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NEW YORK — You dont own a new Smart TV that lets you go beyond standard TV and cable fare and watch shows and movies off the Internet. Nor have you invested in an Apple TV, Roku or other set-top solution that lets you stream content to the television.

So the $35 tab to try out Googles new Chromecast gizmo seems like a mere pittance for anyone seeking a low-cost and simple way to make a TV just a little bit smarter. And it is.

Chromecast is a clever sub-3-inch-tall dongle that looks a bit like a car key. Instead, youre driving your TV into cyberspace. When you plug Chromecast into a high-definition television, it lets you wirelessly stream — or in Chromecast lingo "cast" — movies, TV shows, videos and music from the Internet using the Netflix, YouTube and Google Play apps on your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet. You can also use Chromecast with the Chrome browser on your Windows PC or Mac to display the Web page you are looking at on your computer onto the TV, though this last feature is still being "beta" tested.

I got Chromecast to work with a slew of devices: an iPhone 5, Nexus 7, Chromebook Pixel, iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Dell Windows 7 laptop. I connected it to Sony and LG televisions. In fact, you can move Chromecast from TV to TV without any additional setup, provided Chromecast is connected to the same Wi-Fi network. You can also easily bring Chromecast with you when you travel, keeping in mind that it might not work with the Wi-Fi configuration in certain hotels.

Chromecast doesnt have a central user interface as on Apple TV or Roku. And it doesnt come with a remote control. So you directly interact with the phone, tablet or laptop to control the volume or to pause and play whatever it is you are watching or listening to. It can turn on your TV in certain instances, though you may have to tinker with your TV settings to make it happen.

As part of the initial setup, you can fetch an Android app for Chromecast in the Google Play store or visit google.com/chromecast/setup to download an app on your computer. You cant set up the device using iOS yet, though Google says an app for that purpose is coming soon. Once Chromecast is set up using Android or your computer, it will work with your iOS devices.

Chromecasts compatibility with both iOS and Android provides an advantage over the AirPlay technology used in Apple TV, which in its current iteration only supports iOS devices or Mac computers. But Apple TV (which costs $99) and Roku (which starts at around $50) are compatible out of the gate with a lot more apps.

Youll need a decent Wi-Fi connection as part of the Chromecast setup. One end of the gizmo plugs into an available HDMI slot on your TV. The other end of the Chromecast has a USB port that youll use to power up the device, posing the first potential challenge in setting the thing up. Youll have to plug Chromecast either into a power outlet, or directly into a USB port on your TV if it happens to have one. Depending upon where your TV is situated, you might have to add your own USB extender. During setup, you must be within 20 feet of the TV.

Google does supply an extender for the HDMI plug that makes it easier to plug the dongle into some televisions. Added benefit: using the extender may reduce the "noise," or interference, from the TV in some instances to actually bolster your Wi-Fi signal.

If all goes according to plan as it did in my tests, youll see the words "ready to cast" appear on your TV screen along with the name of the Wi-Fi network to which you are connected. The devices that you want to cast from must also be on the same Wi-Fi network. When youre ready to "cast" content off your phone, tablet or computer, you merely tap or click on the button that appears inside the app or Chrome browser. Its that easy.

Two people can actually cast to the TV at the same time with the latest person to hit the button gaining priority. Do I sense a fight between the spouses waiting to happen?

Out of the gate, Google supports apps from Netflix, YouTube, Google Play Movies and Google Play Music — and the quality is quite good. When Google first announced Chromecast, it offered three months of Netflix for free, but the promotion has been pulled because so many folks rushed out to buy the thing.

While Hulu, HBO Go and other video services are not among the list of supported apps, I was able to watch South Park via Hulu Plus and the McEnroe/Borg: Fire & Ice HBO documentary through streaming it off the Chrome browser on a laptop.

But theres a reason that the ability to cast a Chrome browser tab onto the TV is still in beta. Some of the video I watched that way paused or hiccupped, and some of the audio was out of sync. And not all computers are supported, including some of Googles own older Chromebook models.

Google is opening up Chromecast to developers of streaming apps, so expect more support soon. GigaOm is reporting that HBO Go, Vimeo and Redbox Instant are among those coming to Chromecast.

Chromecast is by no means perfect in this first incarnation. But at $35 youll be more than willing to overlook the minor growing pains. And even now, youre getting a lot for the money, especially as a great way to wirelessly stream Netflix and YouTube.

Source : usatoday.com