecast!!!:mad:

Any pointers would be most welcome

Even if you were in the US you can't get it now, it's sold out everywhere. You're only only hope is spending three times the price on Ebay, then paying for shipping, then paying customs.

i.e. enjoy summer until they start selling them in the UK.

irishpancake

clearlyn2 wrote: »

Hi

Just wondering if anybody has had any success in ordering Google's new Chromecast gadget in Ireland yet. I have looked on line all weekend but to no avail.

As it happens I was in the US on business last week and heard that it was on n release. Believe it or not when I then went to two nearby Walmart and Radio Shack retail outlets in SC they had never even heard about Chromecast!!!:mad:

Any pointers would be most welcome

You really should put a question on that subject line.

It looks like a post giving instructions on how to acquire this thing.

coylemj

Here's the current situation....

Google Play Store - not yet selling h/w in your country
Amazon.com - Temporarily out of stock
Amazon.de - doesn't offer it
Amazon.co.uk - One vendor offering it at £99.99 :eek:
Best Buy - Sold out online

I'd say wait a few weeks

clearlyn2

Ok, thanks Guys for all your input

Looks like we all have to be patient

Point noted on the misleading title, its now corrected, thks

Dudda

I really want one too and was hoping it will go on sale in the UK play store in a few weeks and then get one delivered with parcel motel.

A sign up page is up so you can be notified when the new nexus 7 is available as it's USA only at the moment. They said it will be launched in a few weeks. It's around this launch time I'm hoping the chromecast will be launched in the UK presuming they can cope with the demand of course.

owensheehan

Hi,
I managed to get one and am very happy with it. Although it will not use things like US netflix without a dd wrt router and some setup as the dns is hardwired in to the device by google. Unblock us will not work. Hulu will work from desktop or laptop on chrome. And the same is true of most web based sites, but not sky go, netflix ( browser) and anything using silverlight. If anyone needs a site checked let me know.

clearlyn2

owensheehan wrote: »

Hi,
I managed to get one and am very happy with it. Although it will not use things like US netflix without a dd wrt router and some setup as the dns is hardwired in to the device by google. Unblock us will not work. Hulu will work from desktop or laptop on chrome. And the same is true of most web based sites, but not sky go, netflix ( browser) and anything using silverlight. If anyone needs a site checked let me know.

Hi Owen

Do you want to share how you managed to get the chromecast?

god's toy

owensheehan wrote: »

Hi,
I managed to get one and am very happy with it. Although it will not use things like US netflix without a dd wrt router and some setup as the dns is hardwired in to the device by google. Unblock us will not work. Hulu will work from desktop or laptop on chrome. And the same is true of most web based sites, but not sky go, netflix ( browser) and anything using silverlight. If anyone needs a site checked let me know.

Thanks for the review!

Have unblock - us dns set up in my router so all traffic on my network just connects to the USA versions, is that the same setup as you?
If so, then What happens if you bring the US netflix on your phone (on the Wifi network) then cast it to the chrome cast? Or does the cast option even show up?

owensheehan

clearlyn2: I got it off ebay, a couple of days after the first ones went out. I probably paid to much with postage about €60, but I am very happy with it. It was posted as a gift so no duty and import charges. The prices on Ebay have gone way up now though since it completely sold out over there I think.

god's toy: I have Unblock US setup on my TP Link router, we have UPC so cant set DNS on the main router, but everything goes through the TP Link anyway. It still wont work though because the Chromecast has the DNS settings hard coded into it so it always looks for Googles DNS servers. I have tried to play from US netflix from PC, a Nexus 7, an ASUS Transforemer and a Galaxy note 2, but unless I select something that is also on Irish Netflix it comes up with an error saying it cannot play right now. This is because even though the phone/pc/tablet is connected to unblock US, only a link is sent to Chromecast which must then connect to Netflix and stream the video and thats where the problem with Googles DNS comes in.

Hulu and everthing else that is not run on silverlight will run fine because the PC/Laptop is encoding and streaming directly to the Chromecast (Netflix on the browser is silverlight so does not work and the Win8 app doesn't seem to support it).

I have looked it up on XDA and the only way around this until the device is rootable again (It was rooted then Goggle patched it, and since it updates automatically everyone was unrooted) is to use a dd wrt compatible router. My TP Link is compatible but I dont want to go messing with it and so am going to wait until the end of the month to get a cheap Buffalo router on amazon and set that up instead. Hopefully some more simple method will have been found by then.

tupac_healy

Am I missing something obvious here? Whats the big difference between this and say plex/wdtv????

owensheehan

This is half the price, requires very little setup, can mirror your chrome browser and play anything from the internet (that isn't silverlight), it can also play your local media. The whole point of the Chromecast is that it is cheap easy to use and portable. There is also no additional set up on smartphones as all compatible apps will automatically work.
I have setup plex on roku before and it was a pain to setup and use.

tupac_healy

owensheehan wrote: »

This is half the price, requires very little setup, can mirror your chrome browser and play anything from the internet (that isn't silverlight), it can also play your local media. The whole point of the Chromecast is that it is cheap easy to use and portable. There is also no additional set up on smartphones as all compatible apps will automatically work.
I have setup plex on roku before and it was a pain to setup and use.

Plex difficult? Took me an hour or so to link all my devices...

So there are no real differences? Im guessing you cant watch sky go on your tv using say an ipad?

owensheehan

tupac_healy wrote: »

Plex difficult? Took me an hour or so to link all my devices...

So there are no real differences? Im guessing you cant watch sky go on your tv using say an ipad?

I takes less than 2 minutes to link everything in the house to a chrome cast, so yes plex is more difficult.
And an hour seems long even for plex by the way.

owensheehan

Anyway I am not saying its any better or worse than Roku/WDTV/or Apple TV, its just cheaper and a great alternative for someone who does not have one of those devices. And you should be able to get at least two Chromecasts for the price of any of the above when it comes to Ireland.

tupac_healy

owensheehan wrote: »

I takes less than 2 minutes to link everything in the house to a chrome cast, so yes plex is more difficult.
And an hour seems long even for plex by the way.

Not when your updating the library of over 600 movies it dosent!!!!!


Ok, plex is more difficult, but not by any loosing sleep standards....

All I was really asking is there anything that this can do that plex cant, and in a roundabout way I retrieved the information from your answers, so eh...

Thanks...


Could have just answered the question outright by the way!!!!

54kroc

Chromecast doesn't work the same way as plex though does it?
As in you can't stream movies from a PC to a TV, if you can I'll pick one up.

owensheehan

You can actually play the movie in your chrome browser using the plex media manager or opening the file location in the browser and playing the file. Also Plex are working on introducing chromecast capability to their apps in the near future. And other developers are working on a way to chromecast local files from your phone.

So Chromecast does not work entirely like plex, but can stream movies to your PC and use plex(from the chrome browser), but chrome wont play all file types and for plex you would need a good computer and a fast network. I will try out a few videos tomorrow to see how good it will actually work.

tupac_healy

owensheehan wrote: »

for plex you would need a good computer and a fast network. I will try out a few videos tomorrow to see how good it will actually work.

Nope....

Ive a netbook (old one) 1gb ram, windows xp 1.6ghz atom processor, using a dovado router (again, low spec entry level, cost less than 100 quid about 4-5 years ago) and plex works flawlessly....


And my Dovado router is my home wifi for simultaneously using plex and internet (wifi) and ive not had any issues, all of my equipment is at least 3-4 years old anf wouldnt be considered top of the range these days.....

54kroc

owensheehan wrote: »

You can actually play the movie in your chrome browser using the plex media manager or opening the file location in the browser and playing the file. Also Plex are working on introducing chromecast capability to their apps in the near future. And other developers are working on a way to chromecast local files from your phone.

So Chromecast does not work entirely like plex, but can stream movies to your PC and use plex(from the chrome browser), but chrome wont play all file types and for plex you would need a good computer and a fast network. I will try out a few videos tomorrow to see how good it will actually work.

Nice one, plex on chromecast sounds sweet, my media center has been in bits the last few months so I haven't been keeping up with all things plex.

tupac_healy

54kroc wrote: »

Nice one, plex on chromecast sounds sweet, my media center has been in bits the last few months so I haven't been keeping up with all things plex.

I don't work for Plex or anything but I have:
Galaxy S3
Ipad 2
Ps3
Smart TV
WDTV (on another tv)

And plex works on ALL of those efforlessly....

owensheehan

tupac_healy wrote: »

Nope....

Ive a netbook (old one) 1gb ram, windows xp 1.6ghz atom processor, using a dovado router (again, low spec entry level, cost less than 100 quid about 4-5 years ago) and plex works flawlessly....


And my Dovado router is my home wifi for simultaneously using plex and internet (wifi) and ive not had any issues, all of my equipment is at least 3-4 years old anf wouldnt be considered top of the range these days.....

Hi sorry I did not mean plex needed those in general. Just I think chrome needs the power to cast the entire screen. I am not trying to put plex down, in fact since you replied earlier I have reinstalled plex and its great. I will test it proper tomorrow to let ye know if the chromecast works well with it by watching a few tv shows on it.

irishpancake

owensheehan wrote: »

Hi,
I managed to get one and am very happy with it. Although it will not use things like US netflix without a dd wrt router and some setup as the dns is hardwired in to the device by google. Unblock us will not work. Hulu will work from desktop or laptop on chrome. And the same is true of most web based sites, but not sky go, netflix ( browser) and anything using silverlight. If anyone needs a site checked let me know.

Same with Hola??

scudzilla

Makes sense now, used to have the YouTube app on PS3, and ya could connect your phone to it, basically whatever ya played on phone played on the tv through the ps3 youtube app.

This has now gone and has been for some months, probably due to this chromecast yoke

Riesen_Meal

scudzilla wrote: »

Makes sense now, used to have the YouTube app on PS3, and ya could connect your phone to it, basically whatever ya played on phone played on the tv through the ps3 youtube app.

