Do you need to keep your device on after starting a Chromecast stream?

[IAmDre]

Hi,

I'm about to buy a ChromeCast but I have a question before. I understood that when you stream a video from YouTube for example, the ChromeCast is not actually getting it from your phone but directly from YouTube. Does it mean that I can turn off the phone or the computer and keep the video playing on my TV? That would save battery when watching a long movie. What about medias stored on a local server?

I have another question : Is the ChromeCast somehow linked to a Google account? Could anyone at home watch their YouTube playlists when they connect their phone/laptop?

Thanks for your replies

 

[y2whisper]

Re: How far is the ChromeCast independant?

you can't turn off the phone of computer you can put either on standby as long as you aren't sharing a tab in chrome. There is still communication going on between the phone and the chromecast i.e. you can fast forward and rewind videos etc.

it is not linked to a google account so any one that you allow on to your wifi can control your chromecast.

 

[IAmDre]

Re: How far is the ChromeCast independant?

All right thank y'all for your replies.

 

[mtncmpr]

Re: How far is the ChromeCast independant?

you can't turn off the phone of computer you can put either on standby as long as you aren't sharing a tab in chrome. There is still communication going on between the phone and the chromecast i.e. you can fast forward and rewind videos etc.

But if you weren't (hypothetically) concerned with using the features, ie: ff-rewind-pause, would you still need to have your device on?

 

[jpr]

Re: How far is the ChromeCast independant?

But if you weren't (hypothetically) concerned with using the features, ie: ff-rewind-pause, would you still need to have your device on?

There are several android apps (I don't have any iOS to know if it is the same) that will not stop the cast when the phone is off. I know Netflix is like this. I believe Hulu Plus as well. I can't remember about Youtube right now. Someone else said Pandora does this but I haven't tried that app. So yes, depending on the app, you may be able to shut off your device and continue casting, at least with an Android device - if you don't care about controlling what you are casting. The same is not true when casting from a computer for the apps I tried, although I haven't tried them all. And of course if you are casting a tab, you cannot shut down your computer, or even your Chrome browser.

 

[Devlyn16]

Re: How far is the ChromeCast independant?

Lately I've been using our PS4 to watch netflix, however in the past my device has lost connection with the Chromcast [the little Icon on the netflix app would change color ] and what was streaming to the TV would continue to play. So as mentioned above it may be possible but you would lose the ability to pause rewind ETC.