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ChromeCast is such a frustrating product. It does exactly what I want in theory. In practice I have to wait 10 to 60 seconds to get it to connect, or reboot m

by chubot 9y ago

ChromeCast is such a frustrating product. It does exactly what I want in theory. In practice I have to wait 10 to 60 seconds to get it to connect, or reboot my phone. I've started giving up and just using the computer attached to my TV. I don't think I've been having the particular Wi-Fi issue described in the article, but ChromeCast has been just slow and flaky in my experience. I've had both v1 and v2. It seems to have problems with older phones, but that's not the only problem. mDNS on Linux with Avahi doesn't seem particularly reliable either (e.g. pinging a Linux box from a Mac.) Computers barely work :-( I guess this is why Apple insists on owning the whole stack. The compatibility matrix becomes tractable.

rkangel 9y ago
To counter - I have had an excellent experience with my Chromecasts (I now own 3). It does everything I need, and while not completely perfect it has been really very reliable and generally 'just works'. As a user experience for playing content on your TV, the 'android as a remote' approach is great.
jordanthoms 9y ago
I have a similar experience, though I think a lot of the issues are actually with the apps - e.g. Netflix and Spotify will consistently not show my cast devices unless I quit the app and relaunch it, while other apps work ok. Google needs to get far more vigilant about ensuring the third parties are implementing it properly though - even if the bug is actually with a third party, it reflects badly on their product.
- neeleshs 9y ago
  Yes, Netflix is pretty bad when it comes to connecting to Chromecast
  - dingo_bat 9y ago
    Well Netflix's android app is pretty bad period.
    - aaronblohowiak 9y ago
      If you want to help make it better https://jobs.netflix.com/jobs/367 https://jobs.netflix.com/jobs/367
      - clhodapp 9y ago
        The implication of this comment is that the poor quality of Netflix's Android app is due to Netflix having been unable to access sufficient engineering talent to produce a better quality app. As an outsider that has experience developing software, I'm extremely doubtful that this is the case and am apt to blame it on executive-level prioritization almost out of hand.
        aaronblohowiak 9y ago
        Oh I didn't mean to imply that at all, I am sorry if that is how it came across. All software is imperfect. If there is software that you care about and want to make better and get paid to do so, that sounds like a potentially good fit.
  - rkangel 9y ago
    This is the exact opposite of my experience. My Netflix app is extremely reliable with Chromecast. I had a period of unreliability when I switched to a new phone (Galaxy S8) that applued to Netflix as well as all other chromecast apps, but after an OS update it appears to be much better.
- KozmoNau7 9y ago
  Spotify will show the devices eventually, but it does seem to be rather slow, unless you've been on the wifi for a little while before starting the app.
wvenable 9y ago
Agreed. I downsized my entire media center to just the Chromecast and it was getting quite frustrating. I disabled ipv6 on my LAN a few months ago and it drastically improved the situation. Still it works better on my Android devices and PC's than iOS devices.
aeturnum 9y ago
I quit using chromecast and a wireless HDMI solution. Does exactly what I want most of the time.
- chubot 9y ago
  Do you have details on that solution? Is it a small PC? One problem is that a lot of the things I cast use Android apps. Although I should check if they have web options. But a web browser is also a big dependency.
  - ocdtrekkie 9y ago
    But you have a lot of flexibility in web browsers: There are a decent number of options, and they're available on every OS. The problem with using "Android apps" is that they tend to lock you into Google's ecosystem. Your solutions are limited to "things that support Chromecast", which is a vastly more limited set of options.
- MrCzar 9y ago
  What wireless HDMI solution are you using? Could you leave a link? I was thinking of doing the same.
  - aeturnum 9y ago
    I'm using one of the Nyrius products. The delay seems imperceptible, but I did have one of their products mysteriously fail right after its warranty period so YMMV.
avian 9y ago
I've had a similarly bad experience. I bought the original Chromecast years ago. Since then I've tried using it with two Wi-fi routers, at least three Android phones and an iPad and it never worked for me. The most common problem is that after a while the phone would fall out of sync with the Chromecast. For instance, video would keep playing in the Chromecast, but was paused in the YouTube app on the phone.
- jlengrand 9y ago
  It's good to hear I'm not the only one! I always blamed it on the fact that I had an early version. I keep having to disconnect the chromecast, which is very painful because it sits behind my TV...
- KozmoNau7 9y ago
  Yeah, that keeps happening to me as well. Playback continues, but my phone seems to just lose the connection. When I force it to reconnect, either playback jumps to whatever my phone decides to play, or the Chromecast and my phone will need to restart a new piece of media to sync up again. When it does work, it's pretty cool with multi-room playback, but I've decided I don't really need that anyway. I'm working on phasing out the Chromecasts now, because of limitations in which apps support casting, and the inability to block ads and properly cast local content (very format-dependent). The kitchen speakers and CCA have been replaced by a rather good Bluetooth speaker, which is also handy when I go to hang laundry. The CCv2 and second CCA in the bedroom/office is being replaced by a ultra-small form factor PC with a wireless keyboard. For the main stereo in the living room, there's always at least one other device turned on anyway, and all of them can play from Spotify or my file server, so the CCA goes unused. On the flipside, I plugged my old CCv1 to the TV in my girlfriend's apartment, and that thing has been working absolutely flawlessly, so maybe I'm just unlucky.
  - eitland 9y ago
    > On the flipside, I plugged my old CCv1 to the TV in my girlfriend's apartment, and that thing has been working absolutely flawlessly, so maybe I'm just unlucky. Sounds like it might be a network problem? Like for instance if you (like a number of other HN-ers I guess) like to restrict firewalls as much as possible?
david90 9y ago
My Chromecast works quite well, at least the connection is quite stable casting from my mobile. 10s wait is kinda acceptable for me. It'd be nice that resolution could improve.
- KozmoNau7 9y ago
  The Chromecast Ultra does 4K now.
pjmlp 9y ago
> I guess this is why Apple insists on owning the whole stack. The compatibility matrix becomes tractable. This is how everyone used to build computers, PCs just became the outliers due to way things went with IBM/Microsoft. Now with the all-in-one models, it seems even PCs are getting back to those days.
- izacus 9y ago
  And? There's a reason why all those others died and PC survived.
  - pjmlp 9y ago
    There are many reasons, none of them was quality. 1 - Mismanagement from Atari, Commodore and others 2 - Microsoft deals with OEMs 3 - Pretty cheap Taiwan and Chinese parts, some of them with doubtful quality 4 - Windows piracy, alongside the cheap parts, allowed many small PC shops to thrive and offer nicer deals 5 - PCs were the majority of computers at work and school, so the only one parents saw as a good buy for their children future.
izacus 9y ago
Those bad experiences are usually due to poor wifi equpment though - many routers mess up mDNS which means that devices that relying broadcasts work poorly. In your case Chromecasts, Avahi and similar (AirPlay falls also into this category). So I'd check your router if you keep having issues.
Angostura 9y ago
Really odd. Using an original one for a couple of years now with basically zero problems. This is with an iOS/Mac set-up exclusively, though
JustSomeNobody 9y ago
Apple isn't immune to WiFi issues. They have had plenty of issues with WiFi reconnecting after a resume on MacBooks.

