ahhh... when i try to Cast from my desktop to my Roku, i see the Roku as a destination, but only "Available for specific video sites". i think it must be that the _Roku_ is restricted as a Cast[ing] destination. my Chromecast HD is in a drawer so i can't test it right now.
so using a real Chromecast, it still is possible to Cast any tab at all?
Yes, it is still 100% possible with the real Chromecast. My TV also has an option to cast to it (not sure what it uses under the hood) but it is similarly restricted.