It’s been about five years since Google first launched a little game changer they called the Chromecast, a clever device that boosts the IQ of non-smart TVs, enhancing them to work with your smartphone and smart home. This year, the tech giant released the third edition of this digital dongle. Read on to learn more about this latest version of the Chromecast, and then enter this contest for a chance to win one of your own.

Google Chromecast makes a standard TV smarter

Some people have a little devil on their shoulder tempting them to do things they know they shouldn’t while a little angel on the other shoulder encourages them to stay on the straight and narrow. The devil on my shoulder tells me I need a smart TV in my life, no expenses spared. And I can’t say I disagree with him. After all, a TV that’s connected to the internet effectively puts an endless stream of content at my fingertips. But then the angel on my other shoulder gets his two cents in, “Come on Kevin, aren’t you trying to save? You’ve got a perfectly good HD TV at home.” And I can’t disagree with him either. If only there was some kind of compromise! Enter: Chromecast. It adds smarts to standard televisions, so I can enjoy a premium smart TV experience while staying savvy about my spending.

If you’ve never heard of the Google Chromecast, then allow me to summarize. This small, Wi-Fi-connected dongle connects to the HDMI port at the back of your TV and lets you cast content from compatible apps on your smartphone to your big screen. By simply tapping the cast icon on apps such as YouTube, Netflix, and thousands more available for iPhone and Android, your smartphone essentially becomes your remote control, letting you stream live TV, movies, sports, news, and much more.

Chromecast works alongside Google Home. Simply tell Google what you want to see and your Google Assistant will communicate this message to Chromecast. Your requested content will start playing on your big screen without you even having to lift a finger! One of our colleagues, Erin Lawrence, wrote a fantastic how-to article on how to pair your Google Home to your Chromecast-enabled TV, so you can learn more about how Chromecast syncs so effortlessly with your smart home ecosystem.

And this 2018 iteration of Google Chromecast is the best one yet. It boasts improved Wi-Fi connectivity, support for 1080p resolution at 60fps for smoother video performance, and Bluetooth integration for advanced interconnectivity with your smartphone and other Google-powered smart devices in your home.

By design, all these tech updates have paved the way for Chromecast to be compatible with speaker groups. Google have recently started rolling out support for multi-room audio across their entire range of Google-powered speakers, and thanks to Chromecast, that includes your TV’s built-in speakers! Picture your next get together: a house full of friends and family charmed by a jazzy playlist that can reach the furthest corners of every room thanks to music playing in sync across all your devices. If you already have a Google Home speaker and a standard, non-smart television, the addition of a Chromecast will help you create a multi-room audio setup and a voice-controlled smart TV. What a difference a little dongle can make!

HOW TO ENTER:

You can only submit one entry for this contest. In a comment below this article, tell us what a difference this Google Chromecast would make to your home life? Would a voice-controlled TV be a game changer for you? Would streaming content revolutionize your downtime? Would a multi-speaker audio setup change the way you enjoy music? Maybe it’s a feature not mentioned in this article? In a sentence or two, tell us one thing you like to do that this Chromecast could improve.

WHAT YOU CAN WIN:

We will randomly draw two winners. Each winner will win a Google Chromecast (third generation). The prizes are outlined in the Rules and Regulations posted below.

This contest runs from November 27th until December 11th.

Remember, you can only enter once. However, you probably know someone who would love to smarten up their home entertainment setup, so please share this contest and they too will have a chance to win one of these prizes.

Google Chromecast Contest Rules and Regulations

Good Luck.  

We frequently have many contests running at Best Buy so check out the “contests in progress” page for more great contests to enter.

 

Kevin McElligott
Kevin McElligott
Kevin cut his teeth as a journalist writing articles for trade publications in Dublin. He moved to Vancouver and honed his craft first as a copywriter, and now as an Editor at Best Buy. He enjoys cooking when he has the time, playing soccer, and just recently ran in his first marathon. Fitness is important to him, and he needs the exercise thanks to his fondness for donuts.
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432 COMMENTS

  3. Creating voice control for my TV would allow my son to find what he wants to watch without asking me to put it on for him all the time.

  4. The TV is usually involved in some way during family gatherings. I would use it to play and control music from my phone or share pictures that will surely have the family smiling and reminiscing!

  7. Being able to cast my laptop to my T.V. would be amazing. Would get to watch what I am streaming on a bigger screen.

  8. Turn on my Tv before watching anything. Fumbling around with a remote while you got snacks in hand during a movie nope… this is an extra function you give your TV without spending hundreds on a newer smart TV

  9. I would love this for enabling multi room audio in my living room, in addition to being able to cast anything I want to my TV.

  10. I would use it to help my parents to get their favorite YouTube clips onto their TV so they don’t have to just watch on their phone.

  15. If I win it will be a nice upgrade for my older non-smart LCD TV. Currently the only smart TV I have to watch Netflex on is my smaller smart bedroom TV

  16. I ussually listen to Netflix on my iPhone 8 so watching it ln my 44″ tv would change my view on all those Netflix and YouTube videos

  20. Using the Google assistant to follow recipes through YouTube on the TV while hands free would make life so much easier.

  21. I’ve always wanted to put a screen in the kitchen where I could look up recipes etc…Chromecast would be a good solution.

  22. This would be terrific for the tv, I could just tell it to tone it down when it goes too loud or up the volume when I can’t hear. no more fumbling for the remote!

  26. this would be a game changer in my house because my husband has been so enthralled with this type of product, i know he would enjoy the voice controlled tv most

  28. It would be a great Christmas for my two kids they could stream there favorite movies listen too music etc… I’m s dad of two boys it would make my Christmas too make there Christmas a very happy xmas …. google is the best

  29. I already have 1 Chromecast for the living room, but the bedroom doesn’t have one, and I could really use this to watch Netflix from bed rather than using a laptop with HDMI

  33. This would be so cool. I currently can only stream tv through my Playstation 4, which has limited channel options so having access to a Chromecast would be an eyeopener.

  34. The ability to pair the Chromecast Ultra to an audio group is a game changer. The Google ecosystem has made connectivity with AI and Assistant even more accessible. Can’t wait to integrate this into my home network.

  36. this would be nice to have for watching youtube and Netflix on my tv and I could use it with my google home mini

  37. What I would enjoy out of this would be saying to my Google Home device “Hey Google, turn on House Of Cards on Netflix” without having to connect to anything else.

  38. It would just be a useful thing to have around the house. It would allow for more flexible functionality and easy use of large screens with mobile and app related content.

  39. I was probably one of the very first people to own a Chromecast, purchased mine in 2013 but after none stop usage and so many years it finally gave out.

  40. Chromecast is extremely helpful device which converts my basic LED tv to a kind of smart tv by accessing movies and content online. Youtube videos, music, lots and lots more. I can even cast/stream my smart phone on TV and play my games on TV. This is magical stuff. I love this device..
    You combine it with android phone.. and you are so good to go.. stream anything online to TV.. Combine it with google home.. voice control your TV.. and it even comes with 4K option… wow…

  42. The Google Chromecast paired with the Google home and Alexa device is a fantastic voice controlled and visual media center that can stream from YouTube, and any other video website, straight to your tv. This is the best streamer on the market and its small dongle allows you to travel with it anywhere on the planet! Bestbuy has the cheapest price and its available there right now! So get off the couch and go get one!

  48. The Chromecast would give an array of options, but the one that makes a difference is to stream content so watching a TV is better than the laptop.

  49. Google Chromecast paired with a Google Home gives you voice control and ability to stream any video or audio to your TV or speakers. Brilliant product, couldn’t recommend more.

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