by chubot 9y ago

rkangel 9y ago

To counter - I have had an excellent experience with my Chromecasts (I now own 3). It does everything I need, and while not completely perfect it has been really very reliable and generally 'just works'. As a user experience for playing content on your TV, the 'android as a remote' approach is great.

jordanthoms 9y ago

I have a similar experience, though I think a lot of the issues are actually with the apps - e.g. Netflix and Spotify will consistently not show my cast devices unless I quit the app and relaunch it, while other apps work ok. Google needs to get far more vigilant about ensuring the third parties are implementing it properly though - even if the bug is actually with a third party, it reflects badly on their product.

neeleshs 9y ago
Yes, Netflix is pretty bad when it comes to connecting to Chromecast
- dingo_bat 9y ago
  Well Netflix's android app is pretty bad period.
  - aaronblohowiak 9y ago
    If you want to help make it better https://jobs.netflix.com/jobs/367 https://jobs.netflix.com/jobs/367
    - clhodapp 9y ago
      The implication of this comment is that the poor quality of Netflix's Android app is due to Netflix having been unable to access sufficient engineering talent to produce a better quality app. As an outsider that has experience developing software, I'm extremely doubtful that this is the case and am apt to blame it on executive-level prioritization almost out of hand.
      - aaronblohowiak 9y ago
        Oh I didn't mean to imply that at all, I am sorry if that is how it came across. All software is imperfect. If there is software that you care about and want to make better and get paid to do so, that sounds like a potentially good fit.
- rkangel 9y ago
  This is the exact opposite of my experience. My Netflix app is extremely reliable with Chromecast. I had a period of unreliability when I switched to a new phone (Galaxy S8) that applued to Netflix as well as all other chromecast apps, but after an OS update it appears to be much better.
KozmoNau7 9y ago
Spotify will show the devices eventually, but it does seem to be rather slow, unless you've been on the wifi for a little while before starting the app.

