UPDATE: Now, you only need to download the Chrome browser. You no longer need need the Google Cast Extension. The functionality is now built into the Chrome. Just open the Chrome browser on your Mac and go to and download the Chromecast DMG file by clicking on t he Blue download button and install the Chromecast app on your Mac. Just make sure to agree to the license terms and click on the accept button. For Apple MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro users, investing in an Apple TV is the easiest, best way to wirelessly connect to a TV. One of the benefits of using Apple products exclusively is how well they work with one another. Apple TV fits into that ecosystem beautifully.
Chromecast articles on MacRumors.com. How to Download Any iOS App for M1 Macs! Apple M1 MacBook Pro vs MacBook Air vs Mac Mini - Which Should You Buy? So plugin chromecast in right HDMI port. Now download the chromecast app in your iPhone and one can do that by following this link. Also, make sure that you have enabled the wifi on. Now open the app and you will see there the nearest chromecast devices connecting to it and select the one which you want to connect.
We belong to an on-the-go culture. Our phone calls, emails, and the consumption of many forms of media can be done with an easily to carry, laptop computer or ultrabook: their tiny displays are a window to a far greater world.
Sometimes, however, the 13-inch display that you write those emails and take Skype calls with just doesn't feel large enough—especially at times when you're consuming content with friends. Fortunately connecting your laptop to a TV, using a wire or wirelessly, couldn't be easier.
It's an especially useful trick if you're working from home right now—read on.
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Connect a laptop to a TV using a cable
Once upon a time, to connect a laptop to a television or external display you'd need to run a VGA cable between the two devices. If you wanted audio, too, you needed an additional 3.5mm cable to plug into your laptop's headphone port. Happily, things are easier now. Almost all modern TVs come with at least one HDMI (High Definition Multimedia interface) port. As a standard, HDMI is capable of carrying both high definition video and sound, on a single cable. Now for some great news: many recent laptops come equipped with an HDMI output built right into them.
Using an HDMI cable is the easiest and most reliable way to mirror your laptop's screen to your TV. (Mirroring means to have the same image on both screens.) Since we live in a high-def world, getting a high-speed cable that can send a 1080p (or greater) image from your computer to the TV is ideal. But don’t think that that means you’ll have to break the bank. We ran comprehensive tests on HDMI cables and found that cheap AmazonBasics cables worked just fine.
What You Need:
- An HDMI cable
- For recent MacBooks, a USB-C to HDMI Adapter
- For some Windows and Linux laptops, a Mini-HDMI or Mini DisplayPort-to-HDMI cable
Step-by-Step:
Step 1: Connect HDMI cable to laptop and TV
The order you connect them in isn't important: just make sure both ends of the cable are plugged in! If your laptop doesn’t have an HDMI port, you'll need an adapter or a cable with different end connectors. Newer Macbooks will need a USB-C to HDMI adapter that range between $15-20. Other less common connectors can usually be found with HDMI on one end and the other connection type on the other - such as Mini-HDMI or Mini DisplayPort for under $10 depending on length.
Step 2: Select the input on your TV
These are labeled at the physical connector on the TV and can be selected in the TVs on-screen menus, usually under Inputs or Picture.
Step 3: Adjust display settings, if necessary
Once the connection is complete and the proper input is selected you should be good to go. If you aren’t getting your computer screen image on your TV you might need to select the TV in your display settings.
- Mac: when the TV is connected, an AirPlay icon will appear on the right side of your menu bar near the battery icon. It looks like a box with a black triangle underneath it. Select this and choose the “Mirror TV Name” option.
- Windows: Left-click the Windows menu, type “Display,” and select “Change Display Settings.” There you can select your TV and change resolution if necessary to match your TVs resolution (720p, 1080p, or 4K).
With the right cables/adapters running between your laptop and your TV and the correct display settings your laptop, you should now be ready to use your television as a giant computer display.
Connect with Google Chromecast
If you're not interested in being able to send everything on your laptop to that big screen TV in your living room, or prefer not to run an HDMI cable, using one of Google's inexpensive Chromecast devices could be a smart way to connect, instead. After downloading Google's Chrome web browser to your laptop, you'll be able to use a Google Chromecast to ‘cast’ tabs from your laptop's browser to your TV. This could be a video from YouTube, a browser-based game or your even your entire desktop. You can buy a Chromecast for as little as $35. More expensive models offer higher resolution and extra functionality.
If you own a smart TV, such as Vizio’s P-Series with SmartCast, a separate Chromecast device isn’t necessary. If you own a smart TV, double check on whether you need to invest in a Chromecast before running out to buy one.
