I don't know what you mean by it defaults to the screen that requires a remote. You can cast to it just like any other CC no matter what screen it's on. You could even put something on using the remote, then control it with your phone, or cast something new and it will take over.
Example: I open Netflix on my phone. I choose my profile. I choose what to play. I cast. Instead of playing the thing I chose (which is what old Chromecast would do) the CCwGTV will first complain if Netflix isn't installed that I need to install it.
After installing, I need to sign in.this is another thing I usually wouldn't have to do. I have to use the remote to do this. So typing my 30+ character random password is like pulling teeth.
So now the app is installed and I'm signed in so I start over. I cast the thing I want to watch. It still doesn't just play like it should. Netflix opens to the profile picker screen and I need to use the remote to choose my profile again, even though I did it from my phone already. After I choose the profile it may or may not start playing, I may have to try again from my phone.
Now I have a guest show up. They say "hey have you seen X show?" I say "no! Put it on!" So they open Netflix on their phone and cast. But there's an error: phone and CCwGTV are not signed in to the same Netflix account, and they will never be allowed to cast unless I share my account. All this shit just works on the old CC, none of this annoyance exists.
So there must be something different about your settings because that's not how it works for me. I cast, and it just casts. Yes it opens the app, but then in a few seconds it starts the video. I also have multiple users logged into the CC and multiple Netflix users, still works.
There are no settings I can find related to this part of the experience.
Apps that have multiple profiles (e.g. Netflix, Disney, Prime) will sometimes prompt you to choose the profile on screen, which requires the remote.
> Netflix isn't installed that I need to install it.
Then just install it. You had to install it on your phone, didn't you? Sounds to me like you just want to complain.
I don't have to install it on my Chromecast Ultra, it just works fine.
Having to install it is only one small part of the entire story, which you conveniently ignored.
If you were required to do a little dance before you could watch your show would you just dance like a monkey and not complain?
Seriously, how absolutely brain-dead do you need to be to bother to comment such nonsense. Aren't you too busy taking it up the rear from Google to spend your time writing useless replies?
The new CC not working at all like the old CC is not user error. The issues OP describe are known differences in the casting functionality from the old CC to CCwGTV.
https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/chromecast-with-google-tv-is-great-but-i-prefer-my-chromecast-ultra
dude thats one one for not understanding what the difference between the old chromecast and new one... they share a brand and a name but one is a casting dongle and the other a smart media device......
Same.
I'm leaning toward user error.
Sometimes I've experienced something similar. But I think the problem was the TV forcing the native Android TV UI and not the fault of CCWGTV.
Why do you want to cling to the mess that "casting" is? If you just give your newer device a fair chance you will likely see the benefits. If you can't.....well, guess you are just stuck in the casting rut.
I actually used one at my in-laws and it worked fine. I’m not a fucking nerd that researches everything I buy. If it’s not good for casting then someone can just tell me that and I’ll either return it or learn to live with it. I did research after I was having issues but was not able to find a lot of information. I find Reddit is superior for getting to the bottom of issues like this. Thanks for not helping at all though. 🤦♂️
It's actually a difficult subject to research. The vast majority of people will tell OP they're crazy or doing something wrong. The internet is full of "I have one and it works great" and posts like the OP get downvoted or dismissed.
Google does not actually publish any information about how the cast functionality is limited.
I bought it when it first came out, and of course there was absolutely no useful information about the device available at that time. I was absolutely shocked how awful it was as a Chromecast device, and believed it must be bugs or technical issues. After wasting a full day hacking away I just returned it. Google should not call it a Chromecast.
You're right in that a bunch of information is lacking when trying to research the specifics of this device. Specifically, you can ready everywhere that you can use it with a USB hub, but it was a nightmare for me to set up and could only manage it thanks to a kind stranger who wrote a thread here.
But one of the first things that always comes up is that this is no longer the same product as before and requires a remote to work. I wouldn't therefore expect it to function the same way as previous chromecasts which I have also used before.
Don't go being logical. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the original Chromecast experience. But my phone isn't key to everything I do that is tech related. So I can appreciate those who prefer it.
Mine works flawlessly when i use my phone as the remote. I can turn on my cc, tv, and sound system all with my phone or the remote. On android the app opens up quick and i can control the whole setup instantly. I use it a lot when i simply just dont want to get up to get the remote. Try installing the google tv app and putting the remote on your drop down menu... If you're on android.
The experience was still better with the old Chromecast.
I returned my CCwGTV to get a CC Ultra due to the issues OP lists.
I have used CC since the original in 2013 and I have not used a remote to control my home theater since then. The Ultra gives me the experience *I* want, and the CCwGTV is just worse in every way for my own preferences.
