Getting a Chromecast was perhaps the best geeky decision I made recently. I wasn’t an early adopter but I still find it useful especially whenever I need a “babysitter”. What I didn’t like though was the fact that you couldn’t use your TV’s remote control with it. Sure, using your smartphone or tablet as control is pretty cool but sometimes you just want your trusty old remote control to function as it should. Good thing Google updated the streaming stick to allow pause and resume playback Chromecast videos with any TV remote control.
You read it right: you can use your remote control with Chromest. You’re no longer limited to your phone or tablet just to control whatever you are watching via streaming. No official announcement from Google but a Redditor going by the name of Sarcastix posted on the website that he noticed his media buttons on his old TV remote can pause and play Chromecast videos. He even listed the shows the new feature can be used with: WatchESPN, HBO Go, Chrome web videos, YouTube, Allcast, BBC iPlayer, Google Play Music, and TuneIn Radio.
We didn’t expect this one is possible but it actually is. Thanks to HDMI-CEC extension, an HDMI protocol, that can send commands for the TV to any device attached to the network. The idea is not really new since Chromecast already uses the function to turn on TV plus switch inputs. You need to upgrade Chromecast first with the newest 27946 firmware update.
VIA: Medium
??? I don’t get this …
1. If you already gave a smart TV, you probably don’t need a Chromecast.
2. If your TV ISN’T “smart” then there won’t be pause and play controls on your TV’s remote, right??? My (Phillips 47PFL5704D/FU) TV has HDMI-CEC, and so if I cast from my Android phone the TV will turn on and switch to the correct HDMI input … BUT … the remote has no pause or play controls. Why would one expect it to?
I keep reading everywhere (including this article) that “Google updated the streaming stick to allow pause and resume playback Chromecast videos with any TV remote control. I think you should change to read SOME not ANY TV remote.
Am I missing something here?