Chrome Story

Can You Cast From Chromebook To Roku TV?

Update – Using Chromebook With Roku

Remoku is a Chrome extension that allows you to control your Roku from a web app. It is a kind of Roku Remote that you can use from your Chromebook.

Here is the official description:

Remoku is a network remote control for Roku streaming players, written in Javascript, CSS, and HTML5. This extension adds a shortcut icon to Chrome, that launches Remoku in a popup window. You can control your Roku after setup using the on-screen icons, or with the keyboard. See help.remoku.tv for more information.

Install Remoku from here.

Chromecast, DIAL and Roku

Frank, a Chromecast expert has found that his Roku is being listed as one of the available devices under his Chromecast extension on the Chromebook.

I recently renamed the Chromecast category here to “Google Cast” expecting bigger things for the Google Cast platform, beyond Chromecast. Looks like the first big hit of that season is coming. Big. News. This. Is.

To give this some context, Google Cast is the platform that powers Chromecast. (You could read about Chrome’s efforts to become a facilitator between content platforms and streaming devices here.) The Chromecast we all know, the physical device is just one device that is using this platform.

What happens when Google opens up this platform for third party devices? Can your Roku become another device on the Google Cast streaming set up? Looks like it can.

Unless this is some kind of software glitch somewhere, I see just 5% chance for that though.

Our friend Frank here was testing Chrome OS Beta v.41 on couple of networks (2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz connections on his dual band router). When he clicked the Chromecast icon on his browser while playing a Youtube video, the menu that usually lists only his Chromecast for streaming, showed him his Roku too. The Roku was happily playing some other media that Frank had selected using the device, but when he asked Chrome to cast this Youtube video to Roku, it did so, overriding the content that Roku was already playing.

If this is not a mistake, expect big announcements this Google I/O and many other partners. I am sure there are many stream device makers who would love to be part of a stable platform maintained by Google.

Let me know your thoughts

Update:  Ace Android developer Koushik Dutta has clarified this for us in the comments section: “This is DIAL, and has been around for a while. It’s supported by Youtube, Netflix, etc to any DIAL compatible device like the Roku, smart TVs, and others. It’s kinda like Chromecast, but it’s not.” Thank you, Koushik Dutta.

Author

Dinsan

Content Developer and Digital Minimalist. I love testing new Chromebook features and writing about them. My favorite Chrome OS Channel is Canary. | Twitter

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  1. roebling

    This IS big, if true. I tried a Roku stick when SlingTV came out, replacing my Chromecast in my TV’s only HDMI slot. Although Roku had many “channels” plus SlingTV, I took it back. I couldn’t watch many Chromecast-only shows I was used to watching daily on Roku. And YouTube on Roku stick was positively painful.
    If I could get my MeTV shows, local news live & decent YouTube, plus Roku channels, I’d buy one today!

    Reply
    1. Dinsan

      Yes, as someone mentioned in a comment on Google Plus, Roku has ethernet, which is another plus.

      Reply
      1. Daniël Bink

        Dinsan which email account had i sent you an email? Don’t type the whole account name here please, does it has ‘feed’ inside?

        Reply
        1. Dinsan

          Yes it had 🙂

          Reply
          1. Daniël Bink

            Thanks i sent you an email!

  2. Jaspreet Singh

    Yes , Google should make it easier for any android or Even Linux/window devices to get Chromecast receiving support. If that happens , all the android TV sticks and HTPCs running in homes can get google cast and that’s a significant figure.
    Can’t wait for XBMC to get Cast receiving support

    Reply
    1. Dinsan

      Since these devices are going to be cheaper, you could see tonnes of products around this.

      Reply
  3. Randy Arrowood

    Someone posted a link to this on Google+ and I am also posting my response to that here on the original story. This is no new development at all:

    This is nothing new, every device that has an up-to-date YouTube app will show up like this.

    I test a lot of devices in my house, and I not only show any Roku that I have connected at the moment, but also my TiVo and Wii U or PS3 if they are on.

    The YouTube and Netflix apps on my phone or tablet even show the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick if those are turned on.

    This Google Cast capability is baked into the app/channel and not the device.

    Reply
  4. Stan Gosnell

    I’m seeing this on Youtube, but not in other tabs. It seems to be an app-specific feature. I also see the Roku option in AllCast and other apps. If I could use the Roku with Hangouts I would be very happy.

    Reply
  5. ddevito

    I literally just bought a Roku Streaming Stick, unopened in the box. I was thinking of returning it as I thought it had cast functionality but I learned it couldn’t. Can anyone confirm if this is working?

    Reply
    1. Randy Arrowood

      YouTube and Netflix will for sure see it. With Netflix, it will work more than half the time. YouTube can be spotty, and it will not work on Roku with purchased/rented content.

      Reply
  6. Koushik Dutta

    This is DIAL, and has been around for a while. It’s supported by Youtube, Netflix, etc to any DIAL compatible device like the Roku, smart TVs, and others. It’s kinda like Chromecast, but it’s not.

    Reply
    1. Dinsan

      Thanks! I will update the blogpost.
      Excited to see you here!

      Reply
  7. Frank Tedesco

    Here’s the screenshot. Here’s the full process:

    Here’s how to do it:
    1. Put Chromebook on a 5.0 GHz Channel on your WiFi. You will not “see” you Chromecast show up in the Google Cast Extension, Beta. Use it’s pulldown in Chrome Browser. As an aside, the Chromebook is on Beta M41, and I always use the Google Cast Extension Beta.
    2. Run the Roku as normal; watch what you want.
    3. On the Chromebook, navigate to any site that has a YouTube player built in, or YouTube itself. Cue up a video.
    4. Using the YouTube built in cast button at lower right of its player, attempt a cast. Google Cast Extension Beta opens up a “pulldown”, and the Roku player is listed. Tap on that entry.
    5. Casting to the Roku player commences, overriding what you were watching. You must have YouTube as an installed channel on your Roku [and a Google Account logged into it].
    6. When done, stop the cast via the Google Cast Extension Beta.
    7. YouTube splash screen appears on the TV, asking if you wish to stop YouTube. Use the Roku remote to exit.

    Reply
    1. Dinsan

      Thank you Frank for adding detailed steps here! Really appreciate it!

      Reply
  8. Blane Stroud

    Yeah, this is nothing.new. PS3 shows up for Youtube and Netflix as well.

    Reply
    1. Dinsan

      Thanks for confirming Blane!

      Reply

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