Turn Your Android Phone Into a Chromecast for $0

Chromecast is considered to be worth about $35 in the market today. However individuals who use Android tablets or phones can convert it to the digital media streaming adapter that was developed by Google. This is made possible for free using an app that is known as CheapCast.

The app is still unofficial and works like a video receiver for any type of device that is found on a local network one of the reasons why many people still do not know about it. This can be done easily by anyone by simply following the instructions that are found below to complete the process without any complications.

Individuals with Android devices can make use of the app to stream videos directly to your TV set without spending a dime or having to wait for many months without having to wait for the adapter to get back to the local market. This allows you to enjoy your favorite videos on TV comfortably on a large screen to be thoroughly entertained.

Requirements

Before you start on the startup process, it is important to make sure that you have everything that is required to make the conversion smooth and successful. Some of the things that you must have include;

GooglePlay Store link

• * Aforementioned client app for the Android phone/tablet
• * TV featuring an HDMI port
• * Micro HDMI cable
• * MHL adapter (for devices without HDMI port)

It is also important to note that CheapCast can also be used for sending videos between Android devices. This implies that if you are only looking to send some videos from your phone to a tablet, there is no need of the last three items on the requirement list.

Step 1

The first step towards converting your Android device is to install and effectively set up CheapCast. Using the app is quite a simple process as all you have to do is go to the play store, look for it and install the app on your phone.

From the main screen, it is recommended that you give a name to your virtual ChromeCast. This is similar to the real platform so that any device that is found on the network can send any videos to it.

Have in mind that the app you are using also runs as a background service on your device therefore you might want to disable it when it is not in use. This is because someone else might send you videos when you are doing something else with the device and end up interrupting you. The service can easily be disabled from the notification shade.

Step 2

After you have successfully installed the app, the next step is to hook up your TV set.

There are some Android devices that come with built- in micro HDMI ports. If you are lucky enough to be operating such a device, this makes everything much easier as all you need to do is run the cable (usually priced at couople of bucks) from your device straight to the TV. Often, an HDMI cable comes bundled with a graphic card so you may already have one laying around without even realizing.

It is however unfortunate that there are some major flagship devices that have been produced in the recent years that do not come with these features. When working with such, you need some extra gear to facilitate the entire process.

Most of the major flagships also include incredible support for MHL (Mobile High Definition Link). This implies that it is possible to buy an adapter for a cheaper price than if you were buying the media streaming adapter.

With this, you are allowed to output HD video through the micro USB port. Just plug the adapter directly to your tablet or phone then make use of a regular HDMI cable to connect it to a TV.

Step 3

This is the final step that allows you to enjoy Chromecast. The entire set up is still pretty new in the market but works out well. So far only a few platforms support the app such as YouTube, Netflix, Ply Movies and PlayMusic.

However there are numerous others that have promised to support the streaming adapter such as HBO Go, Hulu Plus, Blip and Vevo. An updated list of supported channels/apps is available here.

In addition to this, the developer community has also stepped up to offer a number of promising solutions that can be used to flig videos in various ways.

Koushik Dutta (well famed for DeskSMS and ClockwoekMod) has demoed streaming that will be possible from Dropbox, RSS video feeds, your phones gallery and even straight from CyanogenMod. This is to say that there are very many ways that the streaming adapter could get very exciting within a very short period of time.

If you are a proud user of Android devices that can be hooked up to your TV or any other mobile device that can be utilized as a remote, you can easily save yourself $35 by skipping out on purchasing of the often sold out HDMI stick.

This is an incredible and fast way to share videos between various mobile devices. Despite the fact that it is still not the perfect solution for almost everything it is an easy and quick way that solves the problem.

For now the uses of the adapter are still limited to the number as well as types of applications that support it. This is however not to say that it ends here as the development field is looking quite promising.

You can also access some video tutorials on the topic if you have any difficulties to know how it is done in the right way for best results.