@carl669 Same here. Only complaint is that if I get a call while my phone is locked I have to tell the person to hold while I log into the phone to pause the show. I'd like to see a feature where it automatically pauses the show if you answer a call.
Will be lurking eBay next month for several of the audio casts..around 7... Bringing out the extra studio monitors for full house muzak and podcast listening enjoyment.
Nope. I'm happy with my Roku, plus it was recently announced that they'll soon release the Roku 4, which has ultra HD 4K streaming. Amazon's also coming up with a 4K Fire TV, but I don't believe they have as broad a selection of channels as Roku has.
@Phoenix_Tears Yup. Pretty stoked on the Roku 4. We just got one of those fancy 4k TVs following a lightning strike that killed our 5 year old 55" TV. As of now, I can only watch UHD stuff through the TVs built-in apps, but we really like to use the Roku 3 we have for streaming shows instead.
@walarney chromecasts can mirror certain android devices screens and it also does apps (and it can mirror the chrome browser from most any computer (pc mac) that has the "googlecast" extension).
@thismyusername Thanks. I was hoping it might have been something they added to the new version. I've got one of the (now discontinued) NetGear Miracast devices that works pretty well for me. (Works with my Windows tablet as well as my Android phone.) Just bought but haven't yet tried one of the Microsoft ones. Standalone Miracast devices seem to be less popular and more expensive. But it looks like it's becoming a common feature on Blu-Ray players.
@StrangerDanger I think the main difference is that when you are mirroring, it's the source device providing the streaming, thereby eating battery and data (if not on wifi). The Chromecast receives the instruction from the host device, but then manages the streaming part on its own. The device that initiates it at that point becomes a remote control in a way, rather than driving the entire transaction.
It's likely that the chromecast native apps will always have a performance and feature advantage. But it's great to see Roku adding this feature.
@ACraigL The data eating of mirroring is actually an advantage to those of us who live in Backward Land with unlimited 4G mobile and slow, metered WiFi.
only if it's free. my 1st gen one works quite well.
@carl669 Same here. Only complaint is that if I get a call while my phone is locked I have to tell the person to hold while I log into the phone to pause the show. I'd like to see a feature where it automatically pauses the show if you answer a call.
I might get the audio for my zone 2 speakers that only accept analog input.
There's gonna be a new one? What's the improvements?
@DrunkCat It's already out. Performance, basically. New processor and most of all, AC 5GHz wireless support. Much faster connectivity.
@ACraigL That is the sex. All I'd need then is a router that supports 5GHz haha. Good thing Roku3 supports an Ethernet connection.
@DrunkCat ...and they have new colors. Pretty new colors that you will hide behind your TV and never see.
Nope.
Will be lurking eBay next month for several of the audio casts..around 7... Bringing out the extra studio monitors for full house muzak and podcast listening enjoyment.
Maybe, i'm still using my 1st gen (like right now) anyone think it's actually worth upgrading?
I am but gonna wait to get it at the box store.
Nope. I'm happy with my Roku, plus it was recently announced that they'll soon release the Roku 4, which has ultra HD 4K streaming. Amazon's also coming up with a 4K Fire TV, but I don't believe they have as broad a selection of channels as Roku has.
@Phoenix_Tears Yup. Pretty stoked on the Roku 4. We just got one of those fancy 4k TVs following a lightning strike that killed our 5 year old 55" TV. As of now, I can only watch UHD stuff through the TVs built-in apps, but we really like to use the Roku 3 we have for streaming shows instead.
Most likely will buy one, as I left my last one in a hotel room by accident. 😞
Can it do screen mirroring (Miracast) or does it only run certain apps (Chrome, YouTube)?
@walarney chromecasts can mirror certain android devices screens and it also does apps (and it can mirror the chrome browser from most any computer (pc mac) that has the "googlecast" extension).
Neither the old or the new support Miracast.
Some info on mirroring here:
https://support.google.com/chromecast/answer/6059461?hl=en
The list of apps are here:
https://www.google.com/intl/en_us/chromecast/apps
@thismyusername Thanks. I was hoping it might have been something they added to the new version. I've got one of the (now discontinued) NetGear Miracast devices that works pretty well for me. (Works with my Windows tablet as well as my Android phone.) Just bought but haven't yet tried one of the Microsoft ones. Standalone Miracast devices seem to be less popular and more expensive. But it looks like it's becoming a common feature on Blu-Ray players.
@walarney You can mirror your whole desktop with a chromecast, but there is like a 1/2 second delay.
I would have bought one to fix my weird casting issues, but I already fixed those with the Ethernet adapter... so not until one dies.
What is different between the 2 other than what I see as a cable that can break more easily than the thumbdrive design of the old version...
@sohmageek from what I can tell:
5ghz wifi added
2 additional wifi antenna (old one had 1, new one has 3)
and supposedly updated cpu but I haven't found any specifics yet.
@sohmageek looks like I waited long enough for a good article to appear... all the tech details:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/9688/googles-chromecast-2-is-powered-by-marvells-armada-1500-mini-plus-dual-cortexa7
so the cpu went from a single core A9 to a dual core A7,
Have an older one I never use and supposedly my music player app supports Chrome cast but I've never tried (Shuttle Plus)
So if the Roku offers pairing (screen-mirroring) Roku screen pair what is the advantage of the chrome cast over that?
@StrangerDanger I think the main difference is that when you are mirroring, it's the source device providing the streaming, thereby eating battery and data (if not on wifi). The Chromecast receives the instruction from the host device, but then manages the streaming part on its own. The device that initiates it at that point becomes a remote control in a way, rather than driving the entire transaction.
It's likely that the chromecast native apps will always have a performance and feature advantage. But it's great to see Roku adding this feature.
@ACraigL The data eating of mirroring is actually an advantage to those of us who live in Backward Land with unlimited 4G mobile and slow, metered WiFi.
Hated the first Chromecast. Gave it to a friend and her family hated it more. As far as I know, it's in a landfill.
So... nah.
@editorkid Thats too bad, we have two that get used heavily...we don't cable or any other source of media to the TV tho, might be part of the reason
Gave the Chromecast to a friend after we got a Nexus Player, which has the same Cast features, as well as standalone Android apps and games.
Thinking of getting another to use while travelling, though.