Me, Myself and Chromecast

Last Wednesday Google held a press conference where they announced the newest Nexus 7 tablet, Android 4.3 and Chromecast. Being an Android fanboy I was interested to learn what is new in 4.3 but I also know I won’t get to try it out until a new ROM featuring it is released that I want to install on my phone. What I was most excited about though from the announcement was the Chromecast. The Chromecast is a HDMI Dongle that you plug in to your TV and it allows you to stream media content from your computer or mobile device.

I had initially heard rumors about this a few weeks ago from a couple tech sites I follow. Back then I thought it would be interesting especially when they said it would cost around $50. After reading the details about the new device I knew I had to have one, especially after the announced price was just $35. I went looking for it on Good Play but by the time I got there my order would not ship for over a week. It was then that I remembered reading that it would be available on Amazon. It took a few hours for it to show up on Amazon but as soon as it did, I ordered one. Thanks to Amazon Prime it would be delivered by Friday afternoon.

Once I got my Chromecast it was time to have some fun with it. After opening the box I got to see all that was inside. The Chromecast comes with the HDMI Dongle, a HDMI Extension cable in case your HDMI port is hard to reach and a USB Cable with power block to power the unit. The USB cable has a good length to it but I didn’t need it to be too long. My TV has a USB port so I plugged the Chromecast in to one of the HDMI ports and the USB cable in to another port and I was powered up. Once changing my TV to the proper tuner I was presented with a screen welcoming me to Chromecast. It listed a web address to go to, to get the Chromecast software for your PC. The software download was simple and I was ready to complete the setup. My PC found the Chromecast within range and gave me a notification ID to confirm that the Chromecast it found was the one connected to me TV. After confirming it was, it asked for my Wireless password to connect it to my network. Once that was done I was ready to go. I installed the Chromecast extension in my browser and also the Chromecast app to my phone and tablets. In all I was up and running in under 5 minutes from plugging in to casting.

At this time the Chromecast extension allows you to share what is on display in your browser whether it be a specific web page or YouTube videos. To cast a video all you have to do is hit the extension icon which will open up a drop down asking which Chromecast you wish to cast to. Select your Chromecast and you’re ready to go. It took less than a second for my Browser tab to show up on my television. Once it is displaying you can browse the page or watch the video as you wish. You can also go between tabs on your browser but the Chromecast will stay with the initial tab you selected. To cast a different tab hit the extension icon again and select “Cast this tab”. If you wish to stop casting all together select “Stop casting.” There is about a 1 second lag when scrolling within your browser and it showing up on your TV screen. I didn’t think that was too bad. Casting Netflix or YouTube is even easier as the players for both of those websites have a cast button right in line with play and pause. Once you hit cast with those players it takes about a second or two for the Chromecast to pick it up and then once the video loads it starts playing seamlessly. I did not notice any audio sync problems with casting from Youtube or Netflix. The Chromecast extension has a hidden experimental feature that allows you to cast your entire computer screen. I say it is experimental and it is easy to tell. The lag was a bit more when trying to cast my entire screen. When trying to play locally stored media the lag grew even more and there was no audio. This is something I hope gets fixed and improved in the coming future because the idea of seamlessly streaming locally stored media to a TV is very interesting.

Casting from a mobile device is just as simple. With the Chromecast application installed on your Phone or Tablet open it up and it will confirm that there is a Chromecast on the same network as your device and you’re ready to go. In the YouTube or Netflix apps there is a cast option available once you select your video. Once you select cast from the application and choose which device the video will load and begin to play. Again I didn’t notice any audio sync problems and the video didn’t lag once it loaded. I have also tested out Google Music and casting it from my phone to the Chromecast. One thing I thought that was pretty cool while casting Google Music from my phone was that I could take a phone call and it didn’t interrupt playback at all.

