Chromecast opened up its API to third party apps in 2014, and some content providers have created apps that work with Chromecast even if the device does not have native support. Dish has built a seamless app that works natively with Chromecast for the Sling, and for those Chromecast users who might be a little adventurous, there are some alternatives as well.

Chromecast support has arrived for Slingbox M1, 350 and SlingTV/500 customers using the Slingplayer app on iPhone, iPad, and Android phones. (Support for Android tablets will be rolled out soon, reports have said.)

If you’re not familiar with Chromecast, here’s a quick rundown: It’s a USB/HDMI dongle made by Google that you plug into a TV’s HDMI port, and then lets you “cast” content onto the big screen wirelessly from apps running on your mobile device. When paired with the Slingplayer app, you’ll be able to watch any of your cable or satellite programming (live or recorded) on any TV that’s been set up with Chromecast. Remember, both the Chromecast device and Slingplayer-equipped mobile device must be on the same network. And when they are, you’ll be able to control your TV with a soft remote interface that shows up on your phone or tablet:

Chromecast, like the other popular Sling-supported video streamers including Roku players and Apple TV, is compact (less than three inches long) and inexpensive ($35). We feel this will present a simple but powerful solution for our Sling customers who want to watch on multiple home TVs without setting up more than one set-top box, or would like to use Sling to watch their home content on a TV in a hotel, vacation home, office or anywhere else.

For those who have been asking for Chromecast support for a while, thank you for your patience, and for everyone else, we hope you’ll give it a try. As always, we’ll continue to make Sling the best TV anywhere experience possible.

Categories: DISH & TV news • Equipment & Remotes