A Chromecast connected to a TV allows you to easily transmit content, after connecting to it from the mobile or a PC. Many streaming applications allow us to connect to a Chromecast and compatible devices, but sometimes we will want send a photo or video that we have on our mobilerather than the latest Netflix hit.
The good news is that sending any file to a Chromecast or TV with Chromecast support is very simple. you just need install an app for it. There are many and not all of them work equally well, so we have opted for InShot Cast to TV.
Send any photo, video or audio from your mobile
To send content to a Chromecast you must look for the application on duty to have the button to connect to it. You will find it in the vast majority of streaming applications and even in Google Photos, but surely sooner or later you come across a video that you want to see on TV and you have no way to do it, despite having a Chromecast that works perfectly with YouTube and similar apps.
Stream to Smart TV, TV Cast
- Developer: InShot Inc.
- Download it at: google play
- Price: Free
- Category: video applications
For these cases you will need an application to send content to Chromecast. There are dozens of them and some of them do not work very well, are full of ads or are very limited, so we recommend you Cast to Smart TV, from InShot. It also has ads, but they are not excessive and you can remove them – along with other limitations – for the modest price of 5 dollars.
The first step is, of course, connect to your Chromecast. This application is one of the most compatible, so it will also help you send content to Amazon Fire Stick or Fire TV, Roku, Xbox One and DLNA TVs. You just have to press the connection button and choose the TV or Chromecast in the list.
Then comes the time to choose what you want to send, which can be videos, photos or audio. You’ll need to give the app permission to access your files, and otherwise there’s not much you need to do except choose the file and send it. The application takes care of making the adjustments and/or format conversions that are necessary to transmit the video correctly.
In our tests the sending has worked very well and while the video is playing on TV the app becomes a remote control from which you can control playback and volume, as well as subtitles (if they are supported on the video and on your device).
A rather curious fact about this application is that also works with videos embedded in websites. Using the internal browser, when the app detects that there is a video on the web that we are visiting, it will suggest sending it to the Chromecast to which we are connected in the different formats that are available (sometimes, it will be necessary to convert it).
Cast to TV is also useful for videos embedded in web pages
For everything else: screen mirroring
What if you want to stream anything else? then you will always have mirror the screen, which amounts to showing the same thing that is seen on the mobile, but on TV. You can also do it from the app, by clicking on screen mirroralthough at the moment of truth this uses the screen mirroring system of your mobile, which will be the one in charge of making the connection.
Please note that screen mirroring it will not work for applications with protected content or DRM, those that prevent you from taking screenshots. They will be seen in black on TV even if you do see them on your mobile.