During my testing of the Chromecast I decided to take it to over to my parents house and try it on their TV. From plugging in to casting it took less than 3 minutes which was nice. The biggest slowdown was putting in the wireless password, and that was hardly a problem. One drawback that I found when bringing it back home was that it didn’t remember my wireless password or network. It was looking for my parents network. I don’t see myself running in to this problem much because the Chromecast will be staying home most of the time. This might cause a problem from some users though if they are going back and forth with it.

Overall I am very happy with this device after playing with it for only a couple days. I look forward to seeing what the dev community comes up with for it. Whether you have a Smart TV or not this is a very fun device to play with and use. At this time I am not sure if it will fully replace cable for people but I would say it is on its way. It is a bargain at just $35, that is if you can find one to buy.

Package includes:

·         Chromecast HDMI Dongle

·         HDMI extension cable

·         USB Cable and Power Block

Pros:

·         Easy to setup

·         Ability to stream content to non-Smart TV

·         Supports Windows based PC/Laptops, Android devices and iOS devices.

o   I do not have a MAC or iPad so I was unable to test all cross platform functionality.

·         Only minor lag when casting Chrome tab to Chromecast. I expected a bit more of a lag.

Cons:

·         Previous network connections are not remembered.

·         Not really a con but since the item is only a few days old there is only a few programs it currently works with on Mobile devices. I say within 2 months the developer community will have expanded its functionality.

365 Movie Challenge - Week 30

For week thirty I was in a bit of an X-Men mode watching four movies from that universe. Just over two dozen movies remain.

Below are my movies of the week:

July 21

               The Italian Job (2003) (Directed by F. Gary Gray) I started watching this at my Aunt & Uncles house with my cousin and decided I needed to watch it all the way through once I got home. I like this version of The Italian Job so much more than the original. I was not confused at all during this film and enjoyed every minute. All of the characters had their own little quirks that made the stand out. I wish the sequel that they planned, The Brazilian Job, had gotten out of the development stage.

July 22

               The Incredibles (Directed by Brad Bird) I think this is my favorite of the Pixar films. How can you not love a movie about a family of superheroes? Classic Pixar humor told in a very original and creative story. This is the Pixar film I wish they would make a sequel for.

July 23

               Red State (Directed by Kevin Smith) Kevin Smith went in a different direction with Red State compared to most of his other movies and it was a success. Some would say this is a horror movie but I disagree. It is more of a thriller with lots of violence. Though the movie only cost $5 million to make it is still better than a number of big budget movies that studios are putting out.

July 24

               X-Men (Directed by Bryan Singer) After many failed attempts at making solid comic book movies Marvel started getting it right with X-Men. The plot of the movie wasn't the best but the characters themselves more than made up for it. Seeing Wolverine extend his claws for the first time or seeing Mystique change form instantly made the kid in me scream for joy. Thirteen years later I still get excited watching the movie.

July 25

               Conspiracy Theory (Directed by Richard Donner) I hadn't seen this movie in 10 years but it was another movie playing in the background at my Aunt and Uncles house on Sunday so I decided to record a later showing of it. Donner and Gibson are back together again in this movie about a conspiracy theorist who might not be as crazy as some people think.

July 26

               X-Men: First Class (Directed by Matthew Vaughn) Though there are some continuity errors with the timeline and characters this is a great origins movie. I originally thought it would be hard to see new actors playing the roles of Professor X, Magneto and Mystique but I was mistaken. I cannot wait until next summer when the sequel to this comes out which combines both X-Men universes together in one film.

               Batman: Gotham Knight (Directed by Yasuhiro Aoki & Yuichiro Hayashi & Futoshi Higashide & Toshiyuki Kubooka & Hiroshi Morioka & Jong-Sik Nam & Shoujirou Nishimi) I didn't know what to expect when I started watching this DC animated feature. Instead of one single storyline for the film it is broken up in to a number of short stories with different plots that explain Batman as a whole. The animation was different for most of the segments which helped mix it up. It wasn't my favorite of the DC Animated films but it was still miles ahead of Marvels animated films, and it is already 5 years old.

