CheapCast is a free app that lets any of your Android devices act like a Chromecast dongle. The app is made by developer Sebastian Mauer. It was originally created when Chromecast was first released and in limited supply. Now that you can walk into just about any Best Buy and pick up a Chromecast, why would you need CheapCast?
If you have a Google TV box, you don’t have Chromecast support yet. Google says it’s coming, but we don’t know when. CheapCast works perfectly for adding the exact same functionality as Chromecast to your GTV. CheapCast is also really handy for casting video or music from one Android device to another. Want to share a song from your tablet to a friend’s phone? Done. You just have to be on the same Wi-Fi network.
Today, CheapCast is getting an update that makes it even better. With the bump up to v0.4.1-BETA, you can now cast Chrome tabs from your desktop or laptop to your CheapCast device. The built-in Tab Casting lets you cast web pages, Flash video, or whatever you have open in your browser to any device running CheapCast. The app has also been updated to resolve ChromeCast apps via Google Service. CheapCast is now powered by Chromium, which should make future development easier, and it will make the app work better with older devices.
CheapCast can basically replace Chromecast if you already have a Google TV unit. If you don’t have a GTV box, you can plug your tablet or phone into your TV with an HDMI adapter. Both CheapCast and Chromecast are pretty basic and they are both very easy to use. With CheapCast, you don’t even have to do any setup. Just make sure that the devices you want to connect are on the same Wi-Fi network and that they are both running the app. Super simple, and it works like a charm. CheapCast is totally free, which makes it even better. You can send a donation to the dev using IAP, and if you use CheapCast we recommend doing that.
Hit the Play Store link to download CheapCast. Have you used it? How do you like it?