Last updated on January 23rd, 2024 at 02:30 am
Have you invested or are planning to buy a Chromecast in lieu of a Smart TV to watch exciting shows from the many streaming services available only through the Internet.
Do you want to stream shows through your laptop to your HDTV via Chromecast in Windows?
If so you would need a Windows-based video player that supports the casting of videos to Chromecast.
Having a Chromecast is definitely an advantage when it comes to enjoying video streaming services. More and more of the popular streaming services have added support for Chromecast.
Not only that, you can also cast whatever video you have available in your computer hard disk to your HDTV.
A quick way to find out whether a particular video player supports Chromecast or not is to look for the Cast button.
You may already know this, but in case you don’t, your Windows computer and your Chromecast must be connected to the same WiFi network and frequency. Take note of this if you’ve more than one WiFi network in your place.
For example, if you have a NetworkABC 5Ghz and Network ABC 2.4Ghz, you shouldn’t mix them up. You must connect both your devices to either one of these networks.
Here are some ideas to help you choose the best video player for Chromecast on Windows.
VLC Media Player
The VLC Media Player needs very little introduction to those who regularly playback video files on their computers or mobile devices.
Apart from playing back almost any AV format thrown at it, it can also stream videos.
The free media player also supports casting to TV via Chromecast.
Here’s how you use VLC Media Player as a video player for Chromecast in Windows.
First play back your video on VLC and pause it.
Then under the Playback Menu Choose Renderer.
With your Computer and Chromecast connected to the same WiFi, you should be able to see your Chromecast detected.
Click on Chromecast and you’ll see video displayed displayed on your TV screen.
If you want to switch back to video playing on your computer, follow the same steps. This time, choose Local. The video will now be played on your computer.
If for some reason, your VLC player can’t detect your Chromecast, watch the video below for a fix.
If you can’t cast through the above methods, try the Chrome browser method as shown below.
Use Chrome Browser to Cast to Chromecast in Windows
This is a handy feature. By using the Cast feature in Google Chrome, you dispense with the need to install a player, to cast video from a Windows computer to your HDTV.
You can use a media player like Windows Media Player that is already installed on your computer. You can display a tab, your entire desktop or play a file.
Here’s how to get started.
Click on the three dots on the right-hand corner and choose Cast.
Once your Desktop is displayed on your TV, you can start playing the video on the VLC player or Windows Media Player by choosing Desktop and the video will be displayed on the TV screen.
You can also play YouTube or other streaming videos by choosing the Tab feature .
To make this connection work, you must use the latest updated Chrome browser.
Watch the video below for guidance.
Choosing the best video player for Chromecast in Windows doesn’t mean you have to install a media player in your computer.
As you’ve seen above, the VLC media player and your Chrome browser can easily take care of your Chromecasting needs.
