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

  2. I know for certain that Santa is bringing me a Google Home this Christmas ( unless i really mess up in the next few weeks)..so a Chromecast would be a game changer in my house. My TV would be smart, smart, smart as my 5 yr old grandson says about himself…and his Granda would be cool cool cool…

    • Hi Wayne, a Google Home really is a game changer and makes an awesome gift to receive! And the addition of a Chromecast is the perfect next step in your new smart home journey!

  3. I would use it first of all as a way to replace my remote control which is long gone lost forever then cast my pics and vids to the tv screen to show my parents our most recent family memories

  5. It would have to definitely be the voice control! It would help with those times you can’t get to the remote or touch it because your hands are full. Love the contest, thank you!

  8. I think the voice control would make a huge difference for the kids watching TV – they sometimes forget to pause etc

  9. The voice control would allow me to lay on the couch and put no effort into doing simple tasks like pausing the program and as we know, no effort is the best kind of effort!

  10. Voice control! The boyfriend is too lazy to put the two remotes on the nightstand every night and just puts them on my side of the bed while I’m sleeping. Out of sight out of mind. While I get to roll over on them and press buttons.. brat 😉

  11. The Google Chromecast would save me money by not having to upgrade my Pioneer TV to a smart TV. I could use my Apple phone to stream Christmas movies and family pictures.

  12. My husband always says not to spend money on him so our tv does not have any fancy bells or whistles to enjoy anything other than what the cable company chooses to play. It would be lovely to have the ability to stream other content than fake reality tv shows which seems to be all there is on lately.

    • Great answer Sue. Compared with cable TV, Google Chromecast puts you in the driver’s seat. You get to watch what you want to watch, when you want to watch it, and without so many ads too!

  16. What a difference this Google Chromecast would make to my home life? I’d like to be able to cast ‘online only’ programs and videos to the tube, which would make me a much happier viewer.

    • So true! I always seem to misplace the remote control, and yet my smartphone is always right there in my hand, in my pocket, or charging close by.

  18. Chromecast would allow me to share my photos and stream all of the content we have on all of our devices. It would be such a convenience.

  19. I need this amazing gadget to turn my old Vizio TV into a smart TV. Can’t wait to try the Chromecast!!

  20. It would mean I could use my TV to stream all sorts of content that I have on all my devices. Allowing me options for the entire family and most importantly lets me not need to upgrade my TV this month and spend my money on a sound bar.

  30. Would be helpful to view internet content on TV as seriously considering downsizing the TV content currently paying for.

  32. The voice-controlled aspect would be a big deal for me as I do a lot of typing throughout the day. Now I am starting to develop arthritis, so anything to reduce finger strain would be awesome.

  38. The Chromecast would go great with my google home mini. Could tell the Chromecast what to play just by using my voice.

  39. Our kitchen could use a TV with Chromecast. We could watch news in the am and stream videos while making dinner.

  40. Being able to use voice command for the tv would be awesome! Would really assist me in multi tasking at home!

  42. My girlfriend would love this as a gift. She currently is only able to watch netflix on her phone and not on her tv.

  46. Being able to control the tv by voice would be so handy when I’m in the kithen fixing dinner and my hands are dirty.

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