Google Chromecast

Our own esteemed Ted kindly provided me with a Chromecast on his recent trip down south of the border. I'll post about how using it goes.

To begin with, it took me all of five mintues to get it working. The hardest part was entering the WiFi password. And once it works it just works.

I set it up both on the Nexus tablet and the PC. It works much better from the tablet. For one thing, I can control the volume with the tablet easy as you please. From the PC, changing wither the volume on Youtube or on the PC doesn't change it on the TV. And for some reason Youtube videos play amazingly loud. Not that it matters, much, as Youtube is a mere sideline.

Now, it's bene pointed out the Chromecast is rather limited. it is. But then over-the-web video down here in Mexico is very limtied, too. We have Netflix and local imitators. And that's pretty much it. Maybe the local networks have something, too, but I only watch them when they broadcast NFL games. There's no Hulu, Amazon video, etc. Maybe iTunes works here, I've no idea (nor any great urge to contribute money to Apple's income). Therfore the Chromecast should serve me well enough.

I would assume that a Google Chromecast costs 500 pesos in Mexico. Are they widely available?

Quote: Pacomartin

I would assume that a Google Chromecast costs 500 pesos in Mexico. Are they widely available?

As far as I know, they're not available at all. As I said, Ted brought it down from north of the border. It cost $35 US.

As I also said, I'm rather pleased with it (thanks, Ted!) I've some issues with how the apps run. For example, if you pause a Netflix movie in the middle for a few hours, you have to restart it when your'e ready to resume viewing. Fortunately you can set it to play at just about any point.

Also anturally you need to ahve good broadband and a WiFi network. I lucked out on both counts. 1) the phone company, Telmex, I get internet from set up fiber in my area, which is insanely fast, 2) I've a wireless modem with built in router. Setting up a "network" means just signing in your device into it.

BTW each Chromecast comes with a number. It shows up in the network, apps and on screen as "Chromecast9464," for example. But you can rename it if you wish. This would be most useful if you had several around the house.

Yesterday I watched the last (I hope it's the last) Terminator movie. Next up I'll either run through Start Trek TNG or begin wathcing Dr. Who.

Quote: Nareed

Yesterday I watched the last (I hope it's the last) Terminator movie.

Terminator 5 scheduled for 1 July 2015

Terminator Salvation
Release Date: May 21, 2009
Production Budget: $200 million
Domestic Gross: $125 million
Foreign Gross: $246 million

It's too much of a brand recognized internationally not to risk making another film,

Quote: Nareed

Next up I'll either run through Start Trek TNG or begin watching Dr. Who.

Netflix is taking a long time to put on Season 7 of Dr Who. The final episode shown on Netflix was the Christmas special for 2011, so it has been over two years now. Also, for some reason the Christmas Special (2010) was skipped by Netflix.



Summary of Christmas Specials
2005 "The Christmas Invasion"
2006 "The Runaway Bride"
2007 "Voyage of the Damned"
2008 "The Next Doctor"
2009 "The End of Time" Christmas (60 mins) & New Year's (75 mins)
2010 "A Christmas Carol" SKIPPED ON NETFLIX
2011 "The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe"
2012 "The Snowmen" NOT POSTED ON NETFLIX YET
2013 "The Time of the Doctor" NOT POSTED ON NETFLIX YET


Google Chromecast is only available through Amazon, Best Buy and Google Play in the USA. They are going to begin international sales soon.

Quote: Pacomartin

Terminator 5 scheduled for 1 July 2015
[..]
It's too much of a brand recognized internationally not to risk making another film,

While Terminator wasn't really ever SF, it did take time travel seriously and the first two were rather good action movies. The third one pretty much was about pressing the reset button on the second one, and the fourth one makes me wonder why they even bothered.

The TV show, on the other hand, was pretty good. IMO, good SF no longer makes it to the movies, but rather has moved to TV. There were a number of mysteries, which naturally never got resolved, and plotlines, sidetracks and other stuff mixed in, too. We never learned what the liquid metal terminator was really up to, why Reese's memories of the future differed from the woman's (I forget her name), and the Connor's terminator was kind of developing a personality.