July 27

               The Wolverine (Directed by James Mangold) This almost made me completely forget about the Wolverine Origin movie. It felt a lot more like an X-Men movie that stayed in line with the universe Bryan Singer helped create. There are some plot holes in the movie but overall it was what a Wolverine movie should be. It also delivered on a true post-credit Marvel tease.

               Piranha (Directed by Alexandre Aja) Very campy & cheesy horror flick with lots of skin and a stupid plot. It isn't a good movie but it sure is a fun one to watch.

               X-Men 2 (X2) (Directed by Bryan Singer) Until Iron Man was released that was the best comic book movie released to date in my opinion. The character development and storyline were spot on. Bryan Singer knows how to make a comic book movie. The ending gave us hope for a great second sequel which would introduce the Phoenix, sadly though Singer wasn't back for that one.

Movies Watched: 340

Movies To Go: 25

365 Movie Challenge - Week 29

Week twenty-nine was a another busy work week so I didn't get in as many movies as I would have hoped for. Good thing I am so far ahead on my total count.

Below are my movies of the week:

July 14

               Lethal Weapon 4 (Directed by Richard Donner) This may sound weird but Lethal Weapon 4 is one of my top 2 Lethal Weapon movies, I won't say what the other one was. I really enjoy this buddy cop series and part 4 was a really nice way to wrap up the series.

               The Rock (Directed by Michael Bay) Michael Bay + Nicholas Cage + Alcatraz = Crazy over the top action movie. Very strong cast all around from Sean Connery to Ed Harris and John Spencer.

               Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (Directed by Irvin Kershner) My dad came over to hang out and we started watching this movie. He didn't stay to finish it but I had to keep going. Great follow up to Episode 4 and it did a nice job of setting up for Episode 6.

July 15

               First Kid (Directed by David M. Evans) I needed a totally mindless movie to watch after a long day at work so I decided on this one after recording it a couple weeks ago. Not very good but it had a few laughs in it.

July 17

               Death Race (Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson) I have now watched all of the movies in the Death Race series, including the original. This one is so much better that the original Death Race. I am a Statham fan and he shines in his element, kicking ass and driving a car.

               Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (Directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller) I had been thinking about watching this movie for a couple weeks but after my friend Jessica told me that we will be seeing the sequel come September I had to watch the original again as a refresher. Very cute storyline and strong animation make this one of the better animated films released in the last 5 years.

               This Film Is Not Yet Rated (Directed by Kirby Dick) Very interesting documentary about the MPAA and how it rates movies. I never knew there was so much secrecy about the people rating the movies and what they have wanted to rate some movies. I would be interested to see a follow-up film looking at the rating system now and if the original film helped make and changes within.

July 18

               Machete (Directed by Ethan Maniquis & Robert Rodriguez) It is funny to think that this movie started out as a joke trailer for the Grindhouse double feature. It has bad acting and bad special effects but that is what makes it a fun movie. I am looking forward to the sequel coming out in a couple months.

July 19

               Get Smart (Directed by Peter Segal) Not the best movie adaptation from a TV show but I enjoyed it and I thought they got the role of Maxwell Smart cast perfectly. I was a bit bummed that The Rock turned out to be a bad guy (Spoiler Alert) but seeing him trying his hand at comedy reminds me of his days on the microphone back in WWE.

               Van Wilder (Directed by Walt Becker) One of Ryan Reynolds early hits, at least in my opinion, about a college student that didn't want to graduate. It felt like a new take on Rodney Dangerfield's Back to School. It is hard to believe this movie is already 10+ years old.

 July 20

               Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (Directed by Kevin Smith) Kevin Smith is one of my favorite directors and anything he puts out I enjoy, except Cop Out that wasn't his creation. It was a lot of fun seeing people from his previous movies show up in Strike Back. The plot was crazy but still so much fun.