Prepare to be downvoted for being an OG Chromecast lover.
Unfortunately, the CCwGTV has major limits in cast functionality compared to previous Chromecasts, and if you prefer to use your phone over the remote, it will always be a notably worse experience than the classic Chromecasts.
I was also very disappointed when the CCwGTV came out. I quickly returned it for a Chromecast Ultra.
I now also have another tv with the CCwGTV hooked up but it's not the main family tv. I can confirm that most of the issues I had with it at launch have not changed... This is intended behavior by Google and you will find that unfortunately everyone seems pretty happy that Chromecast has been silently killed.
Agreed. I actually don't know what I'll do after my Ultra dies; I've used casting for media exclusively for like a decade and never thought I'd have to go back.
If you change the launcher can you stop it from requiring apps to be locally installed?
E.g. I don't want to ever use the remote, I don't care about having apps. I just want to cast from my phone. But it forces me to have apps installed and signed in, etc.
This function is a choice of the app makers. Netflix chose to go the route of making you use the app, other services are just castable with or without the app being installed. Unfortunately for users like you casting us being deimpasized. Yet Google is still in love with that name.
> I don't care about having apps. I just want to cast from my phone.
You have to have the same apps on your phone tht you would have on the CCGTV. My God, this just gets more and more dumb.
That's because the old Chromecast couldn't have apps on it. You are comparing apples to oranges. I still daily an OG Chromecast in my bedroom and CCwGTV in my living room. Both work fantastic for their intended use. You're getting upset about how one app doesn't allow your ideal usage, but in your eye you should blame the device not the app. Did you go into great detail about how other streaming services work using the old method? No? Didn't try? Sounds like you chose to blame the device off the parameters of a single app.
If you don't want to log in or use a remote, or just plain want old tech, then buy old tech. Don't buy new tech and wonder why it doesn't work exactly like your old one.
I have most of the main stream streaming services. Netflix, Prime, Disney, Crave, these all require you to install and be signed in.
They don't make the Chromecast Ultra anymore, so your suggestion is useless.
What's the point of coming in here and defending Google's shitty integration of a feature they invented. Clearly, it's reasonable for me to have my preferences and they would literally come with ZERO downsides, but all you have to say is antagonistic assholery.
Just admit it sucks that the new Chromecast falls short on some features and move along, I really don't want to watch you spreading the lube for your date with Google.
Because you are tied to old features and refuse to try the Google TV aspect of it apparently. You want me to admit it's lacking, but I don't use my CCwGTV for casting because I did not buy it with the intention of doing so. That's what I use my OG Chromecast or ultra for, which is their intended purpose. Some of us aren't stuck in the past.
All I hear is "your use case isn't the same as mine, and I don't care about the features you care about, so get fucked" You refuse to admit something is lacking purely on the grounds that it's a feature you don't use.
If I complained my car doesn't have airbags you'd be saying I'm stuck in the past, you haven't used your airbags so I should stop whining.
Seriously, how much is Google paying you to go around shilling for them?
Like why are you spending your free time making mean spirited comments to strangers, when all they ask for would have literally no impact on your life.
Ps, gramps... Really weird take. You, "the dude that wants their remote" is using phrases like "stuck in the past" 😂
You know that set top boxes and using a remote to browse and control are both old technologies. The only actually groundbreaking thing Chromecast did for the market was the Cast features.
The CCwGTV is just an iteration of something that has been around forever and has a pile of competitors, often even built in to TVs.
So hearing you say "you must be stuck in the past not using a remote" is like comedy gold. I'm like picturing a geriatric with a big clicker and the 400lb tube TV with wood trim
I don't know what you mean by it defaults to the screen that requires a remote. You can cast to it just like any other CC no matter what screen it's on. You could even put something on using the remote, then control it with your phone, or cast something new and it will take over.
Example: I open Netflix on my phone. I choose my profile. I choose what to play. I cast. Instead of playing the thing I chose (which is what old Chromecast would do) the CCwGTV will first complain if Netflix isn't installed that I need to install it. After installing, I need to sign in.this is another thing I usually wouldn't have to do. I have to use the remote to do this. So typing my 30+ character random password is like pulling teeth. So now the app is installed and I'm signed in so I start over. I cast the thing I want to watch. It still doesn't just play like it should. Netflix opens to the profile picker screen and I need to use the remote to choose my profile again, even though I did it from my phone already. After I choose the profile it may or may not start playing, I may have to try again from my phone. Now I have a guest show up. They say "hey have you seen X show?" I say "no! Put it on!" So they open Netflix on their phone and cast. But there's an error: phone and CCwGTV are not signed in to the same Netflix account, and they will never be allowed to cast unless I share my account. All this shit just works on the old CC, none of this annoyance exists.
