Media Streaming and Playback

One of the primary use cases of any consumer-grade notebook is media consumption. Chromebooks do well on this front so long as expectations are tempered. Keep in mind that a Chromebook with a Full HD display is still a luxury, and high DPI Chromebooks are even rarer (and considerably more expensive). However, for those that don't mind watching 720p or 1080p video, Chromebooks make for competent media machines. The chipsets, though underpowered, can still handle 1080p playback and FHD content streaming with nary a hiccup. Lack of good offline video playback software and low storage means Chromebooks are better suited for streaming media than offline playback. Apps like VLC do exist, however, for those wishing to carry their local media on the built-in storage, USB drive, or SD card. It should be noted that Chromebooks are compatible with Google's Chromecast streaming device, which allows for easy screen streaming at FHD or lower. Users can merely click a button built into the Chrome browser to cast to a Chromecast and media content will instantly show up on the connected television or monitor.

4K, on the other hand, is a bit more problematic. Chromebooks with a high-resolution screen, like the Google Pixel 2, have powerful hardware capable of pushing that many pixels, but the average Chromebook does not. Most Chromebooks sport an HDMI port for connecting to an external monitor or TV, but these are typically HDMI 1.4 compliant. That rules out 4K resolutions at 60 Hz, which in turn limits usability at such resolutions. Add to that the low-tiered processors in most Chromebooks and you can see why 4K is just out of the reach of a typical Chromebook. Movie playback at 4K is possible, as most movies run at 24 frames/second, but stutters and load times caused by the poor processing power of the compatible video codec and weak CPU can lead to a frustrating experience.

It helps to note that there no native apps for Netflix or Hulu. Users will have to use the website or use the corresponding Android apps on supported Chromebooks. Likewise, music streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora, Groove Music etc., do not have native ChromeOS apps. There are YouTube and Google Play Music apps but those are just links to websites.