I recently purchased Google’s Chromecast. For only $35 dollars, I wasn’t expecting much out of it, no matter what others kept telling me. I’d also been looking at new TV’s and wanted one with internet access like those features on SMART TV’s. The problem with that is I usually get buyer’s remorse the moment I buy something, so if the Chromecast could save me a few hundred bucks on a SMART TV by just plugging it into a reasonably priced one, I’m down.
It came in the mail the other day, I plugged it in, installed some apps, and it’s easily one of the best purchasing decisions I’ve made this year when it comes to electronics. I’ve recommended it to at least a dozen people to the point where I’m starting to get annoying. Anyway, here are some of the must-have apps to get if you get the Chromecast.
1. Netflix
It’s a no brainer that if you buy Chromecast, one of the first apps you download for it is Netflix. The moment you install it and start playing movies and television shows, you’ll look at your cable box and the feeling of cutting the cord will overwhelm you. Netflix now has Chromecast support, so it will make things a lot easier to stream House of Cards for an entire weekend.
2. Google Cast
Google Cast allows you to take what you have going on in your Chrome browser, and bring it to your television. That little button on the YouTube video screen throws what you have playing on to your TV. It also has the same button on the top right of your Chrome browser so you can cast websites and videos.
3. Crackle
Crackle is a completely free streaming service where you can find your favorite movies and tv shows and stream them from your laptop or off your Android/iOS device. It does include some ads when you watch stuff, but they’re not long enough to make you forget what you were just watching. I’m looking at you, network TV.
4. YouTube
With the YouTube app, you can stream YouTube through your browser and on to your TV, or you can just get the app that is created specifically for it and cut out the middle man. You can use it through your browser or your Android/iOS.
5. GamingCast
Have you ever wanted to play the most retro games with the best in current technology? Well, GamingCast allows you to play old games like Snake, Pong, and Flapper and put them on your TV from your smartphone. It’s a lot more fun when you aren’t squinting at the little things on your phone and get to see them on a big screen.
6. Google TV And Movies
Google TV and Movies allows you to stream or purchase movies and tv through this app and stream them from your device on to your television. Of you already purchased something before you had Chromecast, then you can still stream it to your television.
7. AllCast
AllCast allows your to stream media from a variety of different sources. You can stream media to your Chromecast, or you could stream it to other devices like Xbox or Roku. It’s $4.99 to buy, but totally worth it if you have all these devices and want to impress your friends. For Chromecast, it works pretty good for me.
8. HBO GO
HBO GO is an obvious choice, especially for the people who don’t actually have HBO accounts and “borrow’ someone elses (I’m telling!). I usually watch HBO on my tablet, and only watch it live when Game of Thrones comes on. It’s not that I don’t want to watch HBO live on HBO GO… it’s just that, well, I’m traumatized from certain times it cut out.
These were the essential apps I downloaded for Chromecast the first day of buying it. There are many more for media like Plex, music like Pandora, and pictures like DayFrame. Do you have and favorite apps that all must know about? Leave it in the comments.
(Via Business Insider, Google Play)