Can someone plain Chromecast to me

[Arron]

I’ve listened to numerous instructional videos but still can’t get an answer to this question. Can someone with experience of the Chromecast which Google TV product please answer this for me.

We have a good Smart TV, with many more miles in it, but many of the apps we want to run on it are no longer supported.

My wife wants to be able to watch
1. Free to Air
2. Timeshifted - like the SBS or ABC apps, also 7,9,10 ocassionally
3. YouTube
4. Ocassionally we subscribe to streaming services like Netflix but in reality we usually get bored with these fairly quickly and seldom renew - so not really necessary.

So currently we watch these through her IPad, which is connected to the TV HDMI port. It’s a bit annoying though - cat loves to chew the cable, can’t use her iPad at the same time, no remote so have to get up to control everything, and various mysterious minor glitches occur from time to time. None of these hassles are insurmountable they just degrade the experience.

So we decided to buy a new Smart TV.

Until someone suggested we should just buy Chromecast with Google TV instead.

So I did some research but I still can’t figure out whether we would still be running the various apps on the IPad, with Chromecast with Google TV simply streaming from our IPad to the TV wirelessly and giving us a remote and a pretty interface - or whether the Google TV device actually runs the apps itself (in which case we don’t need to have the iPad connected at all).

We don’t mind buying a new TV if it means we can cut the IPad (or mobile phone or whatever) out of the equation.

Cheers
Arron

[Chief Tiff]

I have an older non-smart LCD TV in my granny flat with a Chromecast device hooked into it as there is no TV arial, it streams directly from itself without having to go through a smart phone, Ipad or similar. I think actually you only need a smart thing for the initial set up; once that’s done the google-bit runs on it’s own. Put it this way; my technologically challenged parents have come over from the UK for a short two-month break and they are watching TV fine; along with my Netflix and Disney subscriptions. Unfortunately I’m not at home again until next weekend; if you’re happy to wait a bit for a definitive answer I can go through it’s abilities live with you.

You do need to have a Google account but that’s about it.

[Arron]

Ok, I can wait.

Thanks

But in the meantime, am I right in thinking your current understanding is that we could use Chromecast With Google TV to watch, say, the SBS On Demand or ABC IView app using just:
The TV
The Chromecast
An internet connection via our home wifi
?

[pippin88]

The chromecast runs the apps and streams the content from the net.
The TV gets a video input, like any other. So it's just acting as a dumb TV

There are different types of chromecast. The older ones did not have a remote or graphical user interface. You would use a phone or tablet to "cast" to the chromecast. This means sending the command to the chromecast which then streams the content directly from the net. So you could use the phone / tablet for other things. But you do need something to control the chromecast, e.g pause - so you do need a phone or tablet handy.

The newer type "with Google TV" has a graphical user interface and remote. This essentially replaces the smart functions of your TV
You can use the remote to navigate the apps and play content
You can still use a phone or tablet to cast to the chromecast. Eg it's a lot faster to search for something via a tablet with touch screen keyboard, compared to using left right up down on a remote to select letters on an on screen keyboard on the TV.

I have a couple of old chromecast floating around. You can have one for the price of postage if you want

[Chief Tiff]

Ok, I can wait.

Thanks

But in the meantime, am I right in thinking your current understanding is that we could use Chromecast With Google TV to watch, say, the SBS On Demand or ABC IView app using just:
The TV
The Chromecast
An internet connection via our home wifi
?

Yes. When I get home I’ll positively confirm it for you.

[Arron]

Yes. When I get home I’ll positively confirm it for you.

I think Pippin88 has pretty much answered it for us, and I don’t doubt he’s correct, so we’ll be buying the Chromecast with Google tv.

Thanks for the offer of the old Chromecast too but I think we’ll go the latest version.

Cheers and thanks guys.
Arron

[justonething]

What you want is the amazon fire tv. Fire tv comes with an impressive apps library including iview, all the apps from the commercial channels. I have 2 of them connected to my older tvs. Works a treat.

[Wrongwayfirst]

What you want is the amazon fire tv. Fire tv comes with an impressive apps library including iview, all the apps from the commercial channels. I have 2 of them connected to my older tvs. Works a treat.

+1, bought this for the aging in-laws to watch the abc and SBS you can link any subscription Netflix Amazon etc

[Arron]

So I bought a Chromecast with Google TV and set it up.

While setting up it installed the apps we use and my wife’s favourites and preferences off her IPad (I assume, as that’s what I was using to set up).

It works well and she is very happy.

No more frigging with the IPad and no need to replace a perfectly good TV.

Thanks
Arron