Quote:

Netflix is taking a long time to put on Season 7 of Dr Who. Also, for some reason the Christmas Special (2010) was skipped by Netflix.

I'm not sure, but I think there were 7 seasons marked right there. my worry is whether the series makes sense without going back to the B&W episodes from the 60s and whenever else it was on.

Quote:

Google Chromecast is only available through Amazon, Best Buy and Google Play in the USA. They are going to begin international sales soon.

It's caused a bit of a stir at the office. Two people have asked me when Ted's coming back to Mexico :)

Quote: Nareed

I'm not sure, but I think there were 7 seasons marked right there. my worry is whether the series makes sense without going back to the B&W episodes from the 60s and whenever else it was on.)

It's 6 seasons of 13 episodes + 8 specials on Netflix. That is 6*13+8=86 episodes.

For some reason two of the specials are missing:
Planet of the Dead Easter special 11 April 2009
A Christmas Carol Christmas special 25 December 2010

Obviously many of the characters from the older series (1963-1989) come on, and in one case one of the actors. They are pretty careful to fill you in on the backstory. I don't think it is necessary to see the old shows (many of them seem boring to me).

As I understand it, the police boxes were already being demolished when the show began in 1963.

Quote: Pacomartin

It's 6 seasons of 13 episodes + 8 specials on Netflix. That is 6*13+8=86 episodes.

Can someone explain this European (and Canadian, too) custom of very short seasons? Basically they're over when they get really interesting most times.

Quote:

Obviously many of the characters from the older series (1963-1989) come on, and in one case one of the actors. They are pretty careful to fill you in on the backstory. I don't think it is necessary to see the old shows (many of them seem boring to me).

Good. A friend used to watch it in the 80s. I recall trying to see a couple of eps, but nothing stuck (except I do know the Daleks are bad)

Oh, well. if that fails, there's TNG and Beakman's World (yes, I know it's a children's show, but the science explanations are clear and succinct; the real drawbaxck is that 90% of the experiments to try at home involve air-pressure tricks).

Quote: Nareed

Can someone explain this European (and Canadian, too) custom of very short seasons? Basically they're over when they get really interesting most times.

In the TV show "episodes" featuring Matt LeBlanc he angers his British writer friends when he insists that the lesbian librarian become heterosexual and a potential love interest. When they are grilling him about ruining the show he tells the writers that he agrees with them that the character was perfect "for a British show". An American show has to have plotlines if they are going to generate 200 plus episodes.

I cannot recommend this show enough. If it comes on Netflix be sure and watch it.

I watched a few episodes of TNG yesterday. It's interesting how some eps hold up decades later while some don't. For example, "Yesterday's Enterprise" barely held me interested, while "The Best of Both Worlds" kept me rivetted to my seat even though I knew all that would happen.

Next up, I found "Cleopatra" in the Netflix catalogue. That's the classic movie with Liz Taylor and Richard Burton (Cleopatra and Mark Anthony respectively). Tidbit: the name "Cleopatra" is of Macedonian Greek origin, and featured prominently in the family of one Alexander the Great.

Netflix added a bunch of old movies. I think I've seen them all except for Bruce Lee movie and Amelie.
•Grapes of Wrath (1940)
•The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
•West Side Story (1961)
•Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
•Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
•Play It Again, Sam (1972)
•The Chinese Connection (1972)
•Death Race 2000 (1975)
•Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
•Raging Bull (1980)
•Red Dawn (1984)
•Big Trouble In Little China (1986)
•Children of a Lesser God (1986)
•Spaceballs (1987)
•Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987)
•Bull Durham (1988)
•Scrooged (1988)
•Ghost (1990)
•Days of Thunder (1990)
•Thelma And Louise (1991)
•What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
•Mousehunt (1997)
•Good Burger (1997)
•The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)
•American Psycho (2000)
•Amelie (2001)