We always thought it would be a pretty big deal for Google to add Chromecast support for the mobile version of its Chrome browser.
That day has come!
On Monday March 3, Google pushed out an update to Chrome Beta for Android giving users the ability to stream a Chromecast right from the mobile browser.
What’s the big deal?
You can use the new beta feature to stream anything you’re currently doing in any tab. And the best part?
The feature doesn’t just work with YouTube video, but also with any other HTML5-based video sites and platforms such as the Christian eStation Network.
The results
Considering that the utility is a beta product, it worked pretty well. With just a few keystrokes, I had the feature up and running on my Android phone. Once I switched the player to full-screen, the Chromecast icon popped up and it was ready to go. I successfully Chromecast a video from the eStation to my TV.
The videos played seamlessly. As far as we know, a world’s first for streaming Christian video from the eStation.
Although it’s hidden, the feature is quite easy to enable. Here are some simple and quick instructions:
- Open Chrome Beta 34.0 for Android.
- Type chrome://flags/#enable-cast in the URL bar and press enter.
- Enable the “Enable Cast” feature.
- Relaunch Chrome Beta.
Changing landscape
The media director of a large church in California told me recently, “I’m absolutely convinced that we need to become a brand in [Internet TV] because 10 years from now the landscape will be totally different.”
With the ability to stream gospel-focused video from a mobile browser to the TV just around the corner, expect the landscape to change sooner rather than later.