Features, settings & updates

[batunkhal]

So I come from owning a Chromecast for like a decade now. In my move to my new apartment, I lost my beloved device and decided to try this as an alternative because it is more full featured. My main goal is just simply cast NFL games from the browser on my laptop to the big screen, something very easy to do on Chromecast. Right click the video, click cast, and click Chromecast. It effortlessly throws the game into my TV in great quality. It's not mirroring my browser, it's just taking the video and showing it high quality on my TV.

I just got my Roku today and I tried getting it set up before the game. I did my usual method of trying to right click the video in the browser and cast it to the TV. However, it said "available for specific video sites" and I couldn't cast. Very disappointing.

I found a way to mirror my browser on the TV through Windows settings but it's just old fashioned bad quality screen mirroring, not the HD video I was used to being casted from Chromecast.

I hope I'm missing something! Please let me know if there's a better method to get high quality video from my laptop browser to my HDTV. Thanks!

[AvsGunnar]

@batunkhal 

If you are watching Youtube or Netflix in a chrome browser, then that will cast very easily to Roku device with the Youtube or Netflix Channel installed on your Roku. (Will behave very similar to chromecast-you will see cast to tv icon in the video you are playing).

For other web content, not so easy. (Roku does not have built-in chromecast capability).

Others with Windows such as @atc98092 can probably explain the casting procedures with Miracast from a laptop or desktop computer.

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Personally, since I use Linux no real easy way to wirelessly cast from my laptop so I just use a HDMI cable from my laptop to my TV when streaming web content. The Roku device is not involved, I just select the appropriate HDMI input on the TV.  I also leave the longer HDMI cable plugged into the TV just for this purpose.

When I need to wireless cast content, I use Web Video Caster installed on my mobile device.  This will cast and stream web content (and other content) through my Roku devices. (https://channelstore.roku.com/details/dd37e6d096d3197a9578787890118e33/web-video-caster-receiver)

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I think Roku casting and mirroring was really designed more with mobile devices in mind (Android Cast and Apple Airplay), but you can certainly cast content to the Roku through a laptop, but just in a different manner than your chromecast techniques.  I am just not familiar anymore with the Windows methods to provide reliable information to you on that.

[UserOfStreamers]

@batunkhal 

What you are "missing" is casting/mirroring protocol compatibility.

Roku supports: Miracast (mirroring), DIAL (casting), AirPlay2 (casting & mirroring), PlayOnRoku (casting)

ChromeCast supports:  ChromeCast/GoogleCast (casting & mirroring)

You may have noticed a discrepancy between these two lists.

Roku doesnt have ChromeCast/GoogleCast protocol support, which is what your browser uses to cast to devices.

If you want GoogleCast/GoogleCast protocol support, you'll need an Android TV-based device (TS4K/O4KSB/GCCWGTV/Shield/etc), which you can acquire for $20-$150

Otherwise, there are some third-party proprietary casting apps/systems that you can try:

https://channelstore.roku.com/search/cast

BTW, your sense of time may be off:  ChromeCast devices havent existed for a decade, and the SuperBowl was more than a month ago (what game were you watching?...)

[atc98092]

Miracast is not really casting, it's a screen mirroring function. Your computer or phone remains the device that's doing the playback. For Windows 10, your computer must meet the hardware requirements, which is mainly having a wireless network adapter. None of my desktop computers show any available devices. But my laptops show all my Roku devices, as well as two of my "smart" TVs.

You click the system tray icon at the very bottom-right of your screen (assuming your taskbar is at the bottom of the screen) and select Project. One of the options will be for networked devices (if your computer supports Miracast). The Roku will appear in that list. Don't forget that the computer and the Roku must both be connected to the same network. It doesn't matter if the Roku is wired or wirelessly connected, it will appear either way as long as they're on the same network.