Chromecast now officially on sale in Canada

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Croptop

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Jun 4, 2009
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DJames1 said:
C$39 on amazon.ca, free shipping. http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00IT92PR0

I guess that world release was even closer than Google predicted at SXSW.

But notice that this is the "New Canada Compatible" version! (i.e., package printed in French as well as English :) )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Ordered one this morning. I've already got two rooted 'casts but I figured I'd get an "official" one to see just what it supports without the rooting. I suspect that the answer will be "not much".
 
D

DJames1

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Oct 10, 2013
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Croptop said:
Ordered one this morning. I've already got two rooted 'casts but I figured I'd get an "official" one to see just what it supports without the rooting. I suspect that the answer will be "not much".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Geo-blocked U.S. services are still geo-blocked, but you don't need a rooted version to work around that.
 
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TurboTronix

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Jan 20, 2008
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I just got one as well from Amazon.ca. Wondering if it gives the possibility to live stream TV channels like something from Russia. I saw several sites that offer subscriptions but none offers Chromecast compatibilities.

Reading now about Plex, some say it cost something, some don't, trying to figure out what is the main purpose of Plex and if its a monthly fee and if so why.
 
bhiga

bhiga

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Oct 13, 2010
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TurboTronix said:
Reading now about Plex, some say it cost something, some don't, trying to figure out what is the main purpose of Plex and if its a monthly fee and if so why.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Plex is useful for...
  • Streaming locally-stored content
  • Transcoding (converting on-the-fly) content for streaming content in formats that the device does not support
  • Extra Premium features such as offline sync

Support for Chromecast used to be available to premium users only (as part of early access), but it is now available to all.

To use Plex on Android, you need the Plex app.
If you subscribe to PlexPass (the premium features), you can use Plex for PlexPass which is free.
If not, the Plex for Android app is $4.99

So...
  • Plex Media Server software - free
  • Hardware to run Plex Media Server on - you provide
  • PlexPass (Premium) features - monthly, yearly or lifetime subscription
  • Plex Android app - free for PlexPass subscribers, $4.99 (one-time) without PlexPass subscription

Plex (and on-the-fly transcoding in general) is especially useful if you have multiple playback clients that don't necessarily support the same formats. Otherwise an alternative is to simply convert your media library to a format that your player supports.
 
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DJames1

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Oct 10, 2013
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The main reason that many of us end up using Plex is that it's useful in several different ways, and although there are equally good alternatives in each area, it just seems sensible to consolidate on Plex.

I don't really need to index all the media on my network and add metadata - but as long as the capability is there with Plex, why not?

I can get by without transcoding, at least for one or two devices, as long as I'm willing to do some quick conversions when I need to - but as long as Plex is there and it will do transcoding, I guess I don't need to bother. And I keep adding more devices...

There are other ways to browse my media on my iPod Touch or Android tablet, but I bought those Plex apps some time ago when they were on sale for $1.99, so I might as well use them now that they support the Chromecast.

My old Samsung TV happens to have a Plex client app, and so does my Roku media player, so it supports my devices in addition to the Chromecast.

And Plex has a bunch of channels of its own to supplement what I get from other sources, and some of those channels are killer!

So while Plex is far from perfect - there are bugs and the indexing and meta-data sometimes goes wrong - it's hard to find another tool that does so much.
 
D

DJames1

Senior Member
Oct 10, 2013
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Hmmm, as other people have noticed, the Chromecast now has a new internal data field for Country Code, set by IP address. You may need to update your Chromecast app to see it (under the firmware settings for 16041). In Canada it reads CA. In Spain it apparently reads ES.

If they have a country code, it's probably exposed to apps loading on the Chromecast. How long will it be before new versions of those apps start checking Country Code for geoblocking. I have a feeling that the Chromecast is about to become a whole lot less useful to international users.
 
bhiga

bhiga

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Oct 13, 2010
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DJames1 said:
Hmmm, as other people have noticed, the Chromecast now has a new internal data field for Country Code, set by IP address. You may need to update your Chromecast app to see it (under the firmware settings for 16041). In Canada it reads CA. In Spain it apparently reads ES.

If they have a country code, it's probably exposed to apps loading on the Chromecast. How long will it be before new versions of those apps start checking Country Code for geoblocking. I have a feeling that the Chromecast is about to become a whole lot less useful to international users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If we're lucky it'll only be used for localization of apps, but probably not... If that's the case, DNS bypass may stop working and VPN may become the only way to bypass regional restrictions.
 
