3 Ways Chromecast will change the way you use your phone

This post is brought to you by Maxis – Experience the Difference.

Your smartphone is more than just a communication device, it’s the gateway to a whole bunch of entertainment all for your personal consumption. There’s a catch however, as great as your smartphone is for entertainment on-the-go, it still can’t beat watching all those videos on a big flat screen TV.

That’s about to change though as now there’s a way for you to put all that entertainment that you have on your smartphone, onto that sweet large flatscreen TV you have at home. How? It’s all thanks to the Google Chromecast, offered exclusively by Maxis.

So what is the Chromecast? It’s a small dongle that attaches itself to a TV via the HDMI port. What it can do is allow you to cast your favourite entertainment from your devices straight to your TV. It’s really simple to setup as well. Just plug it into your TV, make sure it’s powered via power outlet or the TV’s USB port, set it up through the Chromecast app on your smartphone and you’re ready to cast.

Now this simple gadget may not look like much but hidden in this little gem is a way to use your smartphone in a whole new way. So how will it do that? Here’s just a few examples

1. Turn your smartphone into an awesome, portable media centre

As long as your TV has a HDMI port, it’ll work with the Chromecast. And that’s basically almost all modern flat-screen TVs out in the market these days. Now your smartphone can be home to a multitude of media, all of which would sometimes be wasted on a small screen. With the Chromecast, you can now push it all onto a much more comfortable screen.

You can of course cast your favourite YouTube videos via its app or show of the latest snapshots you’ve taken on your phone via smartphone mirroring. However, you can do even more.
Got a ton of videos and movies in your notebook or PC? With your Chromecast and an app called Plex you can now stream all of them wherever you go. The initial setup might take a little time, but believe us, it’s worth it.

First, sign-up for an account with Plex (don’t worry, it’s free) (UPDATE: Sorry folks, it is no longer free but for $4.99 it is worth it). Then download the Plex Media Server program and install it in your PC or notebook that contains all those videos and movies you have. Then all you have to do is add your video folders to Plex Media Server program it’s ready to go.

After that all you have to do install the Plex app on your smartphone and sign-in to your account. Now you have access to all your movies and TV series on your PC or notebook and their even nicely indexed into an awesome Netflix like menu system, complete with synopsis.

Need your music fix? Just get the Spoticast app that’ll let you stream Spotify to the Chromecast. Once you’ve done that you’ll have access to a plethora of tunes which you can cast directly to a TV for your listening pleasure as well.

2. Transform your video calls into group video calls

Can’t stand doing a video call on your tiny smartphone screen? With the Chromecast you’ll turn your plain old Google Hangout video call into something more inclusive and comfortable with your large screen TV.

All you need to do is mirror your device onto the TV via the Chromecast app on your smartphone where it is able see everyone, then start your video call via Skype, Google Hangout or even Facetime. Remember for best effect, make sure your smartphone is in landscape mode so you’ll be able to enjoy a wider video view on the TV.

3. Turn your smartphone into a TV remote

Why bother with a remote when you have your smartphone? That’s right with the Chromecast, your trusty smartphone can control your TV. Do take note that this only works with TVs that support HDMI-CEC. Just enable the HDMI-CEC setting on your TV, make sure the Chromecast is connected and constantly powered, and voila, any device (in this case your smartphone) that is used to control the Chromecast now become the primary remote control for the TV.

Still confused what HDMI-CEC is? Well here’s a tip, it’s called something different depending on the brand. Samsung calls it Anynet +, LG calls it Simplink, Sony calls it Bravia Link, Toshiba calles it Regza Link and Panasonic calls it Viera Link.

Nifty right? Interested in getting the Chromecast now?

Well you can now get it exclusively from Maxis at only RM170 including GST and it’s open to everyone, not only existing Maxis customers. If you’re a MaxiONE customer, there’s a treat in store for you as you can get it at a special price of RM150. Be quick though as this offer is valid till 30th June 2015 before it’ll revert to the RM170 price.

For more about the Chromecast from Maxis, just head over here.

Chromecast Photo Gallery