As an avid tech enthusiast, I was recently frustrated to discover that my Chromecast was not working properly. After doing some research and testing, I was determined to find an answer to the question: Do I leave Chromecast plugged in? Do I have to turn it off? Here to share my findings, as well as some of my own solutions and other solutions I discovered, I’m hoping that this blog post can help others who may have similar questions.
The best course of action is to leave your Chromecast plugged in all the time. Not only is that more convenient for you, but it also limits the strain on the HDMI terminals. In addition, this keeps you up-to-date on firmware, cached content, suggestions, and the like.
| Tips for Leaving Your Chromecast Plugged In |
|---|
| – Leave your Chromecast plugged in all the time. |
| – This prevents strain on HDMI terminals and keeps the device up-to-date on firmware. |
| – Leaving the Chromecast plugged in is energy-efficient and won’t significantly affect your electricity bill. |
| – It allows you to use HDMI-CEC features, such as turning your TV on via the Chromecast connection. |
Table of Contents
4 Reasons Why You Should Leave Your Chromecast Plugged In
Many people have worries about keeping their Chromecast devices on all the time. Some are concerned that the Chromecast might be prone to damage in the long run; others have their electricity bills to think about.
Yet, it turned out that it’s 100% safe for you to leave your Chromecast plugged in all day long. The following reasons should put your mind at ease about this whole business!
You Don’t Want to Put A Lot of Stress on the HDMI Connection
The number one reason why you shouldn’t keep connecting and disconnecting your Chromecast is because of how sensitive an HDMI cable can be.
Doing that over and over on a daily basis can put so much strain on the terminals, which might wear them down too soon.
Still, if you’re conscious of your power consumption and want to limit your use, it’s okay to unplug the Chromecast’s USB connection. That should pose no harm to your device, but it will hinder the installation of updates.
A Chromecast’s Power Consumption Is Minuscule
Even keeping the USB adapter plugged into a wall outlet isn’t that big of a deal. To our delight, we discovered that the tiny Chromecast is one of the most energy-efficient devices you can come across!
After some testing, it turned out that the amount of power consumed by a Chromecast in 48 hours —switching from keeping it idle to streaming HD videos— is only around 1.8 watts. Sure, it will be prone to fluctuations, but they tend to be as low as 0.1 going up or down.
In other words, if you keep your Chromecast plugged in all day long, you can expect to pay approximately $2 for the electricity bill per year. Sounds incredible, right?
Therefore, whether you’re worried about the environment or your bank account, you can rest assured that no significant harm will come to either by leaving your Chromecast plugged in 24/7!
A Plugged-in Chromecast Is Always Up-to-Date
How many times did you need to wait for anywhere between a few minutes to an entire hour for Windows to install updates when you had important work to do on your laptop? Well, by keeping your Chromecast plugged in around the clock, you won’t have to face the same issue!
While you’re not actively using it, your Chromecast has all the time in the world to download firmware updates so that it’s always ready for use when you are.
On the other hand, turning the device on and off will likely push the update installation process to the times when you want to use your Chromecast. Yes, that can be really frustrating!
You May Be Able to Turn Your TV on Via Your Chromecast Connection
Read more: Can I stream downloaded movies to Chromecast?
One cool perk of having your Chromecast on standby is that it adds up to your convenience. See, many modern TVs support HDMI-CEC, which basically allows you to switch your TV on through the HDMI connection.
However, this nifty feature only works if the Chromecast is plugged into the power outlet and, needless to say, into the HDMI port.
As a result, all you’ll need to do to watch some Netflix goodness or listen to your Spotify playlists is to simply cast those apps to your TV. The TV screen will automatically turn on and stream the content of choice!
Final Words
Read more: Can you use two Chromecasts in one house?
For a user-friendly experience, it’s a good idea to keep your Chromecast connected to your TV, always at your service!
This ensures the device installs any necessary updates once they’re available. In addition, it keeps the HDMI terminals from becoming worn off and allows you to use the benefits of HDMI-CEC.
Since having a Chromecast plugged in 24/7 doesn’t consume so much energy, there are almost no drawbacks to this scenario. So, you can enjoy this tiny level of luxury living without second thoughts!