Step 1: Connect the Chromecast to an HDMI input on your TV
Just plug it in. That's it.. mostly. Some models of Chromecast also need to be connected to a USB port for power. If the one you own is one of those, it should have come with a microUSB cable and power adapter. If you need to buy either, we like these cables and this adapter.
Step 2: Select the proper input from your TV menu
Choose the input you plugged the Chromecast into with your TV’s on-screen menu. Audio technica at2020usb new driver download macbook pro 15. Once the proper input is selected, signal from the Chromecast will be displayed on screen.
Step 3: Set up your Chromecast online
Now that you can see what you're doing, using Google's Chrome browser, navigate to chromecast.com/setup to go through the set up process for your Chromecast and connect it to your WiFi network.
Step 4: Start streaming
Select the ‘Cast’ icon on your Chrome browser or in an app, such as YouTube, PLEX or Netflix, and select if you want to cast the browser tab or entire desktop, then select the Chromecast from the drop-down menu.
Connect via AppleTV
For Apple MacBook, MacBook Air or MacBook Pro users, investing in an Apple TV is the easiest, best way to wirelessly connect to a TV. One of the benefits of using Apple products exclusively is how well they work with one another. Apple TV fits into that ecosystem beautifully. Connections are quick and everything understands each other because they’re running on the same operating system. A base model Apple TV can be had for $149. But our recommended model is the slightly more expensive Apple TV 4K. In addition to allowing you to connect your laptop to your TV wirelessly, an Apple TV lets you stream any iTunes purchases you may have made and provides access to a wide variety of streaming services like HBO Now, Hulu and CBS All Access. You can even use it to play many popular iOS games.
Step 1: Connect the Apple TV to your TV with an HDMI cable
Plug your HDMI cable into the output on the back of your Apple TV and an input on your TV.
Step 2: Select the HDMI input through your TV menu
The HDMI input can be selected with either your remote or by using the buttons on your TV. They can usually be found along the bottom bezel or just around the back on the left or right side.
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Step 3: Complete the Apple TV setup with the included remote or an iOS device
What won Apple their audience is the ease of use of their products. Once the Apple TV boots up, you’ll be led through the on-screen setup. If you run into any issues, an answer can be found through their support site.
Step 4: Choose the Apple TV from the AirPlay icon on your Macbook’s menu bar
So long as your MacBook and your Apple TV are both attached to the same wireless network, an AirPlay icon should appear in your MacBook's menu bar. If the AirPlay icon doesn’t appear, you can turn it on from your system menu. To do this, click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your laptop's display, select System Preferences from the drop down menu and then, click Display. Art the bottom of the preference pane that opens, you'll see a box marked 'Show mirroring options in menu bar when available.' click it. The AirPlay icon should now appear in your menu bar
In order to wirelessly connect your MacBook to your Apple TV, click the AirPlay icon and select your Apple TV. If you have a fast home router, your MacBook's screen should be displayed on your TV, almost instantly.
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As of 2018, more than 30 million households in the U.S. had “cut the cord” on their pay TV subscriptions, and around three million ditched cable in that year alone. In other words, smart TVs and other streaming devices are only going to get more popular.
Google’s Chromecast, thanks to its flexibility — allowing you to watch the likes of YouTube, Netflix, and Hulu, as well as “cast” photos, slideshows, video calls, and much more — is among the most popular devices for people looking at how to connect Mac to TV.
While Chromecast lacks one-click interface on the same intuitive level as Apple TV, it really isn’t difficult to set up your Mac for casting. In addition to covering that, this article presents some of the different ways to get the best performance possible when using Chromecast for Mac.
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How To Use Chromecast On Mac
Your initial Chromecast setup on Mac shouldn’t take more than about 10 minutes as long as everything goes smoothly. Once that’s all done you can start having some fun with the device.
Assuming that you already have your Chromecast plugged into an HDMI port on the back of your TV and powered up using a USB port or the power cube included in the box, proceed to the following steps you need to take:
- Open Chrome on your Mac and visit www.google.com/chromecast/setup
- You’ll be prompted to download Google Home for iPhone/iPad from the App Store or Android from the Google Play Store
- As long as your Chromecast is plugged in, it will automatically appear in the Google Home app when you open it up
- Make sure your device is connected to the WiFi network you want Chromecast to use and follow the steps to pair it
Your Chromecast device can now be used by any Mac, Android phone, or iPhone/iPad connected to that WiFi network. This is a far cry from setting up using a computer, something that’s now no longer possible, which used to involve downloading a Chromecast extension for Mac and entering codes to pair the device properly.
