[Hidden-tech] laptop/tv connection

[Maria Korolov]

I use Chromecast and LOVE it.

It costs around $35, and plugs into the back of the TV. Then you download
the app on to your smartphone, tablet, or get an extention to your Chrome
browser.

Most of the popular video apps already have Chromecast support -- if you're
watching Hulu or Netflix or YouTube you just press the little Chromecast
button on the screen and it sends the video straight to the TV.

And if you have the extension, then ANY video you've got playing in your
browser gets sent to the TV, whether or not the site is designed to work
with Chromecast or not.

You can then use your smartphone, tablet, or laptop as a remote control to
pause, rewind, or restart the movie.

The way the Chromecast works, is that it connects to your WiFi network, an
downloads the video directly from the source -- so your smartphone or
tablet isn't slowed down at all. In fact, you can continue using them for
other things -- even watching other videos.

We have several people in the house with mobile devices, and they've all
installed the app, and can cast videos to the big-screen TV in the living
room. We haven't had any battles yet for who gets to control the TV, but
that's because we're all civilized adults. :-)

There's also some kind of "guest" feature to allow access to the Chromecast
for people who you don't want to allow unto your home network, but I
haven't had to use it yet.

I hear Amazon's FireStick does something similar, but I haven't used it.

I give the Chromecast five stars out of five. More, really, since it has
very much exceeded all my expectations.

-- Maria

___________________________________________________________________
Maria Korolov • Freelance finance and technology reporter • 508-443-1130
CSO <http://www.csoonline.com/author/Maria-Korolov/> • CIO
<http://www.cio.com/author/Maria-Korolov/> • Network World
<http://www.networkworld.com/author/Maria-Korolov/> • PC World
<http://www.pcworld.com/author/Maria-Korolov/> • Independent Banker
<http://independentbanker.org/?s=maria+korolov&submit=Search> • AFP Exchange
<http://www.afponline.org/search.aspx?searchtext=korolov>

On Thu, Feb 19, 2015 at 10:21 AM, Christine Polaczak <
chris at cpdesignworks.com> wrote:

>
>
>
>
> Good morning, Hidden-Tech.
>
> How can I connect a laptop to a television for video viewing on that
> larger screen? What hardware/software is involved?
>
> Thanks in advance for your help.
>
> Chris
>
> Christine Polaczak
> chris at cpdesignworks.com
> 413 539-3582
>
>
>
>
>
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