Editor’s note: Chromecast is a new technology from Google that allows you to plug it into a HDMI port on your television, and then you can literally “fling” programs from your mobile, tablet or laptop device to your TV screen, so you can watch it on your TV instead of the device that’s sitting on or next to your lap. World Soccer Talk writer William Anderson recently took Google Chromecast for a test drive.

After leaving the Google Chromecast box on my desk for a few weeks, I set it up on a recent weekend. Here are my thoughts.

A few things to start us off with:

• We are an Apple household
• We don’t subscribe to cable or satellite television
• I am a Liverpool supporter

All three of these points will come into play. Let’s get started.

Packaging

The adapter, wires and instructions all came in a simple box. The instructions were dead simple and they all made sense. The less you talk about packaging and instructions, the better.

Delivery from Amazon.com was straight-forward. I did miss out on the initial shipment but that was me being lazy.
Setup

There are really two parts to the setup – hardware and software.

Hardware

The hardware piece was easy to setup. Since we had an extra power outlet (how did we have an open outlet??), I plugged the power adapter into the backend of the Chromecast, then plugged in the power cord. The Chromecast device plugged into an open HDMI port on the back of our TV (again, how did that happen??).

You can use the AC adapter (what I used) or there’s a separate connector that plugs into a USB port on your TV. The former is recommended by Google.

I had to remove our Apple TV HDMI cable to take the picture above but, even though they are stacked ports, both cables fit without any interference from one another.

There is a light on the Chromecast device that blinks initially then stays on once configured. I don’t know if this would interrupt any potential naps but the light seems pretty dim (and it’s on the back of our TV – phew).

Hardware installed.

Software

Installing software took a few more steps but was still hassle free. On the computers (Macbook Pro, Mac Mini), I opened Chrome and went to google.com/chromecast/setup. There are a handful of steps to walk through – nothing out of the ordinary or complex.

Usability

To use Chromecast, I popped open a Chrome browser and navigated to a streamed match. Perfect timing as I was able to catch the final whistle.

It worked really nice. I was able to cast / fling / stream the video to the TV and continue working on other items. Even if I opened a second tab, it stayed with the original tab and continued showing the match. I really like this feature – checking mail, working, etc. while watching a match at home is nice.

All good. I still need to figure out what’s happening on the Mac Mini but if I needed to work while watching a match, I’d use the laptop.

On the mobile side, I don’t really have an answer. While it appears I can use YouTube or Netflix to cast / fling / stream video to the TV, I’m not sure how this will help me keep up with soccer.

Maybe there’s a YouTube channel for soccer I can subscribe to?

Summary

All in all, Google Chromecast is an inexpensive and really simple way to cast / fling / stream video to your TV. As someone who does not subscribe to the monthly torture of a cable / satellite bill, I can see this being incredibly useful.

At the same time, I’ve been way too spoiled by Apple and AirPlay, especially since it’s a system-level feature. I can mirror / extend (Yay, Mavericks!) any application from the mobile / computer device to the TV.

As noted earlier

• We are an Apple household – With AirPlay heavily used from all of our devices, Chromecast doesn’t make sense for us – Perhaps it makes more sense for Android homes?
• We don’t subscribe to cable or satellite television – This has little relevance after all since Chromecast casts / flings / streams video only from specific applications.

I’ll keep the Chromecast device plugged in, mainly because we have an extra slot for the HDMI and power. If we didn’t, I don’t think I’d keep this around.

Ps – If you’re thinking of purchasing Chromecast through Amazon, you can find it here (affiliate link).

Editor’s note: If you own Google Chromecast, have you tried flinging games from NBC Sports Live Extra to your TV set? Does it work or not? Have you tried to do the same with FOX Soccer 2GO or other soccer streaming products? Share your experiences and feedback in the comments section below.

It’s only nine days until the start of the English Premier League. Other European leagues and tournaments are starting all through August. These are exciting times for any soccer fan. But where is FOX Soccer in all this?