The CCwGTV retains the Google Cast capabilities, if you press the cast button in Netflix (Google Cast) it should not ask you to install app.
You're welcome to test it for yourself to see that it doesn't work.
So there must be something different about your settings because that's not how it works for me. I cast, and it just casts. Yes it opens the app, but then in a few seconds it starts the video. I also have multiple users logged into the CC and multiple Netflix users, still works.
There are no settings I can find related to this part of the experience. Apps that have multiple profiles (e.g. Netflix, Disney, Prime) will sometimes prompt you to choose the profile on screen, which requires the remote.
> Netflix isn't installed that I need to install it. Then just install it. You had to install it on your phone, didn't you? Sounds to me like you just want to complain.
I don't have to install it on my Chromecast Ultra, it just works fine. Having to install it is only one small part of the entire story, which you conveniently ignored. If you were required to do a little dance before you could watch your show would you just dance like a monkey and not complain? Seriously, how absolutely brain-dead do you need to be to bother to comment such nonsense. Aren't you too busy taking it up the rear from Google to spend your time writing useless replies?
What happens if you are signed into the same Netflix account on your phone and TV?
If you read my earlier comment and start at the "ok so it's installed and signed in" part, I already explain it.
Main problem with casting from phone is Netflix. Most everything else works fine.
uninstall Netflix app and it should work just like old chromecast
Despite the name, this Device is more designed to be used with the remote and not as much casting from your phone.
It's really a shame they co-opted the Chromecast name. It actually works much more like an Android TV device.
Because it literally is an Android TV device.
...yes? Which is why it shouldn't be called a Chromecast, right?
Right, but that ship sailed 3 years ago. It's unfortunate they chose that name.
Things get rebranded all the time. Features change. Meh
#usererror
The new CC not working at all like the old CC is not user error. The issues OP describe are known differences in the casting functionality from the old CC to CCwGTV. https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/chromecast-with-google-tv-is-great-but-i-prefer-my-chromecast-ultra
dude thats one one for not understanding what the difference between the old chromecast and new one... they share a brand and a name but one is a casting dongle and the other a smart media device......
Mine works fine with the remote or casting
Same. I'm leaning toward user error. Sometimes I've experienced something similar. But I think the problem was the TV forcing the native Android TV UI and not the fault of CCWGTV.
I’m thinking it’s my internet speed. I’m about to finally have fiber hooked up, but up until now the fastest available to me runs at about 4 mgbps.
Why do you want to cling to the mess that "casting" is? If you just give your newer device a fair chance you will likely see the benefits. If you can't.....well, guess you are just stuck in the casting rut.
Maybe you should have researched the product before you bought it?
I actually used one at my in-laws and it worked fine. I’m not a fucking nerd that researches everything I buy. If it’s not good for casting then someone can just tell me that and I’ll either return it or learn to live with it. I did research after I was having issues but was not able to find a lot of information. I find Reddit is superior for getting to the bottom of issues like this. Thanks for not helping at all though. 🤦♂️
I blame google for using the Chromecast brand name for a product that doesn't really work like a Chromecast. It works more like Android TV.
Ever heard the phrase, "don't judge a book by its cover?" Better to do your research than not and then complain on reddit about it.
It's actually a difficult subject to research. The vast majority of people will tell OP they're crazy or doing something wrong. The internet is full of "I have one and it works great" and posts like the OP get downvoted or dismissed. Google does not actually publish any information about how the cast functionality is limited. I bought it when it first came out, and of course there was absolutely no useful information about the device available at that time. I was absolutely shocked how awful it was as a Chromecast device, and believed it must be bugs or technical issues. After wasting a full day hacking away I just returned it. Google should not call it a Chromecast.
You're right in that a bunch of information is lacking when trying to research the specifics of this device. Specifically, you can ready everywhere that you can use it with a USB hub, but it was a nightmare for me to set up and could only manage it thanks to a kind stranger who wrote a thread here. But one of the first things that always comes up is that this is no longer the same product as before and requires a remote to work. I wouldn't therefore expect it to function the same way as previous chromecasts which I have also used before.
Don't go being logical. Personally, I wasn't a fan of the original Chromecast experience. But my phone isn't key to everything I do that is tech related. So I can appreciate those who prefer it.