               The Dark Knight Rises (Directed by Christopher Nolan) I have been holding off on watching this movie all year until today. It wasn't the best Batman movie from Nolan but it was still very well done and a nice closer for the series. Tom Hardy was brilliant as Bane and much more fun to see on screen compared to the horrible Bane character in the George Clooney starred Batman and Robin.

Movies Watched: 330

Movies To Go: 35

The Dark Knight Rises and My Memories of July 20, 2012

I love going to the movies. It is one of my favorite things to do and places to go. For a couple of hours you get to enter a new world full of excitement and the unknown. I have a lot of memories of going to movies in my lifetime and almost all of them are positive ones. One year ago today the movie theater was not one of my favorite places to go. On July 20, 2012 a gunman walked in to the midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises and changed the lives of so many people. I will not go in to details of the shooting because though I was not there, it is still hard to relay in my words what I saw on the news. Instead I will go in to my memories of that day as well as my memories of seeing The Dark Knight Rises.

Until I was about eleven years old I lived in Aurora, Colorado. The Century 16 movie theater was not built when I lived in Aurora but I did go to a number of movies in the surrounding area. I still remember going to see Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze for my ninth birthday with my brother Chase and best friend William only a couple blocks from where the theater now stands. Though I no longer live in Aurora I still visit it 5 days a week as it is where I work. My office is less than ten minutes away from the theater which is probably why the morning of July 20 a couple of my coworkers called to check on me. They knew I was planning on seeing The Dark Knight Rises that day, they just didn’t know when and where. I should mention that besides The Avengers, seeing The Dark Knight Rises had been at the top of my movie watching list for the summer.

I can still remember most of what I did on July 20 as well as the night before. On July 19 I went to dinner with some family friends I’ve known since I was a kid. After dinner I helped one of them with an Excel training session. We finished up about 9pm and as I got in to my car I thought about going to a midnight showing of The Dark Knight Rises. I was only a couple blocks from my local theater and I didn’t have to go in to work the next morning, I was already scheduled to work from home. I decided to wait until the next day to see it because it had already been a long day. I went to bed that night knowing that a few of my friends as well as my brother were already in line to see a midnight showing of the film.

The next morning I woke up at 5am and it was at that time that I realized something wasn’t right. My TV was tuned to ESPN as it usually was and at the bottom of the screen I saw almost immediately an alert scrolling that mentioned something about people dead in Colorado.  I turned on 9News and the only thing they were talking about was a shooting that took place just 35 minutes from my house. I sat there stunned and unable to turn away from it for close to an hour. As I previously mentioned I was working from home that day so once I got all set up to start work I turned on the news and again it was all about the shooting. Around 7 that morning I started getting calls, texts and emails checking to make sure I and my movie friends were ok. I heard from my mom early that morning and she told me that my brother was not at the theater for the midnight showing, I didn’t think that was a theater he went to.

My half day of work felt like it took forever because I had a hard time concentrating but I got through it. Once my work day was complete I had a decision to make. I had originally planned on seeing The Dark Knight Rises that afternoon but I was unsure if I should go and if I even wanted to. In the end I decided to go see the movie as I had originally planned because I didn’t want to let my fear of what happened hold me back from doing something I love doing. I decided on going to the same theater I almost went to the night before, an AMC theater in Brighton. As soon as I got to the theater I could tell some things were already different. There were signs stating that all bags are subject to being searched and all the employees seemed to be more attentive. I bought my ticket and headed to my assigned theater to grab a seat. I looked around at everyone else in the theater. Once I got to my seat in the theater I checked all of the entrances and exits as well as everyone that walked in to the theater after me.