They are busy putting their efforts into rebranding (yet again) another product / service instead of communicating with their fans — i.e. paying customers — on how they are going to provide value to their community.

Need examples?

June 2011…

Our audience comes to FOX Soccer for one thing: to interact with the game they love. They are smart, they want new technologies, they want the best coverage. The re-branding symbolizes our continued commitment to push the limits and evolve with the game in this country.

– David Nathanson, Fox Soccer’s General Manager

(Source: MediaBistro, Fox Soccer Channel Rebrands, Unveils New Logo)

January 2012…

The name change means that the iPhone app, iPad app and now web service all feature the same consistent name.

(Source: EPLTalk.com, FOX Renames FOXSoccer.tv to FOX Soccer 2Go)

August 2012…

Just in time for the 2012-13 Premier League season, FOX Soccer will re-launch FOX Soccer Report on August 17, 2012 as FOX Soccer News, the new nightly soccer news round-up show beginning at 10pm ET.

(Source: EPLTalk.com, FOX Soccer Report to Re-Launch As FOX Soccer News On August 17 [Video])

Ok, so they’ve been busy picking new names, new personalities, and I’m sure a bunch of positive stuff that we fans don’t get to see.

But how is this adding value to us as fans? Us paying customers? How are we supposed to be evangelists of FOX Soccer when there is no communication or updates?

Back in June, I asked aloud about their mobile device strategy. I even reached out to David Nathanson and his team for some feedback. While I didn’t speak to Mr. Nathanson (he’s not available for individual bloggers), I spoke with a member of FOX Soccer’s PR & Communication team and he was kind enough to suggest sending him questions that he’d pass along to the team for a response.

On July 10, I sent a list of questions from myself and a handful of readers. The questions were strictly based on FOX Soccer’s mobile strategy.

Since I hadn’t received a response, I followed up on July 18 to see if there was anything I might help with.

On July 19, I received a response that he was traveling:

Let me follow-up to see where we are on this.

It’s August 8. I’ve heard nothing back from FOX Soccer.

And this seems typical.

Do you follow FOX Soccer 2Go’s Twitter account? If so, you’re likely massively disappointed in the amount of communication it provides. As of 7:00AM ET today, here’s the most recent tweet:

Yes, from March 6 — five months ago!

Perhaps you are a paying customer of FOX Soccer’s iPhone / iPad applications. As of 7:00AM ET yesterday, here’s where we stand with those apps:

FOX Soccer 2Go for iPad

Most recent update? December 10, 2011.

Yes, 2011!!

(Think I’m alone in my frustration? Click on either of the images above to read the reviews of like-minded paying customers.)

As soccer fans, our relationship with FOX Soccer is akin to being a contestant on Bachelor Pad (or any other reality TV show): There’s a huge prize at the end, but you’ll have to deal with a lot of fluff and broken promises before getting anywhere near the prize.

So, what should FOX Soccer do?

Two things:

1. Learn to communicate: Enough with the big press releases and rebrands. Communicate with your fans, your customers, YOUR COMMUNITY. You have a tremendous amount of goodwill that you are burning through tremendously fast. Stop the burning. Start the communicating.

2. Start delivering: Seriously, December 2011 was the last update to your mobile strategy? Nearly 9 months! You can’t put a crap product to market, charge for it, then ignore your paying customers. Start focusing on your customer’s needs and start delivering a product we can use.

I’d love to see this turned around but if the past year is any indication, I’m guessing there isn’t much promise for the future.

Here’s what I’d really like to see.

Apple adding a deal with Ligue 1, adding it as a channel (much like the NBA, Netflix, etc. channels), refining it, then moving into other leagues.

This wouldn’t be good for Android or other mobile platforms. But maybe FOX Soccer could then focus on the non-Apple market in hopes of delivering a product worth using?

Editor’s note: Meanwhile, we’re still waiting to hear about the Android app, which is long overdue, as well as the addition of the FOX Soccer 2Go app on other devices such as Roku, XBOX 360 and PS3, to name just a few.