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Anonymous User
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Device Management with Chromecast

Hi,

I was wondering why the chromecast option takes up a device management slot, as we need a registered device to cast from...? This means to watch nowtv via chromecast, I need to use 2 of the 4 available slots.
Are there any plans to increase the device number limit or remove the registered device requirement for the chromecast?
92 REPLIES 92
Anonymous User
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Yeah seems strange. I excitedly switched on the chromecast only to find I had reached my devise limits. Surely I'm only using my android phone whether it be on its screen or my TV? No real point to developing it for chromecast if it's like this.
Anonymous User
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Agreed. The chromecast is really just a monitor for the phone or tablet. Might as well require 2 devices for the tv connected to the now tv box or the monitor on the computer. Stupid rule.
Anonymous User
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I agree.

They may as well count HDMI leads as a device if they are going to count the Chromecast as one.

It would make mores sense to only allow you to use chromecast with Now TV registered devices.

I can't even get one of my rarely used devices to unregister so this update has only managed to ###### me off!
Anonymous User
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Havign thought about this again, if Now TV are using the Chromecast correctly, then the Chromecast SHOULD take up an extra device slot.

 

When you are casting from your phoen to the chromecast you are NOT pulling the stream data into your phone and sending it accross the room to the Chrome cast. All your phone is doing is telling the chromecast that you want to watch XXX and the chromecast is downloading it direct from NowTV. Therefore 2 devices are accessing the NowTV server.

 

In theiory if you start the cast session from the NowTV menu on your phone then the phone shouldn't pull any movie data off the NowTV servers so shouldn't ever register its self as a device... Of course by then you'll already have watched a movie on your phone so it will be registered as a device.

 

Anonymous User
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My test last night showed that it's possible to continue watching on the Chromecast without the mobile being present. I'm guessing it would also then be possible to start watching something else on the mobile after disconnecting.

Anonymous User
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My current setup is 2 now tv boxes - for main tvs, 1 ipad (son uses), 1 laptop (daughter).

 

I would love to have NOWTV on my phone so when I was out and about I could use nowtv, so when I heard chromecast support was available I was hoping I could use the phone for my device and when I want to display the screen on the chromecast that would be fine. The phone can only display on either the chromecast or the phone screen so it would seem to have made sense that way.

 

Unfortunately if I was going to use the Chromecast instead of the NOWTV (all TVs have a chromecast) then the children would lose their devices and ultimately I will have lost out - gone from 4 devices to 2 devices.


I hope that Sky rethink this - was going to make NOWTV a fantastic service as it is I don't view the Chromecast addin as useful at this point.

Anonymous User
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An extra device slot when it takes 2 devices to watch 1 stream? Do me a favour! The Chromecast can't run independently from another device so the tablet/phone becomes nothing more than a remote control....

Anonymous User
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@Anonymous User wrote:

An extra device slot when it takes 2 devices to watch 1 stream? Do me a favour! The Chromecast can't run independently from another device so the tablet/phone becomes nothing more than a remote control....


Whilst it requires a device to start it, it doesn't require it to continue running. Nor does the other device actually need to be one of your four.

Anonymous User
Not applicable

 


@Anonymous User wrote:

@Anonymous User wrote:

An extra device slot when it takes 2 devices to watch 1 stream? Do me a favour! The Chromecast can't run independently from another device so the tablet/phone becomes nothing more than a remote control....


Whilst it requires a device to start it, it doesn't require it to continue running. Nor does the other device actually need to be one of your four.



You are correct it doesnt require the device to be running after starting the stream, but it is inevitable that you have to keep it running to control the Chromecast, also if you just let the stream run without the device the device cant play any Now tv content as if you start the app it re-connects to the Chromecast, as for the device not having to be one of your 4 it inevitably always will be otherwise 99% of users wouldnt have installed the app in the first place. 
The best solution for both Sky and their customers in my opinion would be to have a device and their first registered Chromecast paired and counted as one device and all subsequent Chromecasts take a slot each.