A

Asphyx

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Dec 19, 2007
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DJames1 said:
If they have a country code, it's probably exposed to apps loading on the Chromecast. How long will it be before new versions of those apps start checking Country Code for geoblocking. I have a feeling that the Chromecast is about to become a whole lot less useful to international users.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

It will be a problem for anyone who uses an App that comes directly from a content provider (Netflix, HBOGo, Hulu, BBC) but it shouldn't affect things like Plex, Playon and Bubble. (I call them content referrers because they simply pass on content from other content providers as a sort of middleman).

The question is does the unit you buy come country code locked (ie a UK CCast is locked to UK available content only) or does it determine where it is based on IP and then set the country code?

If Hardlocked then we will need to find a way to root and change this at will

If softlocked then it should be easy to fool the device via use of a VPN and Proxy. (I'm guessing this is what is happening)

Netflix would appear to be the toughest nut to crack and I'm not sure exactly how they go about geolocating and determining what you should see.

If you subscribe from the UK (or Canada) you get one set of content available but if you are in the US you get a different set of content.
What happens if your usually in the UK (UK Sub) but then go to the US do you see US content? Probably...So just a matter of fooling the device. VPN some router trick or via Root.

If they do try and mess this all up with geolocation then I'm betting it won't be long before someone creates a service that will fetch geolocatated/restricted content and pass it onto another geolocation in the same way Plex does with it's channels. Think of it as VPN Plus service.
 
D

DJames1

Senior Member
Oct 10, 2013
385
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Apparently it is a soft value determined dynamically from IP address, because I've seen a few people mention that it changed for them when using a VPN.

In theory the DNS proxy services could determine what new Google site is doing the location check and add it to their redirection list, but that may take some time. They haven't been in a big hurry to test and support the Chromecast so far, but maybe that will change now that it's released internationally.

Netflix always goes by your current IP address to set its content filter. They don't care what country your account is based in, or what country you were in 10 minutes ago. If your IP address is now in Mexico, you can watch that new movie that's only licensed for streaming in Mexico.

Services that are U.S.-only like Pandora and Hulu+ tend to be much more diligent and strict about enforcing geoblocking. Unlike Netflix they don't want your steenking international business. That's why Netflix is a stock market superstar and Pandora and Hulu are perpetually struggling to survive. :)
 
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kishke

Senior Member
Feb 28, 2012
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I can verify it's a soft value, I bought both my chromecasts from the US and I'm from Israel, the latest patch added localization, meaning half of my chromecast is in hebrew and everything is godamn at the wrong side, I hate it but not enough to start messing around with VPN's.
 
bhiga

bhiga

Inactive Recognized Contributor
Oct 13, 2010
2,501
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kishke said:
I can verify it's a soft value, I bought both my chromecasts from the US and I'm from Israel, the latest patch added localization, meaning half of my chromecast is in hebrew and everything is godamn at the wrong side, I hate it but not enough to start messing around with VPN's.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This jives with the Chromecast setup application being "available in 50 languages"
Thanks for the confirmation!
 
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    DJames1
    C$39 on amazon.ca, free shipping. http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00IT92PR0

    I guess that world release was even closer than Google predicted at SXSW.

    But notice that this is the "New Canada Compatible" version! (i.e., package printed in French as well as English :) )
    View
    1
    bhiga
    bhiga
    TurboTronix said:
    Reading now about Plex, some say it cost something, some don't, trying to figure out what is the main purpose of Plex and if its a monthly fee and if so why.
    Click to expand...
    Click to collapse

    Plex is useful for...
    • Streaming locally-stored content
    • Transcoding (converting on-the-fly) content for streaming content in formats that the device does not support
    • Extra Premium features such as offline sync

    Support for Chromecast used to be available to premium users only (as part of early access), but it is now available to all.

    To use Plex on Android, you need the Plex app.
    If you subscribe to PlexPass (the premium features), you can use Plex for PlexPass which is free.
    If not, the Plex for Android app is $4.99

    So...
    • Plex Media Server software - free
    • Hardware to run Plex Media Server on - you provide
    • PlexPass (Premium) features - monthly, yearly or lifetime subscription
    • Plex Android app - free for PlexPass subscribers, $4.99 (one-time) without PlexPass subscription

    Plex (and on-the-fly transcoding in general) is especially useful if you have multiple playback clients that don't necessarily support the same formats. Otherwise an alternative is to simply convert your media library to a format that your player supports.
    View

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