LG, Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and others have tried but none has managed to make TVs really smart. Google has found a way of maximizing on the hundreds of millions of standard TVs that pack HDMI ports. Using its new Chromecast device, the company is offering a way of giving the dumb TVs some brains by providing access to web-based content.
The company has developed a Wi-Fi attached HDMI stick that is capable of catching any Chrome browser stream from any device running a Chrome instance. This means if you connect the Chromecast dongle to your TV you can flick video content from YouTube, Google Play Movies and Music or Netflix directly on the TV, or even mirror any content in any open Chrome tab by use of a tab casting feature. You can also run another tab with Facebook, Instagram, your homework, diary, texts or anything you can think of which is never seen on TV.
According to Google, Chromecast works across all platforms as long as they have a Chrome browser. These include Android smartphones and tablets, iPads, iPhones, Chrome for Windows, and Chrome for Mac.
The Chromecast HDMI stick is available on Google Play, BestBuy.com, and Amazon for $35. You also get three months of free Netflix.
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