The holiday shopping season is officially upon us and many are already scrambling to find the right gift for that special person in their life. Earlier this year, Google came out with its answer to the expensive Roku and Apple TV devices with its Chromecast dongle. Its claim to fame is that it's the simplest and cheapest way to turn your loved one's dumb TV into a smart TV. If you know someone who could use a way to stream his or her favorite shows, movies or videos from a mobile device or laptop to a nice TV screen, but don't want to strain your wallet, then the Chromecast might be for you. Below is our list of a few reasons why.
Ease of Use: Here's how the Chromecast works. You simply plug the small flashdrive-sized dongle into your TV's HDMI port and then hook it up to your home's WiFi connection with a quick setup online. After that you can stream all of your media from your mobile device. What really makes the Chromecast convenient is the fact that once your media starts streaming, you can do whatever you want with your mobile device (even close the app or shut it off) and your video will continue uninterrupted.
Apps: The Chromecast has functionality for only a limited number of apps. However, many of these are key to the average person who likes to stream their shows. Netflix, YouTube, HBO GO, Hulu Plus, Google Play Movies and Pandora are apps that have support on the Chromecast already. This means that when you stream it from any mobile device, there will be an option to adjust the interface so it fits your television perfectly. Google has promised more apps in the future so many are looking at the $35 purchase as an investment in their future entertainment.
Google Chrome Browser: While the Chromecast has caught flack from many for its lack of apps, Google's media streaming device can mirror whatever is happening in your Google Chrome browser. So if you stream your shows through a service that isn't supported as an app on the device, you can simply play it on your Google Chrome browser and mirror it to your TV that way. This feature about the device goes mostly unnoticed but is perhaps one of the biggest appeals for the alternative TV viewer or Web series fanatic.
The Price: All of these features come in a small $35 package. It's a good way to give the person in your life something that will change the way he or she watches TV and give them an excuse to think about how great you are each time they do. It's the perfect noncommittal yet still impressive stocking stuffer.
