Despite having been out for a few years, it's hard to find a 2nd-gen Chromecast for cheap. Well, today's the lowest we've seen it, the previous best being around $46. True, $44 isn't that much cheaper, but $2 is $2.

The last deal we saw for Google's Chromecast 2 was back in February and that was bundled with a Home Mini. This time, it's just the Chromecast, which Officeworks has on sale for $49, but the right coupon code will lower this to $46.55.

The Chromecast - that's a dongle for getting movies and shows and maybe a bit of music up on your big screen, right? Well, yes, but there's much more you can do with your Chromecast. All kinds of apps and games can benefit from the extra screen space - not just Plex and Netflix.

If your home theatre setup is looking outdated, then this deal is worth a look. Right now, several retailers are offering the Google Home Mini and Chromecast 2 as a package deal for less than $100, saving you $30-$40 if you were to purchase them separately.

VLC, the Swiss Army knife of media players, has been updated to version 3.0.0. The latest version adds some much-needed features to the player, including one that could make streaming all that content from your computer to your living room TV a lot easier: Chromecast support (among other things).

If you've been hitting VLC's nightly builds, then most of the new features of v3.0.0 will be old news. For everyone else, the major update -- the first since 2.0.0 came out in 2012 -- adds loads of goodness, including native Chromecast support, hardware HEVC decoding and advanced network browsing. While VLC's website hasn't been updated, there's no need to wait: you can grab the official release right now.

Do you have a TV or movie addict on your Christmas list this year? Here are some gift ideas for people who, like me, can't seem to tear themselves away from their screens.

If you own a Google Chromecast, it's now possible to access Freeview on your TV. This grants you live streaming access to most Australian free-to-air channels - including ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine and Ten - without the need for an aerial. Here's how to get the app working on your TV.

The stock photos that come with your Chromecast are beautiful and all, but if you want to switch things up, you can customise it a bit more to your liking. All you need is the Google Home app.

Google's Chromecast is one of the most useful streaming dongles ever invented -- but its functionality falls down as soon as your internet access is restricted or just not available at all. Getting a Chromecast working in a hotel room isn't easy, but it is possible. These are the tricks you can try.

Recently, Chromecasts have developed a strange quirk. When you cast something from your phone to your TV, every single device on your network will get a notification to control it. If you find this annoying, here's how to turn it off.

Google wants you to start looking at it as a hardware company. Today, it announced new Pixel phones, a smart voice assistant-powered speaker called Google Home and a VR platform. Here are the coolest things the company announced today.

The Chromecast is a little miracle of a device that keeps getting better over time. If you want to be the first to try out new Chromecast features, Google's created a preview program just for you.

If you've been waiting for a cheaper price on Google's Chromecast 2, well, you now have the pick of the electronic litter. Harvey Norman currently has the device for $47, down from its retail price of $59, though it's certainly not the only store offering a discount.

If you wanted to cast straight from Google Chrome, you previously needed an extension. As of the browser's latest version, that is no longer the case -- it is now supported natively.

Netflix and chill is all well and good, but there are still loads of people who have never tried streaming video. Fortunately, it’s very easy to get started. Better yet, for many people it can be totally free to try.

Dear Lifehacker, I like Google Play, I get all my music, apps, docs, mails, news, books, all sorts of things through there, and after reading your article on Game of Thrones, I am considering looking into the movie/video side of things. My biggest issue is that my Google Play interactions are largely from my smartphone. What methods are there to watch my newly acquired HD movies on a TV screen?

iOS: AirParrot is a neat bit of software that adds in AirPlay and Chromecast support to just about anything in OS X. While built-in mirroring options exist nowadays, AirParrot Remote makes that AirParrot software useful again by allowing you to control it from your phone.

As of today, the new Google Chromecast is on sale in Australia. It's a significant improvement in several small but notable ways from the original model -- which is an impressive feat, considering how useful it was and still is.