![]() ![]() If you're using an app that doesn't have native Chromecast support, you can opt to mirror all of the audio coming out of your mobile device or your computer's Web browser and cast that to a speaker instead. The audio streams directly to the Chromecast Audio device, too - as opposed to playing on or from my phone - so there's no real impact on my phone's battery life, nor are there any connectivity issues or playback gaps like you frequently experience when using Bluetooth connections. I then just tap whichever option one I want, and ta-da: Anything I play is directed to that speaker. When I tap the cast button in Google Play Music on my phone, for instance, I see this list of options: (You can also allow casting from devices not signed into your Wi-Fi network via a PIN-based guest mode, if you're so inclined.) Any Android device or computer signed into your Wi-Fi network will be able to cast audio to any connected speaker or stereo all you've gotta do is tap the cast button in a compatible app and then select where you want the audio to play. Let the casting beginĪnd with that, you're ready to rock and/or roll. We're talking a minute or two for each speaker - really couldn't be much simpler. The app will find your new connection and walk you through a couple quick steps to get everything up and running. Once you're all hooked up, you open the Chromecast app on your phone or tablet (or download the desktop-based setup utility). The device comes with a short cable for 3.5mm connections if you want to go the RCA or optical route, you'll need to buy your own cable for that (and it'll need to have a 3.5mm connector on one end, as that's the only kind of jack present on the Chromecast Audio device). The setup couldn't be simpler: You just plug the Chromecast Audio into your speaker (or receiver, in the case of a stereo system) and then plug it into an outlet for power. Our main living room stereo is hooked up to a TV that already has a regular Chromecast connected, so I'm not putting a Chromecast Audio on it for now (though that may change eventually - more on why in a minute). I connected a third to a dusty old stereo system I acquired from a relative's basement and then set up in our "dining room" (heavy emphasis on the quotes there). Me? I connected two of 'em to standalone speakers I've had sitting around for ages and then moved those into our bedroom and kitchen. (The good folks over at Android Central put together a nice list of speakers that cost less than $35 and will work with Chromecast Audio, if you need to fill in a few gaps.) So you could use it with a stereo, a bookshelf or Bluetooth speaker, or even an old-school boombox, provided it has the right kind of jack available. Sounds obvious, I realize, but it's worth emphasizing.Ĭhromecast Audio will work with any powered speaker or speaker system, as long as it has a 3.5mm input, an RCA input, or an optical audio input on it. That means you need to have your own speakers in order for it to do you any good. Just like the regular Chromecast (which connects to a TV and handles video as well as audio), it plugs into existing equipment and makes it ready for Internet streaming. Getting started with Chromecast Audioįirst things first: Chromecast Audio isn't going to be for everyone. And let me tell you: I'm pretty darn pleased with how things have turned out. I went to the nearest Ye Olde Electronics Retailer and picked up a few Chromecast Audios of my own shortly after Google's announcement last month, and I've been using 'em in my home ever since. ![]() Yup: I'm talking about Google's new Chromecast Audio - a simple little $35 device that lets you turn existing speakers into smart speakers and then stream audio to them using the apps already on your phone, tablet, or computer. Two weeks ago, I finally found the solution I'd been waiting for. (Sonos also generally requires you to use the company's own Android app to control music playback, and there's no universal Web interface for playing music from a laptop's browser - two asterisks that don't exactly sweeten the deal for me.) Those numbers add up fast - and as tempting as it is, I've never been able to convince myself (or, ahem, my wife) that it's a good idea to drop that much dough. Sure, there's Sonos, but you're looking at quite the investment to get multiple rooms up and running with that - $200 to $500 for each connected speaker and $350 to $500 for adapters that let you bring existing "dumb" speakers into the equation. The problem is that I've never found a system that makes it easy and doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I've always wanted to have my whole home connected to a smart streaming-audio system - one that'd let me take my music from room to room and play anything I want anywhere in the house, using any phone or tablet to control it.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |