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Chromecast Update Bringing Grief For Many Users
An anonymous reader writes: Last week, many Chromecast users were automatically "upgraded" to build 32904. Among the issues seen with this update are placing some users on the 'beta' release track, issues with popular apps such as Plex, HBO GO, (more embarassingly) YouTube, and others. Google so far has been slow to respond or even acknowledge the issues brought by customers, save for the beta release mishap. If you're a Chromecast user, what's been your experience?
Their software never seem to leave the "beta" stage, whether labelled as such or not...
Acknowledgement of issues is also not their forte, as seen again here. Neither is it Apple's except Apple releases pretty well polished stuff.
I guess the conclusion is if you have the money choose Apple. If you have time choose Google. That's how they segment...
No DTS for Chromecast? ... lets close down regular consumers/people posting to that thread.
https://code.google.com/p/google-cast-sdk/issues/detail?id=389
AC-3 for Chromecast was "Don't Fix" then fixed: ... I would hate to work with some of these people at Google. If this is how they treat the public (the people that pay to use their stuff) then I'd hate to be alongside one of them on a project.
https://code.google.com/p/google-cast-sdk/issues/detail?id=192
has anyone else's Skype client stopped working with a .dll error lately?
Political debates have me rolling my eyes so much I think I got optical whiplash. I should sue. - Foamy The Squirrel
I work for a pretty large video streaming company out of Hollywood. Our chromecast implementation for our streaming player has been doing crazy stupid shit for the last two weeks. Maybe this is why. Knew I read slashdot for some reason.
Less junk from Google you got on your systems, better off you are. Chromecast? Why do you even need it? Seriously, why?
I've found my TV and receiver on a few times when I was sure I had turned them off. I love that Chromecast can tell the receiver and TV to come on and select the proper input, but I'd prefer it limited the behavior to when I was casting something.
My two ChromeCasts are working great.
I love a good hysterical conspiracy and am disappointed not to be part of it.
Go on, keep on making up stuff. Perhaps some of it will turn out to be true!
E
It has become a running joke at the office. They are buggy, shitty, and mostly sitting in drawers.
Looks like Chromecast has gone the way of Google Chrome: Arbitrary and random A/B testing that you're never notified of, and no way to opt out of.
This seriously pisses me the fuck off with Chome. The browser works great on like 20 machines, and then fucks up on one. You think it is the machine's fault, until you dig and dig and dig into vague forum posts on Google's boards. Then it turns out to be a hidden A/B test, where you have to go into the hidden Chrome settings to force enable/disable some very specific feature to get out of the that one and only that one particular test.
This is EXACTLY what happened to my primary development machine. Chrome had a hidden A/B test for ASync DNS requests. This feature is bugged to shit and back during the test. It would lock the entire browser session (all tabs) for 30-60 seconds at a time while making only certain DNS requests.
Another example is with the internal cache system. There was a bug for a while which would also lock up Chrome for 30-60 seconds at a time just waiting to see if a URL resource is locally cached. There was no fix for this that I could find. My resolution was eventually to have the installers handy for both Release and Beta Chrome laying around. Sometimes Release was the broken build, sometimes Beta was the broken build. So when shit got fucked up, I'd just toggle between the builds.
The OP includes a link to an IRAQ user saying he can't set up his Chromecast...
and a 9 day old post from someone saying they're now on the beta track and google saying they'll fix it.
Are we really to believe there's a great google conspiracy to disrupt chromecasts, and
in a week and a half NOTHING has been discussed, but now the only two links are
an IRAQI WINDOWS USER and someone who accidentally got into beta.
My money is on hoax.
Ehud
cowboy neal laughing his bits off all the way to the bank
Links to a couple bug reports and... that's it? Why the hell is this here?
Nearly all of them are Repubicans, and they hate science and logic. They also hate people. That is the way of their kind. Expect Google to do even more to screw us over in the next few years. Their leadership has been flooded with racist pieces of shit that hate us.
the journalists all claim that our beloved Googlers are super geniuses, completely without flaws. indeed I have interviewed a Google and I can assure you that their arrogance matches their Status is mega geniuses. please please don't tell me there was all vapid hype and that their egos are like inflated balloons!!
You sound bitter. So you were declined for a janitorial position?
I've called Comcast 5 times in the past 7 days because we've lost internet multiple times a day and lost our phone service one of those days as well. I scheduled a service call for tomorrow and made them give me a 60$ credit for july. Should I cancel the service call and scream at their tech support some more?
Among the issues seen with this update are placing some users on the 'beta' release track, ...
Google has a non-beta release track for something?
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
So because it works for you the people who are experiencing the problem are liars?
Go fuck yourself man.
Modern app appers know Chromecast runs apps, so you have to app it by apping apps, not using Luddite updates!
Aps!
This update hosed casting Youtube from my Android phone. It constantly loses the queue. It constantly plays audio only with no video. If another user connects to YouTube the queue is lost. Users constantly booted from being connected. The currently playing box in the lower right disappears preventing any way of controlling the remote device you're casting to. There could not have been any testing prior to this release.
Dustin - A different story...
Is it not possible to disable autoupdate altogether, at least until there is a compelling reason to update?
He's probably been afflicted by Google bugs and the shutdown of some Google projects. With Google, you never know what will still be around tomorrow.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
That's a dumb response. What are you, 12 years old?
If Google is distributing Android on phones and pushing it as the next OS for everything... Why aren't they offering ChromeCasts with full and rootable Android.. now I will give them the root but Full Android is available on other devices and it makes them so much better. I got a Android 4.4 stick at a discount retailer for $14 and I have a Android Box on my bedroom TV .. both of them give me the full Android Features unfortunately the Stick didn't come with Google Play Store so im pretty much screwed on that but I can install apps from other places including Kodi.TV which is a good option for streaming from my network drive to my TV..
Why don't they give us full Android... I mean whats the deal?
Aren't they all Socialists Liberal Nutjobs who redistribute Copyrighted books they don't have license to online and want to provide Free Fiber to everyone so they can sniff your stream?
Why no full Android.. it makes them crappy
It was no less constructive than your post.
Came downstairs this morning to find the TV on and the Chromecast setup screen. Complete with new Chromecast device ID number, (e.g format ChromcastWXYZ).
YouTube stopped working, didn;t try netflix. God dammit Google.
...so I doubt this update will make things any worse.
My Number One problem with Chromecast was the dumb setup procedure - the bloody thing is forever losing it's connection with my WiFi, with the only recourse being to do a hard reset and then wade through the interminable setup process again and again...
Of course, Google provides no customer support for the thing - they just send you to a web forums full of raving fanbois who get offensive when you suggest that it's possible for any google product could be anything other than perfect.
</rant>
Not everything that can be measured matters; Not everything that matters can be measured.
Chromecast + plex + Netflix + homemade db4 on the bedroom TV is our only video location. Worked fine Saturday with plex, my girlfriend binge watched some old TLC show. Will keep an eye on it.
Silence is a state of mime.
It sounds like at least half of the people responding here have no clue what the thread is about.
Chromecast has nothing to do with Chrome the browser. Chromecast is a piece of hardware.
And yes, I agree, you don't NEED Chromecast, just like you don't need a TV, or a streaming services.
But I love it to be able to pick a movie or series from Netflix on my iPad, tell it to stream it to my TV, and see my TV automatically turn on, with the right input selected, and start playing it without even trying to find where the cleaning lady left the remote emthis/em> week. And that with all necessary controls (pause, stop, navigate) available right on my iPad.
It's also neat, when I'm watching a video on Youtube, to be able to say a a finger touch "hold it, I wanna see this on a bigger screen", and make it start streaming that content to my TV from that point on. And vice versa.
And that all works flawlessly, so far.
I wouldn't even noticed there has been an update if I wasn't reading it here now.
Chromecast stopped working after the update, Chrome still knows about the device, but cant use it. The OSX Setup Assistant says everything is in perfect order. Google help pages basically useless and way to generic.
Would not buy again.
What are the benefits (for the users, not Google) of using Chromecast over something like Miracast? New TVs typically supports it or you can use e.g. Netgear Push2TV. Simple screen mirroring, no stupid per-app support needed, no Internet connection needed, no Google listening device attached to your LAN. Really, why Chromecast?
Honestly, my chromecast experience has been so bad that I didn't even know there was an update... It's sitting collecting dust as the screen refresh rate and responsiveness is horrible with it.
Looks like Chromecast has gone the way of Google Chrome: Arbitrary and random A/B testing that you're never notified of, and no way to opt out of. This seriously pisses me the fuck off with Chome.
Amen brother. I used to have our company use Chrome but there was so much flakiness after updates that it became impossible to use. In our particular case weird behavior with PDFs was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back. We use a lot of PDFs and Chrome just couldn't handle them in a sane manner, kept changing things and then it would randomly break for a user. It was always a pain in the ass to figure out why there was a problem and then then behavior would change a few weeks later. We don't have the most sophisticated group of users here and random changes in behavior are NOT helpful even if they are made with the best of intentions.
So we're using Firefox which is the best of the alternatives. (Safari has issues and IE is just a nonstarter) Firefox has its issues too but it don't create needless tech support issues for me which is what I really care about.
Amen. I really need a solid alternative to Chrome, that's all.
I keep using all the various browsers and despite its warts I keep coming back to Firefox as my primary browser. Chrome keeps "fixing" stuff that didn't need fixing and breaking it in the process. Safari has some behaviors I find annoying and (surprisingly) I run into a fair number of website that break on it. Plus Apple never seems to do Windows software very well and you can't get it on Linux. And IE isn't available on anything other than Windows even if I wanted to use it (I don't) so it's a non-starter.
Firefox isn't perfect by any means but it is cross platform, generally stable, generally predictable, and fits my particular work style. Basically it pisses me off the least of the major browser options. It's been my daily driver (so to speak) for quite a few years now. If something better came along I'd drop it without a second thought but none of the alternatives really seem to be meaningfully better.
My two ChromeCasts are working great.
I know this might be a shock but it's actually possible for products to break in ways that affect some users and not others. Weird I know.
Seriously just because it works for you don't mean there isn't an actual problem. Consider yourself lucky.
I got a Chromecast for Christmas last year. Getting it set up was a major PITA. The WiFi radio was constantly loosing its mind. So in Feb. I unplugged it from the USB connector on the back of my Visio TV to re-set the radio and it killed the TV. I think it was an ESD event. I sent a message to their google groups explaining what happened. To make an extremely long story short, they asked me to send the unit back, which I did. After weeks of no response, I posted back and the comedy started when they asked me to log on to their site, pay full price for a new unit, then they would refund me when they got my failed unit back. The fact that they already had the failed unit was lost on them, and no kidding, at least 20 e-mails and half a dozen phone calls before I finally got someone not retarded on the phone. Around mid-April I tried the TV again and miraculously it turned on. They finally got a new (actually refurbed) unit back to me last week. They are in no way shape or form ready for dealing with tech support.
Chromecast used to work great for streaming Netflix to my t.v., until google 'fixed' it. It has been a real PITA since the first update and I have to fuck with it constantly now to get it to work right. I doubt I will buy anyting else from Google again.
I heard kuro5hin.org could use some posters, and there are numerous posts there stating hosts files don't work.
These things suck... Cornhole. Have 2, about every app will not see either unless I reboot the Chromecast and connect within the first few seconds... And that can sometimes take multiple tries. With that, you want a Corncast than runs on/over gmo fiber.
Hardly. The media have built up Google as the perfect company. Tech people have enormous hubris because of the media and techies themselves.
How not to post as anonymous coward?
"I just reply to you when I see you spamming Slashdot with your nonsense"- by dave420 (699308) on Friday June 19, 2015 @10:31AM (#49945047)
Why'd you agree w/ my points on hosts then? Quoting you:
"I'm not denying all those things" - by dave420 (699308) on Wednesday September 17, 2014 @11:39AM (#47927435) FROM -> http://yro.slashdot.org/commen...
Of course not: It's impossible to dispute HOSTS FILES superiority to other methods!
Since my points in favor of hosts SINGLE FILE native kernelmode faster part show hosts doing more w/ less vs. so-called 'competitors' many part messagepassing + cpu/ram use overheads laden slower usermode FAR MORE COMPLEX 'solutions' doing less than hosts do for more security, speed, reliability, + anonymity!
I make creating a superior more efficient solution EASIER!
(That's more than a mere trolling stalking harassing "ne'er-do-well" like yourself could *EVER* manage).
---
"I'm simply pointing out that it takes an AdBlocker to block your spamming"- by dave420 (699308) on Friday June 19, 2015 @10:31AM (#49945047)
I bother you? Then WHY DON'T YOU DO IT & use 'em? Answer that!
(You stalk/harass me instead!)
OBVIOUSLY you don't & you're a "ne'er-do-well" troll & you have "other motivations" (next):
---
* QUESTION:
DO YOU WORK FOR AN ADVERTISING FIRM, or ARE YOU A WEBMASTER/WEBCODER http://slashdot.org/comments.p... , or a MALWARE MAKER, or ARE YOU AFFILIATED WITH 1 OF MY COMPETITORS?
Answer it!
As per your usual you'll avoid every question, or lie & You've been EXPOSED in your "motives" in the last link just above, lol!
APK
P.S.=> See Dave420 the "pot puffing clown" SQUIRM - evasions galore will ensue (as well as effete downmods via sockpuppets to *try* vainly "hide it" -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... )... apk
"I just reply to you when I see you spamming Slashdot with your nonsense"- by dave420 (699308) on Friday June 19, 2015 @10:31AM (#49945047)
Why'd you agree w/ my points on hosts then? Quoting you:
"I'm not denying all those things" - by dave420 (699308) on Wednesday September 17, 2014 @11:39AM (#47927435) FROM -> http://yro.slashdot.org/commen...
Of course not: It's impossible to dispute HOSTS FILES superiority to other methods!
Since my points in favor of hosts SINGLE FILE native kernelmode faster part show hosts doing more w/ less vs. so-called 'competitors' many part messagepassing + cpu/ram use overheads laden slower usermode FAR MORE COMPLEX 'solutions' doing less than hosts do for more security, speed, reliability, + anonymity!
I make creating a superior more efficient solution EASIER!
(That's more than a mere trolling stalking harassing "ne'er-do-well" like yourself could *EVER* manage).
---
"I'm simply pointing out that it takes an AdBlocker to block your spamming"- by dave420 (699308) on Friday June 19, 2015 @10:31AM (#49945047)
I bother you? Then WHY DON'T YOU DO IT & use 'em? Answer that!
(You stalk/harass me instead!)
OBVIOUSLY you don't & you're a "ne'er-do-well" troll & you have "other motivations" (next):
---
* QUESTION:
DO YOU WORK FOR AN ADVERTISING FIRM, or ARE YOU A WEBMASTER/WEBCODER http://slashdot.org/comments.p... , or a MALWARE MAKER, or ARE YOU AFFILIATED WITH 1 OF MY COMPETITORS?
Answer it!
As per your usual you'll avoid every question, or lie & You've been EXPOSED in your "motives" in the last link just above, lol!
APK
P.S.=> See Dave420 the "pot puffing clown" SQUIRM - evasions galore will ensue (as well as effete downmods via sockpuppets to *try* vainly "hide it" -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... )... apk
"I just reply to you when I see you spamming Slashdot with your nonsense"- by dave420 (699308) on Friday June 19, 2015 @10:31AM (#49945047)
Why'd you agree w/ my points on hosts then? Quoting you:
"I'm not denying all those things" - by dave420 (699308) on Wednesday September 17, 2014 @11:39AM (#47927435) FROM -> http://yro.slashdot.org/commen...
Of course not: It's impossible to dispute HOSTS FILES superiority to other methods!
Since my points in favor of hosts SINGLE FILE native kernelmode faster part show hosts doing more w/ less vs. so-called 'competitors' many part messagepassing + cpu/ram use overheads laden slower usermode FAR MORE COMPLEX 'solutions' doing less than hosts do for more security, speed, reliability, + anonymity!
I make creating a superior more efficient solution EASIER!
(That's more than a mere trolling stalking harassing "ne'er-do-well" like yourself could *EVER* manage).
---
"I'm simply pointing out that it takes an AdBlocker to block your spamming"- by dave420 (699308) on Friday June 19, 2015 @10:31AM (#49945047)
I bother you? Then WHY DON'T YOU DO IT & use 'em? Answer that!