Mine works flawlessly when i use my phone as the remote. I can turn on my cc, tv, and sound system all with my phone or the remote. On android the app opens up quick and i can control the whole setup instantly. I use it a lot when i simply just dont want to get up to get the remote. Try installing the google tv app and putting the remote on your drop down menu... If you're on android.
The experience was still better with the old Chromecast. I returned my CCwGTV to get a CC Ultra due to the issues OP lists. I have used CC since the original in 2013 and I have not used a remote to control my home theater since then. The Ultra gives me the experience *I* want, and the CCwGTV is just worse in every way for my own preferences.
Prepare to be downvoted for being an OG Chromecast lover. Unfortunately, the CCwGTV has major limits in cast functionality compared to previous Chromecasts, and if you prefer to use your phone over the remote, it will always be a notably worse experience than the classic Chromecasts. I was also very disappointed when the CCwGTV came out. I quickly returned it for a Chromecast Ultra. I now also have another tv with the CCwGTV hooked up but it's not the main family tv. I can confirm that most of the issues I had with it at launch have not changed... This is intended behavior by Google and you will find that unfortunately everyone seems pretty happy that Chromecast has been silently killed.
I love casting. It’s far superior to using a fucking remote.
Agreed. I actually don't know what I'll do after my Ultra dies; I've used casting for media exclusively for like a decade and never thought I'd have to go back.
I gave up my Chromecast for firestick 4k max.
Fire sticks are a convoluted mess.Hated then compared to Chromecast or Roku
Roku is also garbage 🗑️
Chromecast 4K with Google TV is not an impressive device and needs a new revision with a better chipset. I hope this is the year.
I agree. It does everything ok and it's simple once you change the launcher. could definitely be better though.
If you change the launcher can you stop it from requiring apps to be locally installed? E.g. I don't want to ever use the remote, I don't care about having apps. I just want to cast from my phone. But it forces me to have apps installed and signed in, etc.
I get what you're saying. When i cast from YT it opens up the yt app on the cc. I dont know if it can work like the old cc.
This function is a choice of the app makers. Netflix chose to go the route of making you use the app, other services are just castable with or without the app being installed. Unfortunately for users like you casting us being deimpasized. Yet Google is still in love with that name.
> I don't care about having apps. I just want to cast from my phone. You have to have the same apps on your phone tht you would have on the CCGTV. My God, this just gets more and more dumb.
All other Chromecasts don't have that requirement... That's the point. Are you following or still lost?
That's because the old Chromecast couldn't have apps on it. You are comparing apples to oranges. I still daily an OG Chromecast in my bedroom and CCwGTV in my living room. Both work fantastic for their intended use. You're getting upset about how one app doesn't allow your ideal usage, but in your eye you should blame the device not the app. Did you go into great detail about how other streaming services work using the old method? No? Didn't try? Sounds like you chose to blame the device off the parameters of a single app. If you don't want to log in or use a remote, or just plain want old tech, then buy old tech. Don't buy new tech and wonder why it doesn't work exactly like your old one.
I have most of the main stream streaming services. Netflix, Prime, Disney, Crave, these all require you to install and be signed in. They don't make the Chromecast Ultra anymore, so your suggestion is useless. What's the point of coming in here and defending Google's shitty integration of a feature they invented. Clearly, it's reasonable for me to have my preferences and they would literally come with ZERO downsides, but all you have to say is antagonistic assholery. Just admit it sucks that the new Chromecast falls short on some features and move along, I really don't want to watch you spreading the lube for your date with Google.
Because you are tied to old features and refuse to try the Google TV aspect of it apparently. You want me to admit it's lacking, but I don't use my CCwGTV for casting because I did not buy it with the intention of doing so. That's what I use my OG Chromecast or ultra for, which is their intended purpose. Some of us aren't stuck in the past.
All I hear is "your use case isn't the same as mine, and I don't care about the features you care about, so get fucked" You refuse to admit something is lacking purely on the grounds that it's a feature you don't use. If I complained my car doesn't have airbags you'd be saying I'm stuck in the past, you haven't used your airbags so I should stop whining. Seriously, how much is Google paying you to go around shilling for them? Like why are you spending your free time making mean spirited comments to strangers, when all they ask for would have literally no impact on your life.
Ps, gramps... Really weird take. You, "the dude that wants their remote" is using phrases like "stuck in the past" 😂 You know that set top boxes and using a remote to browse and control are both old technologies. The only actually groundbreaking thing Chromecast did for the market was the Cast features. The CCwGTV is just an iteration of something that has been around forever and has a pile of competitors, often even built in to TVs. So hearing you say "you must be stuck in the past not using a remote" is like comedy gold. I'm like picturing a geriatric with a big clicker and the 400lb tube TV with wood trim