Some time ago, the most effective way to jailbreak your Google Chromecast was via the use of the Terrarium TV app. This app was arguably the best for free video streaming that was available for use at that time. Unfortunately, this is not the case anymore as Terrarium TV was recently closed after legal issues. Although, there is no need to bother your head about that because there are other effective ways for VOD streaming. The ones I’ll discuss here are two of the best – Kodi and CRowns Lite (or CRowns VOD Pro).
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“Will Jailbreaking not get me in any trouble?”
What jailbreak means for the Google Chromecast is simply using the device (the application.) to view pirated content. It is not inevitably the same as jailbreaking an iPhone to be able to run software you desire. It depends on how you look at it, but jailbreaking in these two situations is seen as legal so you do not need to be worried.
Jailbreaking Google Chromecast
Google Chromecast is a simple-to-use streaming device that gets you connected to the HDMI port of your TV. It lets you watch all your favorite series, movies, shows from services like Netflix, and Crackle. It comes in two forms through – the basic version and the Ultra. The Ultra supports 4K plus it possesses a built-in ethernet adapter.
Unlike other streaming devices, Chromecast depends on the use of your mobile device to “cast” content and it does not possess its own on-screen user interface. The casted content is accompanied with the condition of having an account, paid for or otherwise, to be enabled to view the programming on offer. Chromecast does not supply the content for you.
For those that would prefer to find a way around the payment part, this is where jailbreaking is needed.
Kodi And CRowns Lite
Since Terrarium TV’s demise, several Chromecast users have decided to jailbreak their device with the Kodi media player application. This application is an entertainment hub that unites all your digital media collection into one simple-to-access application that does not cost you a dime. It offers access to more video content via compatible 3rd-party add-ons like Kodi TV.
Sadly, it is not possible to install Kodi directly onto your Google Chromecast device. The most you’ll achieve is to cast the content from your PC, smartphone or tab to your television. This should be a smooth process but it’s great to have the information beforehand.
CRowns Lite a.k.a CRowns VOD Pro, however, is an identical app to Kodi. It is also home to your digital media collection and lets you have them played on various devices. The main difference between CRowns and Kodi is the former has a wider selection of higher quality videos compared to the latter. It goes through the many videos and works on just the versions of them it sees as decent enough for streaming.
The two apps are third-party apps and sideloaded onto your Android phone. This should tell you to turn on the Unknown Sources option.
To activate this option:
- Get into the Settings app on your Android smartphone
- Access your security option. This can be done by searching for “Security” or “Lock & Security”.
- Toggle the switch on “Unknown Sources”. Or click on the empty box next to “Unknown Sources.”
- Tap Yes after the prompt displayed to confirm your action.
You can now install the APK for one of the version of Kodi or CRowns VOD Pro to your Android phone. Kodi is blessed with a downloadable Windows version but for you to have access to the amazing benefits that come with CRowns Lite from your computer, you’ll have to download an Android emulator.
To start the jailbreaking process, make sure your Chromecast and casting device are connected to just one WiFi. Install what you should to your desired casting device’s operating system. It would be beneficial to you if every Kodi add-ons you’d fancy with Chromecast have also been downloaded before this procedure.
Casting Kodi Or CRowns Lite From An Android Device
If you have an Android phone, get Google Home app downloaded on it asap. This app is vital for controlling your Google Home and Chromecast devices. The steps listed below will teach you how to cast Kodi or CRowns Lite content from your Android phone to Google Chromecast.
Do not forget that the Android smartphone’s battery will be last shorter if you use it for an extended period of time. It will be wise to use your charger during casting.
To start casting Kodi or CRowns Lite content from an Android device, do what you see below:
- Open the Google Home app.
- At the upper left-hand corner of the screen, click on the “Main Menu.” icon.
- Choose Cast screen/audio from the menu presented to you. This should bring up a new screen. The screen will tell of the mirroring capabilities of the Google Home app.