(You stalk/harass me instead!)
OBVIOUSLY you don't & you're a "ne'er-do-well" troll & you have "other motivations" (next):
---
* QUESTION:
DO YOU WORK FOR AN ADVERTISING FIRM, or ARE YOU A WEBMASTER/WEBCODER http://slashdot.org/comments.p... , or a MALWARE MAKER, or ARE YOU AFFILIATED WITH 1 OF MY COMPETITORS?
Answer it!
As per your usual you'll avoid every question, or lie & You've been EXPOSED in your "motives" in the last link just above, lol!
APK
P.S.=> See Dave420 the "pot puffing clown" SQUIRM - evasions galore will ensue (as well as effete downmods via sockpuppets to *try* vainly "hide it" -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p... )... apk
The thing is not heavy enough to make an effective paperweight. It just wasn't something that me or anyone in my household used.
WARNING: Parent poster seems to be a weirdo, may be schizophrenic, may require medication that has not been taken. Engaging in conversation is not recommended as every dialogue will devolve into a discussion of /etc/hosts.
Related to chormeos autoupdates are chrome browser updates. A couple of months ago I woke oneday to find that all my bookmarks where gone in chrome when I was logged in as myself on google. Furthermore they did not just vanish but rather they were all merged into my wife's account. So basically both of us had wrecked user accounts in chrome. Considing I had many hundreds of book marks carefully curated for more than 15 years across browser changes and computer systems, this was a staggering loss. I was able to export her book marks so I didn't lose them and re-import them into Safari (that was the last day I used chrome forever.) but now they are all out of order, have lots of her book marks, and have many duplicates with my old safari bookmarks. I'm still slowly organizing it.
I'm still puzzled how that could have happened. The only clear link between these two accounts is that on at least one of 7 computers in the home, one of them we share. So obviously that must be the source. But how this mode of failure happened I'm puzzled. Without knowing that I will never use chrome again.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
Inbox and email tabs just hide new important emails.
Hangouts is creepy(animations pop up here and there just to let you know someone is listening in) and the voice/video call functionality is an exercise in frustration.
Google search seems to be gradually leading me away from the things I'm looking for toward pages of links I can't bring myself to click.
I'm ready to switch to anything that provides something resembling quality.
tl;dr the IT version of Time Cube
I'm the Chromecast Community Manager; I noticed your thread and wanted to respond.
I don't know if you saw my response in our forum, but we posted the below around the Beta issue some users were seeing:
"We've recently updated Chromecast and a small percentage of users received a debug message on the home screen. This update should not have any material negative user impact. We are pushing a fix to those impacted users shortly. If you would like to update immediately, please reboot your device (you do not need to factory data reset your device)."
The OP posted links to our forum but if you have specific issues with the release not being addressed, please post in our forum.
Jacky
A week and you're calling Google unresponsive? Hell, in this thread https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!msg/chromecast/DZgIOj4v_yA/lF_kjCuQC5sJ we Sony Bravia TV users have been waiting patiently for half a year to try and get the damn thing to just work without having to reboot the Chromecast each time we switch HDMI inputs!
On the plus side, each month some female Google bot thanks us for our patience and assures us they are working on it.
"Rinse, Lather, & Repeat" dave420 -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
* :)
(See subject - Keep "Running", Forrest: Your weak, futile, & effete illogical ad hominem attacks aren't cutting it vs. your cowardice & REAL motives for harassing me on /. are exposed in it, webmaster...)
APK
P.S.=> Gosh, for someone that posts SO much in dave420, that link sure makes him get a "cat's got your tongue" & SILENCES him, doesn't it? LOL - yes, it does... apk
"Run, Forrest: RUN!!!" = dave420 -> http://slashdot.org/comments.p...
* :)
(See subject - Keep "Running", Forrest: Your weak, futile, & effete illogical ad hominem attacks aren't cutting it vs. your cowardice & REAL motives for harassing me on /. are exposed in it, webmaster...)
APK
P.S.=> Gosh, for someone that posts SO much in dave420, that link sure makes him get a "cat's got your tongue" & SILENCES him, doesn't it? LOL - yes, it does... apk