Google Chromecast: Bringing Streaming Media from your Phone or PC to Your TV

Google Chromecast: See it, Stream It

Cast Your Media from Your Phone and PC to Your TV

Today, we have a sponsored post, brought to you by Best Buy, talking about the latest model of the Google Chromecast.  For those unfamiliar with the Chromecast, it is a small dongle designed to turn any HDMI compatible TV into a Smart TV, bringing internet capabilities to your favorite television set.  

Similar to a Roku or Fire TV stick, the Chromecast plugs into an HDMI port on your TV, and allows you to access online content through a "regular" TV.  However, the Chromecast also allows you to stream media from a PC, Tablet, Smartphone, or other mobile device to that television set, a feature the other streaming devices do not have.

Once you have plugged the Chromecast into the HDMI port on your TV, you use your phone, tablet, or computer to cast your favorite TV shows, movies, music, sports, games, and more to the TV you already own. Chromecast works with your iPhone®, iPad®, Android device, Apple® computer, Windows laptop or Chromebook. 

Chromecast is designed to make the most of the apps and entertainment already on your phone. Shows, movies, live TV, YouTube, photos and more are all just a tap away from all of your family’s devices.  Chromecast also lets you use popular apps, like Netflix and Hulu, without having to have an app-capable TV.  And you get all of this for $35.

Fire TV Cube vs the Harmony Hub for TV Voice Control

Amazon Introduces the Fire TV Cube

Combines the Features of an Amazon Echo, Fire TV Stick and Harmony Hub in One Device; Adds Voice Control to Your TV and Components

How Does it Compare to the Harmony Hub?

 

Amazon has announced a new version of their Fire TV, called the Fire TV Cube.  This new device adds voice control to your TV and audio-visual components, much like a Harmony Hub.  But the Fire TV Cube takes things a step further, adding control for other Smart Home devices into the mix.  It's almost like the Amazon Echo, the Fire TV Stick, a Harmony Hub, and a Smart Home Hub all got together and had a baby.

What is the Fire TV Cube?

The Fire TV Cube is a small box, (approximately 3.5 inches square,) that connects to your TV via HDMI, and adds Alexa Voice Control to your TV and associated Entertainment Devices.  With the Fire TV Cube, you can turn the TV on and off, change channels, adjust volume, pause, rewind, change inputs, and much more, all via voice.  Unlike a Fire TV Stick, the Fire TV Cube includes a built-in Echo as well as a Voice Remote.  You can issue voice commands through the remote, or hands free.

Harmony Hub Part 3: Editing Device Settings So Things Work Properly

Editing Your Harmony Hub Devices, Scenes, and Activities For More Effective Control

Adjust the Way Harmony Controls Your Entertainment Components

This is the third part of a series on setting up and using a Harmony Hub.  Part 1 reviewed the Harmony Hub, while Part 2 focused on setting it up.  Today, we will look at adjusting your Harmony app settings so that they correctly control your devices.  As we discussed in Part 1 and Part 2, the Harmony Hub can be very quirky, and you may need to make several adjustments after initial set up.

What Can Be Adjusted?

Depending on the specific device, different functions can be adjusted within the Harmony App (Desktop or Mobile.)  You can adjust things like the way a device powers on and off, input settings, command repeats, commands, and delays. You can change a device's name. You can add commands to a device's routine, and/or fix commands that are not functioning as expected.   You can also create activities that group a set of commands together for one or more devices. These activities will later show up as scenes in your Alexa app.

Creating additional activities will also create new command prompts in Alexa, so that tasks can easily be accomplished with a single voice command.  Many of these activities are created during the initial set up, like we discussed in Part 2.  You may find that an activity you set up is not working as expected. If so, you can edit the activity and make adjustments so that it does, in fact, operate like you want.  For example, I have a dual Toshiba DVD/VHS recorder.  I set up a "watch Toshiba" activity that powers on the TV, turns the Timer off on the Toshiba, sets the input to DVD, and brings up the recording menu.  This initially did not work correctly, as it takes the Toshiba about 20 seconds to load a disc.  I needed to adjust this activity by adding a delay between turning off the timer and queuing up the recordings menu.  After adjusting the activity within the Harmony App, my activity now works as I desire.

EVERY TIME you make adjustments to devices or activities, you will need to unlink and relink your Harmony Account from within the Alexa app.  Then you will need to rerun Discovery from within Alexa.  Harmony may not update your corresponding Alexa settings if you do not unlink and relink your Harmony Account.

What Do I Adjust First?

For most of us, the TV is the heart and soul of our Entertainment Center.  Therefore, it is extremely important that your TV is configured correctly.  It is especially important that the input settings work correctly. Therefore, I always suggest you "edit" your Television Device first.  We'll walk you through adjusting your TV's device settings later in this article. You may find your other components behave better once the TV is set up correctly.