Usually when the lights go down in a theater I get excited because the movie will be starting soon. On July 20, as the lights went down I was nervous. The excitement I had just 24 hours earlier to see the movie was now gone. I made it through the entire movie that day, but it wasn’t easy. I would check the emergency exits every so often and every time someone would get up to go to the restroom or concession stand I would follow them with my eyes. I liked the movie that day but I didn’t enjoy it, I wasn’t able to. The whole experience felt off that day but I am still glad I went.

A few weeks after my initial viewing I went to see The Dark Knight Rises again, this time with my dad and a friend of ours. I enjoyed the movie more the second time around but I still didn’t enjoy it as I should have. Today as I am writing this I am watching the movie for the fourth time since it was released. Every time I watch it I enjoy it more than the previous time but it still feels weird. I have a feeling that July 20 and The Dark Knight Rises will always be connected in my mind. Today on the first anniversary of that terrible day it is important to remember those who lost their lives and those who had their lives forever changed.

365 Movie Challenge - Week 28

Week twenty-eight was a very busy work week so a couple nights I ended up coming home and crashing without watching a movie.

Below are my movies of the week:

July 7

               Godzilla (1998) (Directed by Roland Emmerich) I'm not sure what was ravaging the streets of New York City but it sure didn't look like Godzilla. It looked more like a dinosaur from Jurassic Park escaped in to the city. After all the hype leading up to this movie it was a disappointment. Thankfully I didn't have to pay to see this when it came out back in 1998, I got in free from my job at a movie theater.

               Despicable Me 2 (Directed by Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud) This movie lives up to its title, it was despicable. It was missing the humor and creativity from the first one. It was predictable and boring. My dad and I saw it in 3D and there were maybe one or two small pieces that took advantage of the 3D.

               The Bay (Directed by Barry Levinson) This movie had me shouting "Oh Shit" at one point and not in a good way. This "found footage" film is about a small town in Maryland that on the 4th of July most of the residents come down with some kind of infection from the water that sees the breaking out in rashes and later dying. It probably wasn't a good idea after there was a positive E. Coli test not too far north from me a few days ago.

July 9

               American Reunion (Directed by Jon Hurwitz & Hayden Schlossberg) I was a junior in High School when the original American Pie movie came out and though the first two sequels were not as good as the original I enjoyed them. Nine years later the original gang is back for their 13 year reunion and of course they still know how to get in to awkward situations. I enjoyed this movie mainly because they got the gang back together but also for the stupid comedy it delivered. It reminded me more of the original than any previous sequel.

July 11

               21 Jump Street (Directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller) I was never really a fan of the TV show but this movie is a lot of fun. The references to the old show as well as Hollywood not knowing how to come up with something original was great. I liked that this movie didn't take itself too serious and was more about delivering comedy. The chase scene on the highway waiting for stuff to explode was very enjoyable.

               The A-Team (Directed by Joe Carnahan) No matter what people say about this movie I love it. It is a very fun action movie based on the TV show. The actors cast for each of the main characters were spot on. I really wish they would do a sequel for this movie but I don't think there is any chance of that happening.

July 12

               Sharknado (Directed by Anthony C. Ferrante) I've officially bought in to the hype that is Sharknado. This movie is so bad it is amazing. The action is ridiculous and the weather seems to change from one cut scene to another. The shark footage also looked like something taped off Shark Week. Having said that, I really hope they do a sequel because I want to see it now!

July 13

               Pacific Rim (Directed by Guillermo del Toro) Best movie for summer 2013 by far! From beginning to end this action adventure was a blast. Del Toro's monster creations were both visually stunning and very imaginative. The battle scenes between the man-made machines and the monsters were fun to watch.

               Innerspace (Directed by Joe Dante) This is yet another film from my childhood that I decided to revisit. It doesn't have the best plot but it is at least creative and enjoyable. I have come to realize during this challenge that I am a big fan of Dennis Quaid.

Movies Watched: 318

Movies To Go: 47

365 Movie Challenge - Week 27

Week twenty-seven included a nice long holiday weekend which made for some good movie watching in between BBQ's.