This has now gone and has been for some months, probably due to this chromecast yoke

No its not gone, I'm in bed now using YouTube on my Nexus 4 on my PS3....

owensheehan

Chromecast will play video from Plex media manager very well, but you need to control it from the pc.
Plex and Xmbc are both said to be working on chromecast compatibility and also there is another app BubblePNP in developement that will allow you to play content from any media server on chromecast and also lets you control it.
Hopefully these apps will be released before it goes on sale in ireland, but apparently google has put a hold on these all chromecast apps being approved.
Casting local content direct from chrome itself is not to good at all and does not support many formats.

fachtna

Owen do sites that stream their content with flash work with the Chromecast?
I can't find any comments on the web about support for flash embedded sites.

I'm thinking of sites like
http://cricfree.tv/
http://myp2p.ec/
http://www.viponlinesports.eu/

If these work I definitely want to get one when they are available.

clearlyn2

Thanks for your comprehensive comments to my earlier procurement question above. :cool:

owensheehan

fachtna wrote: »

Owen do sites that stream their content with flash work with the Chromecast?
I can't find any comments on the web about support for flash embedded sites.

I'm thinking of sites like
http://cricfree.tv/
http://myp2p.ec/
http://www.viponlinesports.eu/

If these work I definitely want to get one when they are available.

Yes it will work with those sites ,I was using it for myp2p during at the weekend, and I tested the other two and they work aswell. I think it works with all flash sites as Chrome has flash built in.

clearlyn2 wrote: »

Thanks for your comprehensive comments to my earlier procurement question above. :cool:

Sorry:o

fachtna

Thanks Owen, that's brilliant. It's more than a glorified Youtube/Netflix box then.

I think that Google are slow to advertise that is support flash sites since that give you access to some the less than legal streaming sites!!! I'm surprise that there are so little comments about it's support of flash from everybody else though.

My smart TV's (Samsung UE46ES8000) web interface doesn't support flash so if I want to steam any flash site I've to connect my laptop to the TV via HDMI and my laptop is out of commission then. I definitely want a Chromecast now whenever it comes out.

GrumPy

CheapCast

Alternative for now...

god's toy

GrumPy wrote: »

CheapCast

Alternative for now...

That's really cool, thanks! Works just like the chrome cast would but from any device.

Have it running from the nexus 4 and 7 to the logitech Google TV. Only glitch I've found is if your halfway through a 'cast' and you power off/on the host (sender) device, the logitech tv restarts the video. Soo I put that down to beta glitch.
But yea it's darn cool!

groom

I've ended up with a spare one. I ordered off Google Play the morning after they were announced but it arrived too late for someone to bring it back so had to have it fedexed.

projectgtr

groom wrote: »

I've ended up with a spare one. I ordered off Google Play the morning after they were announced but it arrived too late for someone to bring it back so had to have it fedexed.

are you selling it if so id be interested.

robwhit

Next in line if you are!

budhabob

Is there any indication anywhere when this will be released in Ireland, or Europe at the very least.

irishpancake

fachtna wrote: »

Thanks Owen, that's brilliant. It's more than a glorified Youtube/Netflix box then.

I think that Google are slow to advertise that is support flash sites since that give you access to some the less than legal streaming sites!!! I'm surprise that there are so little comments about it's support of flash from everybody else though.

My smart TV's (Samsung UE46ES8000) web interface doesn't support flash so if I want to steam any flash site I've to connect my laptop to the TV via HDMI and my laptop is out of commission then. I definitely want a Chromecast now whenever it comes out.

Surely your Smart TV would also need to support Flash, as you will be playing from the Cloud?

All CC does is direct the Stream to your TV....has the CC got embedded Flash support, or what?

robwhit

Isn't RTE player flash based? Mine works perfectly with that.


I think it's getting a pre-Christmas release.

Splinter

is anyone aware if it will work with the likes of twitch.tv or justin.tv? i'm looking for an alternative of streaming them to the TV

cheers!

LloydChristmas

does this mean that SkyGo will never work on a ChromeCast?

CRRRRAP

EGriff

LloydChristmas wrote: »

does this mean that SkyGo will never work on a ChromeCast?

CRRRRAP

You can't use sky go over HDMI either I think and it won't work on a rooted phone. They really have it locked down.

Delboy5

I have an online subscription to Al Jazeera Sports, would ChromeCast allow me to watch my browser on the TV without the hassle of cables etc??

groom

Delboy5 wrote: »

I have an online subscription to Al Jazeera Sports, would ChromeCast allow me to watch my browser on the TV without the hassle of cables etc??

Yes but the Chrome plugin mirroring feature is poor in my opinion. It lags and stutters. It might have been improved with subsequent updates

Alpha Dog 1

I got mine through eBay for 45 euro. Arrived within a week from the states, no problems, happy days.

Liking the device, if simply just for Netflix and YouTube.