Google Chromecast

Have you wanted to get rid of your cable or satellite company and cut the cord for good, but aren't sure where to begin? Here's a look at some of the devices and streaming services that let you watch your favorite movies and programs when you want, and where you want.

Google has announced that it will bring its popular mobile platform to the living room in the form of Android TV. The new version of the OS will have a focus on simplicity and will support live TV, apps, voice search and even multiplayer gaming.

Google's Chromecast and Roku's Streaming Stick have both been around for a while now. When Roku was first released, more recently, it touted itself as having a huge number of channels, something Chromecast didn't. But gradually, Google has been catching up. Gizmag decided to compare the two.

Videostream for Google Chromecast is an app for Google Chrome that allows you to stream video files to your Chromecast to play on your HDTV. The big draw here is that it supports virtually any video or audio file type you have – whether it's on your PC, NAS, or server.

When Google's Chromecast launched in July, it was announced that support for Pandora would soon be joining the handful of launch apps officially supported by the dongle. That day has arrived with the release of version 5.0 of the Pandora app for Android and iOS.

Google's Chromecast currently doesn't have a whole lot of options other than its four officially supported apps: YouTube, Netflix, Google Music and Google Video. Here's how to get a little more out of Chromecast, from mirroring your desktop to playing your own video files.

We know Google's new Chromecast is cheap (US$35), but is it a legit rival to, say, the Apple TV? Gizmag compares the specs (and other features) of the Chromecast and the 3rd-generation Apple TV set-top box.

Gizmag reviews the Google Chromecast, which lets you stream from a handful of services – and one major web browser – for a rock-bottom price.