Below are my movies of the week:

June 30

               Daylight (Directed by Rob Cohen) The Poseidon Adventure meets the NY/NJ underground tunnels. Not a very good action movie but also not the worst thing that Stallone has ever done.

49 Different Movies Watched in June. 297 Movies in 181 Days

  

July 1

               A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas (Directed by Todd Strauss-Schulson) The movies went downhill after the original but the third Harold and Kumar movie still made me laugh. Neil Patrick Harris was great yet again as himself.

July 2

               Happy Feet Two (Directed by George Miller & Gary Eck & David Peers) I liked the original so I gave the sequel a shot. I should have just stuck with the original and pretended like I didn't know this movie existed. The jokes were stupid and a couple of the new characters made no sense at all. Avoid seeing this.

July 3

               Live Free or Die Hard (Directed by Len Wiseman) Compared to the original Die Hard movie this isn't that great. But, compared to the most recent Die Hard movie it is pure gold.

July 4

               The Lone Ranger (Directed by Gore Verbinski) Since when did Disney movies get so violent? I know it is PG-13 but it is still overly violent for a family movie. Other than the violence I was quite bored during the movie. Nothing really sucked me in to the movie. Johnny Depp had some good one-liners but that wasn't enough to save me from disliking this movie.

               Escape from L.A. (Directed by John Carpenter) I hate to admit it but I have never seen Escape from New York. Having said that I hope it is better than this turd. The special effects were horrible in this movie as was the plot. I even fell asleep briefly during the major battle scene late in the movie.

               Independence Day (Directed by Roland Emmerich) I have been waiting most of the year to watch this movie. I could not watch it until the fourth of July because it is a tradition for my dad and I the last 5-6 years to watch it on Independence Day. We have watched it so many times now that we critique it and the stupid things said and done in it from beginning to end. It is a fun movie that I look forward to watching with my dad every year.

July 5

               Deep Blue Sea (Directed by Renny Harlin) Cheesy action movie about killer sharks not named Jaws. Found this on Amazon Instant and decided to watch it because I have never seen it from beginning to end, I usually caught it on TBS half way through. Nothing special and quite predictable but it was a good movie to watch while putting my new desk together.

               Jack (Directed by Francis Ford Coppola) I have watched this movie a number of times over the years but never paid much attention to who the director was until this time. How exactly does the director of the Godfather trilogy and Apocalypse Now end up directing a movie about a kid who grows 4 times faster than everyone else? I enjoy this movie because it is simple and fun.

               The Fifth Element (Directed by Luc Besson) I had forgotten how much I love this movie. From beginning to end it is a blast. I don't know how else to describe this movie besides total awesomeness!

July 6

               Rocky Balboa (Directed by Sylvester Stallone) Sixteen years after the horrible Rocky V Stallone brought his Rocky character back for one more fight. This is the movie that Rocky V should have been. The montage says it all, Rocky's still got it! I do think that Stallone could have come up with a better name for his opponent. I mean really Mason "The Line" Dixon?

               Knuckleball! (Directed by Ricki Stern & Anne Sundberg) I am a lifelong baseball fan and growing up my favorite pitcher was Tim Wakefield. Since his rookie season with the Pirates until he retired from the Red Sox I was a fan. This documentary about Knuckleball pitchers was a cool look at how few there are out there and how a single fingernail can ruin a pitch. It was very cool seeing Wakefield, R.A. Dickey and other knuckleball legends playing golf and talking about highlights and lowlights of their careers. I would recommend this to anyone that is a baseball fan.

               The Call (Directed by Brad Anderson) A pretty good thriller from WWE Studios about a girl kidnapped and her communication with a 911 dispatcher. I was in to the movie up until the very end. I thought that the ending was a bit much on the revenge side. This was by far the best release from WWE studios in years.

Movies Watched: 309

Movies To Go: 56