Chromecast: streaming footy to TV

How is the smoothness of the video? The initial reviews I read in the fall said the video was choppier than say, using Airplay between Apple devices.

 

I would not expect NBC Extra Time to be on par with espn3. Whenever I have used Extra Time or the NBC Sports app it has been dramatically worse than ESPN's counterpart with much more buffering and stream dropping. That is one of the reasons that I have held off on buying the chromecast.

 

NBC Live Extra, ESPN, foxsoccer2go and beinsportplay.tv are "enabled" for iOS airplay, but not (yet?) for chromecast. Chromecast will mirror what is in chrome (similar to airplay mirroring in iOS or on the mac) whereas when an app is airplay enabled, the iOS device merely acts as a remote control and the stream goes directly to the Apple TV. This is why, for now, the quality of the streams on the Apple TV is vastly superior. (This is why a stream looks much better airplayed from an airplay enabled app than airplay mirrored from a mac.) Once (if?) these apps become chromecast enabled, I expect the quality of the video on chromecast to improve immensely. Chromecast has the advantage over Apple TV of a much lower price, and that you can just plug it into the hdmi and usb ports of the TV which is good if you have a wall mounted TV. But as far as utility and quality for a football viewer right now, there is no comparison. Apple TV is much, much better.

 

I don't know if I should have started a new thread...I'm wondering about people's experiences with various cheap set top boxes for streaming soccer. E.g., Roku, AppleTV, Google TV.

In particular, anyone use the Fox Soccer 2 Go app on a Google TV set top device, like one of the Netgear NeoTV's?

I love the Roku. I've used it with Netflix (so, not soccer), MLS Live, and now WatchESPN. Huge huge difference for me compared to streaming these services via a PC. Maybe I have crappy PC's, but for a $50-99 device, it's just too easy to use the Roku.

However, after learning there are Google TV set top devices like the Netgear NeoTV, and that there is not just the WatchESPN app for it, but apprarently also a Fox Soccer 2 Go app, now I'm wondering if it's comparable to a Roku.

 

I'd like to hear this too. Going to grad school this fall and will cut the cable from comcast. My main concern is NBC Live Extra to watch Premier League but I also want WatchESPN for USA matches and the next MLS season. Amazon Fire looks nice but it doesn't seem they carry NBC...

 

the best way to get bein sports is via dishworld on the roku. For $10/month you get the two bein channels, one world sports, universal sports, and some other international sports and news channels. Dish will even give you a roku lt box if you prepay for 4 months.

 

Flinging stuff from my computer to my tv is brutal for my streaming(beinsportsplay, watchespn).

The WatchESPN app now has the Chromecast feature! Works great for my phone and tablet. There's also a new feature where my Nexus 7 can straight up show my tablet's screen on the TV, no matter what.

 

The issue is that you need to have a cable/satellite subscription in order for ESPN3, Bein Play and the NBC Sports one to work. And Time Warner and NBC don't have a deal so TWC clients can't get it that way.

If you already have a cable/sat subscription, why would you want to beam it to your TV set via computer as opposed to just tuning to Channel X?

If you could get them without a cable/sat subscription, I'd be very interested to know as I'm desperate to cut the cord.

 

agreed. I think a TON of people just borrow their friends/families accounts to stream it. Would be easier if they offered a pure streaming subscription. But we are talking about the scummiest companies in the world so that's a big ask

 

And you're right on. I must say as an employee of one of these "scummiest companies in the world" that the current pay-TV model is going to be heavily challenged in the USA both from a consumer and regulatory standpoint. The minimum regular monthly price for someone that wants ESPN3/NBC Live extra and beinPlay is probably around a $90-100 package for JUST tv, not even counting your broadband price. There's another thread where it was heavily discussed about whether Fox is going to have the ability to do the 2018 WC justice because you're losing ESPN, which has had 20 years to master covering a World Cup and has spent over 8 years developing their online streaming platform.

At this point I'd be pretty hesitant to give a definitive answer because streaming television is in relative infancy to where it will be in 2018, in particular with sports. There will be many questions answered between now and then about how this can be bought by consumers as more and more people are cutting the cable/sat package and are seeking "a la carte" options. Perhaps Fox may offer an unlimited on-demand stream for 2018 for a fixed price, possibly partnering with Google or Amazon that have already started offering this model for TV series and movies (and on a very limited basis for sports). One thing is damn sure, people will not tolerate 50+ WC matches being on FoxSports1 with it's current distribution, and Fox paid way too much to bungle this that horribly.

 

I can't see how FOX can come close to ESPN's broadcast for the exact reason you stated above, they had years to master it. I hope I'm wrong but ESPN has done a fantastic job and by 2018 it will be expected that every single match will be streamed online for a very competitive, if not free, price.

NBC has done a fantastic job with their streaming as well for the Premier League. So i'm not seeing how FOX can ramp up there's without a major league to broadcast on it in the mean time...

 

It would absolutely be easier for the consumers and more economical. And that's precisely why the cable/satellite rackets are so resistant. Bundling - forcing you to pay for 200 channels you never watch just for access the 15 you do - is how they make their money.

I read that the typical cable subscriber pays $25 for sports, whether they watch sports or not. It's folded in to the general packages' cost.

Some channels even pay cable/satellite providers to be included in their lineup (so they can get eyeballs for advertising). The providers then can say "Hey, we're giving you 10 more gardening and home shopping channels so we're jacking up your rate another $6."

They're making it both ways and don't want to give it up. That's why they're fighting so hard against net neutrality.

 

From what I hear Dish Network is working on an online only subscription by the end of the summer. You don't need to purchase a receiver or anything. It will be strictly online television.

 

Ironically, you're probably also saving money that way. Say a channel is $8 to $10/mo. By the time you pay for your regional sports channel, ESPN, ESPN2, GolTV, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2, FOX Deportes...well, you're already up to $48/mo, not including extra fees for DVR, taxes, etc. That fee doesn't even include whatever other channels your kids or significant other would want. Add in another three channels, even at $5/mo, and you're up to $63/mo.

It's easier for pretty much everyone to charge .40 cents for a channel like TBS or HGTV across their millions of subscribers and make a small boatload of money instead of making a similar amount of money and only charging those people who wish to watch the channel.

I'd rather pay $120/mo and get a ton of channels I don't watch plus internet instead of paying $160/mo just for the ones I do watch.

 

Getting back to the original topic of this thread, Chromecast now supports MLS Live and WatchESPN.

 

excellent! but we still need NBC Sports Extra

 

How unlikely is it that Comcast adds Chromecast support for their streaming services? What about FOX sports go?

 

It wouldn't be Comcast's call, it would be Fox's. It's their app, Comcast just provides authenticated access.

 

Right, I meant Comcast's own streaming service and fox sports go separately. I wanted to know how likely would it be for them to have chromecast. Xfinity has an app, and so does FSGo.

 

There has recently been a major software updated for all Android devices. Now most phones and tablets can now cast their full screens to their televisions.
I tried it on my phone and it works pretty good for NBC Sports live app, BEIN Sports via Opera browser and Dish Anywhere app.

Much better than casting the screen from my laptop on the same network.

 

Also, you don't need to be on the same network anymore. There is a new guest feature with a pin password format.
Just another positive something to be aware of for a relatively cheap device.

 

using chromecast?

 

Yes.