The Chromecast is a nifty little device. If you don’t have one at home, you may still be able to cast YouTube and Netflix to your TV using the open-source DIAL feature.
DIAL, which stands for Discovery And Launch, was created by Netflix and YouTube originally used by the Chromecast to cast videos on your TV. What most people don’t know is that DIAL is still built into many Smart TVs. That means if your TV has a Netflix or YouTube app, you might be able to cast videos in the same way: just open YouTube or Netflix on your phone, find a video and tap the cast button. If your TV shows up, you can tap it to cast that video to your TV.
It only works with Netflix and YouTube, and it isn’t available on every TV (I couldn’t find the option on my Samsung Smart TV), but Chris Hoffman at the How-To Geek explains that most Smart TVs should have this option, and you don’t even need to turn anything on — just make sure your TV is connected to the internet and has Netflix and YouTube set up. Plenty of users in this Reddit thread have noted success as well.
So, check out the link below for step-by-step instructions on how to try it out, and see if it works for you!
Use Your TV’s Hidden “DIAL” Feature to Cast Netflix and YouTube Without a Chromecast [How-To Geek]
Comments
9 responses to “Cast YouTube And Netflix To Your Smart TV, No Chromecast Required”
Is it just me or are Smart TV OS’s horribly slow and clunky?
Running a pretty decent Bravia, but never attempt to do anything in the OS.
I believe the new LG models are decent, but they’re also really expensive. A dumb TV with a media centre running XBMC/KODI will still probably be cheaper, and do more.
Chromecast and WD Media box works fine for us. Much better than anything on the TV OS.
Works if you’ve got a Xbox360/One or PS3/4 too!
But slightly useless since there is a Netflix and Youtube app on the console.
The usefulness of this is that you don’t need to use a clunky remote or controller to find the video you want to play, you can just find it on your phone and cast it to the TV.
“Xbox Go To Youtube” 😉
Sorry but I find I use voice commands so much more with video apps.
^This, i hated the idea of voice commands when i heard about it but its now the only reason my Kinect is still plugged in. so great for media!
The best thing about Netflix that you can unblock any content by switching your region like these settings here https://thevpn.guru/netflix-proxy-region-how-to-change-dns-vpn