wvenable 9y ago

Agreed. I downsized my entire media center to just the Chromecast and it was getting quite frustrating. I disabled ipv6 on my LAN a few months ago and it drastically improved the situation. Still it works better on my Android devices and PC's than iOS devices.

aeturnum 9y ago

I quit using chromecast and a wireless HDMI solution. Does exactly what I want most of the time.

chubot 9y ago
Do you have details on that solution? Is it a small PC? One problem is that a lot of the things I cast use Android apps. Although I should check if they have web options. But a web browser is also a big dependency.
- ocdtrekkie 9y ago
  But you have a lot of flexibility in web browsers: There are a decent number of options, and they're available on every OS. The problem with using "Android apps" is that they tend to lock you into Google's ecosystem. Your solutions are limited to "things that support Chromecast", which is a vastly more limited set of options.
MrCzar 9y ago
What wireless HDMI solution are you using? Could you leave a link? I was thinking of doing the same.
- aeturnum 9y ago
  I'm using one of the Nyrius products. The delay seems imperceptible, but I did have one of their products mysteriously fail right after its warranty period so YMMV.

avian 9y ago

I've had a similarly bad experience. I bought the original Chromecast years ago. Since then I've tried using it with two Wi-fi routers, at least three Android phones and an iPad and it never worked for me. The most common problem is that after a while the phone would fall out of sync with the Chromecast. For instance, video would keep playing in the Chromecast, but was paused in the YouTube app on the phone.

jlengrand 9y ago
It's good to hear I'm not the only one! I always blamed it on the fact that I had an early version. I keep having to disconnect the chromecast, which is very painful because it sits behind my TV...
KozmoNau7 9y ago
Yeah, that keeps happening to me as well. Playback continues, but my phone seems to just lose the connection. When I force it to reconnect, either playback jumps to whatever my phone decides to play, or the Chromecast and my phone will need to restart a new piece of media to sync up again. When it does work, it's pretty cool with multi-room playback, but I've decided I don't really need that anyway. I'm working on phasing out the Chromecasts now, because of limitations in which apps support casting, and the inability to block ads and properly cast local content (very format-dependent). The kitchen speakers and CCA have been replaced by a rather good Bluetooth speaker, which is also handy when I go to hang laundry. The CCv2 and second CCA in the bedroom/office is being replaced by a ultra-small form factor PC with a wireless keyboard. For the main stereo in the living room, there's always at least one other device turned on anyway, and all of them can play from Spotify or my file server, so the CCA goes unused. On the flipside, I plugged my old CCv1 to the TV in my girlfriend's apartment, and that thing has been working absolutely flawlessly, so maybe I'm just unlucky.
- eitland 9y ago
  > On the flipside, I plugged my old CCv1 to the TV in my girlfriend's apartment, and that thing has been working absolutely flawlessly, so maybe I'm just unlucky. Sounds like it might be a network problem? Like for instance if you (like a number of other HN-ers I guess) like to restrict firewalls as much as possible?

david90 9y ago

My Chromecast works quite well, at least the connection is quite stable casting from my mobile. 10s wait is kinda acceptable for me. It'd be nice that resolution could improve.

KozmoNau7 9y ago
The Chromecast Ultra does 4K now.

pjmlp 9y ago

> I guess this is why Apple insists on owning the whole stack. The compatibility matrix becomes tractable. This is how everyone used to build computers, PCs just became the outliers due to way things went with IBM/Microsoft. Now with the all-in-one models, it seems even PCs are getting back to those days.

izacus 9y ago
And? There's a reason why all those others died and PC survived.
- pjmlp 9y ago
  There are many reasons, none of them was quality. 1 - Mismanagement from Atari, Commodore and others 2 - Microsoft deals with OEMs 3 - Pretty cheap Taiwan and Chinese parts, some of them with doubtful quality 4 - Windows piracy, alongside the cheap parts, allowed many small PC shops to thrive and offer nicer deals 5 - PCs were the majority of computers at work and school, so the only one parents saw as a good buy for their children future.

izacus 9y ago

Those bad experiences are usually due to poor wifi equpment though - many routers mess up mDNS which means that devices that relying broadcasts work poorly. In your case Chromecasts, Avahi and similar (AirPlay falls also into this category). So I'd check your router if you keep having issues.

Angostura 9y ago

Really odd. Using an original one for a couple of years now with basically zero problems. This is with an iOS/Mac set-up exclusively, though

JustSomeNobody 9y ago

Apple isn't immune to WiFi issues. They have had plenty of issues with WiFi reconnecting after a resume on MacBooks.