Of course, you can connect a laptop or tablet also wired to a TV, but with the Chromecast that's just wirelessly and funzt super with the appropriate apps. Now I have the media libraries of ARD, ZDF, ARTE and 3SAT wirelessly available. With another app I can videos directly from the browser on my phone to stream to TV (Pro 7 went with good but at RTL you need to do not support Flash Player .... this is certainly also ne solution to the I but have not sought :-).
YouTube works great. And what I find particularly great here: the whole family sat together and everyone could no extra installation his favorite video stream and then all sat together and laughed instead of every man for himself in his room.
Also parading themselves geschossener photos or videos is not a problem with the appropriate apps. Easy to Play Store after Chromecast looking ....... am sure that there will be there in the near future a lot more.
All in all more than satisfied. Especially for the price of 35 euros! I wonder if I have not a second DETERMINED me for the other television ....