- Click on the blue Cast Screen/Audio button to display the list of devices. Select your Chromecast device from the options listed to you. All the contents presently showing on your Andrioid phone will now be viewed on your TV. If you are getting constant and instant disconnects from screencasting, activate the microphone permissions on your device. To do this, go to Settings > Apps & notifications. Then scroll until you locate Google Play services. Click on it and choose the “Permissions” option. Under the “Apps” section, get to Microphone and use the switch button to activate it.
- Launch the media-streaming app of your choice from your Android app. The two apps will open to fullscreen immediately, so if you do not need to adjust anything in settings, you can now enjoy your digital collection. For Kodi, choose the desired add-on and open it to start viewing the anticipated content. If you’d fancy ending Google Home casting, go over the 1st, 2nd and 3rd guideline again in the precise order you can see above. As soon as the Cast/Screen window shows up, click the button “Disconnect.”
Casting Kodi From A PC Or Laptop
For those that will rather use a PC, you’ll require the latest version of the Google Chrome browser to cast any content. Adhere to the steps stated to cast Kodi content from your PC’s Google Chrome web browser right to your TV using Chromecast.
All you have to do is:
- Open the Google Chrome web browser from your PC OR Laptop.
- Open the Chrome menu by tapping the three vertical dots seen at the top-right corner of the window.
- Choose Cast from the drop-down menu that is presented to you. You will then get a welcome notification for partaking in the Chromecast experience, and see the name of your Google Chromecast device at the bottom of the notification. If the name of your device is nowhere to be found, it is possible that the Chromecast device and your PC are not connected to one WiFi network like we said earlier. Do that and continue.
- At the top of the name of your Chromecast device, click “Cast to,” from the menu that drops down, then “Cast desktop.”
- Tap on the name of your Chromecast Device to get to a new “Share your screen.” window. Make sure that there is a checkmark near the “Share audio.” option before tapping the “Share.” button.
- After selecting “Share,” your desktop will show itself on the Chromecast-connected TV.
- Now you can open the Kodi app to have its content show on your television and controlled through your PC.
- To stop casting, tap the “Stop.” button you will see in the “Chrome Mirroring- Capturing Desktop.” section.
CRowns Lite And The Emulator
CRowns Lite was specially designed for the Android platform. As at now, the developers have not worked on releasing a desktop version for Windows or Mac operating systems. So, to use it on those devices, you’ll need an Android Emulator.
An Android Emulator is a software program that reproduces the Android platform on your PC or Mac. It will run the same way a computer app runs but also aid access to the Android ecosystem. Only an emulator can download the CRowns Lite APK onto your desktop and cast video to your television via Chromecast.
The CRowns Lite programmers revealed that you should use the Nox App Player as their chosen Android Emulator, saying it is one of the quicker or trustworthy emulators available for use. You can install it for either Windows or Mac on bignox.com.
After getting the emulator, go ahead and download the CRowns Lite APK for it same way you’d do for an Android device. After this, you’ll only need to install it onto the Nox Player App. The way to go about this installation is no different, just ensure you select the right version of the APK for your operating system.
To install the CRowns Lite APK file onto the Nox App Player, do this:
- Open the Nox Player App and adhere to the guidelines on the screen to set things up the right way. Ensure you sign into Nox with your Google ID before installing CRowns Lite.
- Get to the Tea TV APK file from the folder it was installed to, then drag and drop the file into the Nox App Player.
- The APK will start to install itself. You may be asked to tap “Install.” before it starts. It could take several minutes, this is dependent on your processing speed.
- As soon as CRowns Lite has been downloaded onto Nox, you will be able to access the app from the Nox Home Screen.
- Tap the app to open CRowns Lite from your PC or Mac.
After this, we can now set up Google Home too to your Nox App Player. You can search for Google Home directly on the Nox App Player or you can just move over to a site you trust to get it downloaded from there.
As soon as the Google Home app is downloaded onto the Nox App Player, open it from the home screen and adhere to the instructions in the Casting Kodi or CRowns Lite from an Android Device walk-through above.