Using Chromecast on Mac effectively
Now that your Chromecast is connected, it’s easy to mirror your Mac’s screen on your TV. In the past you needed to download a Chromecast extension for Chrome before you could do this but now, as long as you’re using an up-to-date version of Chrome, you don’t need to add anything else in order to use Chromecast on MacBook.
In Chrome, just select View ➙ Cast (or use the three vertical dots to the right of the toolbar to select Cast from there) and choose from the Sources dropdown whether you want to broadcast:
- The tab you have open
- Your desktop
- A particular file
If you’re viewing a media file on your laptop, say via YouTube, then you may see a box with three lines (that look like the WiFi symbol rotated 45 degrees clockwise) that will say Play on TV when you hover over it. You can also access the Cast menu from here. Now you officially know how to Chromecast from Mac!
The media or video call or photo album you’re trying to view will appear on your TV like magic and, if you’re lucky, everything will run swiftly and without issue. Unfortunately, many of us aren’t quite so blessed and do experience a few problems.
Optimizing Chromecast playback on Mac
For most Mac users, a trickier issue than how to use Chromecast on Mac is making sure that their laptop or desktop is functioning in such a way that allows for smooth and seamless playback.
Two common issues when streaming from Chromecast to Mac include poor audio and video that jumps and stutters or plays in low quality. Most problems like these boil down to one (or more) of three causes:
- Lack of RAM or processing power on your Mac
- Weak or underperforming internet connection
- Hardware limitations or configurations
Using Chromecast from Mac places additional demands on your machine that can be challenging for laptops or desktops that are older and full of clutter. Try using an app like CleanMyMac X, which scans your Mac with a single click to search for issues with your hard disk, malware, and unnecessary apps.
Still looking at video that’s blocky or jumping? It could be a problem with your WiFi. For this, WiFi Explorer is a useful app that acts as a one-stop shop for monitoring, analyzing, and troubleshooting your WiFi network. Just open up the app and it’ll automatically provide feedback on the network your Mac is currently connected to.
Just a glance at the real-time scan of networks in the area should quickly and easily reveal if something like signal strength or overcrowded WiFi channels might be to blame for the issues. If that’s the case, you may want to try a wired connection or moving your router from its current location.
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Solving Chromecast audio issues on Mac
You can have the crispest video quality in the world but, if the audio isn’t up to scratch, you won’t get the immersive experience that you’re looking for. Unless you have a soundbar, most flat screen TVs put out quiet and tinny audio. In some cases, you may be better off using headphones or even your Mac’s built-in speakers.
Unfortunately, by default, the sound put out by Macs can also be a bit lacking due to volume limitations or incorrect equalizer setup. Luckily, there’s an app out there called Boom 3D that allows you to unlock the true potential of your Mac’s audio output.
In addition to enabling virtual 3D surround sound on built-in speakers or headphones, which is a pretty cool piece of patent-pending tech in and of itself, it comes with a palette of equalizer presets (that can be manually tweaked) for different genres.
You can also boost the volume capability of your Mac way beyond the system default and, if you’re worried about accidentally blaring Spotify in the middle of a meeting, set custom volume adjustments for individual apps.
Volume discrepancy between different hardware providers is pretty common, as anyone who has almost deafened themselves when switching inputs on their TV will be able to attest to, and it’s great to know you’ll no longer need to turn the volume on your TV set way up or down when you’re casting from your Mac.
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Streaming devices like Apple TV and Google Chromecast on Mac have enabled an entire generation to move away from cable TV in favor of individual streaming apps that they can pick and choose from. And because there’s no need to download an additional Chromecast app for Mac or anything like that, the process of getting started is usually very straightforward.
As innovative and modern as that idea is, the whole thing can be derailed by audio or video problems. These, however, can be easily resolved with a couple of additional apps.
It’s difficult to know exactly what the future of media streaming holds, but two things are for sure:
- Available picture and sound quality will continue to improve
- More streaming services (e.g. Disney Plus) will appear
What do both of these have in common? They’ll likely place additional demands on your internet connection and your hardware. With that in mind, it makes sense to improve the performance of both as much as you possibly can.
Fortunately, CleanMyMac X, Boom 3D, and WiFi Explorer mentioned above are available for a free trial on Setapp, a platform of more than 150 Mac apps and utilities designed to optimize every aspect of your digital life. So what are you watching tonight?
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