The Chromecast with Google TV is one of our favorite gadgets for getting audio and video content on an HDMI equipped big screen, but it isThe possibilities can be expanded even further with the right accessory, namely a USB-C hub.
As long as you buy a hub that can pass power to the Chromecast with Google TV, you immediately have a lot more ports to play with. From what we have seen other people who have experimented with this, you need at least a 45W charger, which we used for our tests.
Some of these customizations require access to it Developer options menu below System in Settings. To enable this, go to Settings and choose System, than Aboutthen select Android TV OS build seven times (you will see a message if you did it right). This reveals several low-level device options that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to access.
The hardware settings
As long as you have a USB-C hub with power that can be passed to the Chromecast, and an updated power adapter that provides enough wattage, the tests we’ve outlined here should work as advertised. As a reference, this Aukey hub was the one we picked up for the job.
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The more devices you connect to the hub, the more power you need. S.ome trial and error may play a role – whe functionality like this one which is only semi-officially supported, everything may not work perfectly the first time.
Play local video
After connecting the USB-C hub and your Chromecast with Google TV, you can also connect a USB drive, provided it is formatted as FAT32 (which you can do in Windows or macOS). The storage should be automatically visible and accessible to all apps on your Chromecast that can search for files.
Install an app like the VLC media player and you can then access images, audio and video from your USB drive. Any file management tool you install can see the external storage, and you can start files that way too.
Connecting peripherals
Another way you can use a A USB-C hub connected to your Chromecast with Google TV is to connect a keyboard and mouse. It makes enter text much easier, and allows you to better manage apps you sideload that aren’t intended for the device (like a web browser, for example).
There isn’t much to the setup here like once you connect a keyboard and mouse attached to the hub should recognize them and work straight awayYou may find some bugs in certain apps, but based on our testing, you should be able to type and click away as many times as you want.
Make video calls
Google Duo will show up as an available app when you search for it on the Chromecast with Google TV, so once it’s installed you’ll only miss a webcam. Plug a webcam into a free port on your USB-C hub and you’re good to go – as long as you’re using a power brick with enough wattage to keep everything powered on.
Duo should automatically recognize your webcam, so you can make your audio and video calls as needed (note that the Duo app must be open on your Chromecast for incoming calls to appear). You can also make audio calls without a webcam, using the microphone in the Chromecast remote.
Expand storage
We managed to play files from connected USB drives, and those USB drives can also be used for the Chromecast to store apps and other files, If necessary. Again, connected drives must be formatted as FAT32 for the Chromecast dongle to recognize them, which can be done from Windows or macOS.
With your drive connected, open Settings and choose System Developer options, and Force apps on externalThen go to System, than Storage, and choose your USB drive. Select Erase and format as device storage and the Chromecast can then use it (this means that you cannot play local files from the onemore).
You are invited to move data and apps immediately, but you can also do this later. Select at Settings Apps, than View all appsand choose the app you want to move. Select the app to access the options and select Storage used to move it.
Increase internet speeds
Some users lamented the lack of an Ethernet adapter for the Chromecast with Google TV – adapters are available for it earlier Chromecast models– but this is another problem that can be solved by adding a USB-C hub. If you buy a hub with an Ethernet port, you can connect it directly to your router.
That means an internet connection that should be faster and more stable – maybe significantly depending on the state of your Wi-Fi, and that will make a difference when watching movies, gaming, and so on. The wired connection should be automatically recognized by the Chromecast once everything is connected, but you can check by going to Network and internet in Settings.