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When i connect my iphones pandora to my chromecast the tv plays the music like it should, and the music on the tv matches what is displayed on my iphone, volume works, skip, pause all works like it should. However, when i go to the ipod app on my iphone and press play the iphone stops pandora and plays the ipod like it should, but the chromecast on the TV keeps playing pandora. when i go to the pandora app on the phone it has to restart (like it wasnt running in the background) and starts playing a song, but the song is different than the one chromecast is playing. the iphones controls no longer control chromecast like it did before and chromecast will continue to play song after song even when the iphone is turned off completley. when i change the input on the tv to cable or something else the chromecast will make the tv switch back to it when the next song starts, it will also turn my tv on if i turn the tv off. the only way i can get the chromecast to turn off is to unplug the power. does anyone know why its doing this? as far at i know the chromecast is just to transfer media from another device to a tv, not make its own media. where is it getting the pandora from?
shordinges said:
as far at i know the chromecast is just to transfer media from another device to a tv, not make its own media. where is it getting the pandora from?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's where you're wrong, you aren't 'slinging' the actual content to your Chromecast, just the login/tokens and content SELECTION to the chromecast... then it takes over, it runs a regular instance of chrome on the chromecast and does all the streaming of the media directly on the chromecast over the internet... for instance, I can start watching Netflix on my Chromecast from my Android phone... I can then put my phone into airplane mode (which turns off wifi), it will continue playing Netflix... luckily, on Android, when I reconnect, and open Netflix, it realizes that my Chromecast is already playing, and gives me control again. Probably just an iOS bug with Pandora, I would just stop playing it before jumping over to the standard music app, or... Use an an Android device.
*edit*: the exception to the above is if you're casting a tab from a desktop/laptop browser, then you are encoding whatever is on the tab to video, then decoding it on the Chromecast.... This would require the computer as a intermediary as the page itself will always be rendered on the PC.
jmhalder said:
*edit*: the exception to the above is if you're casting a tab from a desktop/laptop browser, then you are encoding whatever is on the tab to video, then decoding it on the Chromecast.... This would require the computer as a intermediary as the page itself will always be rendered on the PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Or if you have a rooted Chromecast and you are using AllCast to play media from your Android phone/tablet.
(depending on what you are watching)
Sent from my Nexus 9 using XDA Free mobile app
which app can I use on Android to cast from a NAS without transiting through my phone (Galaxy S4)??
I've tried LocalCast and the ES File Manager chromecast plugin and both stream my files to my phone and then on the chromecast... What a useless loop...
NAS -> wireless N router -> phone -> wireless N router -> chromecast
How can I make it stream directly from the NAS in that sort of way: NAS -> Router -> chromecast, and the phone as remote controller????
Thanks you
mathieums said:
How can I make it stream directly from the NAS in that sort of way: NAS -> Router -> chromecast, and the phone as remote controller????
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your NAS supports DLNA you might have more luck. If it strictly supports only CIFS/SMB/AFP type file-sharing, I don't know of any apps whose Chromecast component can browse those.
bhiga said:
If your NAS supports DLNA you might have more luck. If it strictly supports only CIFS/SMB/AFP type file-sharing, I don't know of any apps whose Chromecast component can browse those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well, I say NAS but in reality it is a HDD conencted to a Asus RT-N16 router running tomatousb which (I think) runs minidlna of something similar.
My smart TV, xbox, ps3, computers... they all see the files and stream it no problem.
mathieums said:
well, I say NAS but in reality it is a HDD conencted to a Asus RT-N16 router running tomatousb which (I think) runs minidlna of something similar.
My smart TV, xbox, ps3, computers... they all see the files and stream it no problem.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK. Check BubbleUPnP or maybe Avia. I'm pretty sure there as one early app that later started pulling directly, but I can't remember which one it was at the moment. I think it was discussed in a thread here.
bhiga said:
OK. Check BubbleUPnP or maybe Avia. I'm pretty sure there as one early app that later started pulling directly, but I can't remember which one it was at the moment. I think it was discussed in a thread here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you. I'll look into it right now!
If you're lucky @Asphyx might remember
I think Bubble may be the answer provided no transcoding is required.
I know the dev was dabbling in limited in device transcoding as well but not sure where that is at or if it is even needed for Music.
aVia most definitely runs everything through the phone if I'm not Mistaken but that too could have changed since I least used it.
Pretty much everything I stream to CCast now is via Plex which does not require the launch device to stay on.
Most 3rd party Content providers whose content is on the web and who support CCast via the casting icon will send the stream direct.
That would include Pandora, Hulu Etc...
Bubble or Plex is probably the best option but both will require a PC to handle the streaming.
It doesn't take much or affect the PC's ability to function but it will require an always on PC.
I think last time I checked (which was more than a year ago, probably closer to 2), Avia kept streaming from my server running Serviio (UPnP server) even after I rebooted my phone, but I'm not in a spot that I can retest this.
Asphyx said:
I think Bubble may be the answer provided no transcoding is required.
I know the dev was dabbling in limited in device transcoding as well but not sure where that is at or if it is even needed for Music.
aVia most definitely runs everything through the phone if I'm not Mistaken but that too could have changed since I least used it.
Pretty much everything I stream to CCast now is via Plex which does not require the launch device to stay on.
Most 3rd party Content providers whose content is on the web and who support CCast via the casting icon will send the stream direct.
That would include Pandora, Hulu Etc...
Bubble or Plex is probably the best option but both will require a PC to handle the streaming.
It doesn't take much or affect the PC's ability to function but it will require an always on PC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've just tried Bubble and it works with the launch device turned off. Exactly what I was looking for :good:
Avia is a paid app, I didn't try it. I'll look into Plex, thanks!
mathieums said:
I've just tried Bubble and it works with the launch device turned off. Exactly what I was looking for :good:
Avia is a paid app, I didn't try it. I'll look into Plex, thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In some respects Plex is a semi-paid app...
You don't need to pay to use it with a CCast but to get everythig requires a Plex pass account which has grown very expensive from the day when I bought my lifetime membership.
If Bubble works and the interface is not an issue then stick with it...
Plex is a little prettier and does full scraping of titles for a better display but if all you want to do is fling content you might not need all of that.
Is it currently possible for me to use my tablet, or phone to stream content from my NAS or server in my home network?
Ruzzah said:
Is it currently possible for me to use my tablet, or phone to stream content from my NAS or server in my home network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes...(and I'm going to assume you mean to the Chromecast).
Only two options available now...
Plex Player and aVia....
Option 1 - aVia Player should work with any DLNA server provided the files on the server/NAS are already compatible with Chromecast.
Option 2 - Plex has a Server AND a Player component. The server will transcode any file to be compatible with Chromecast. But the Plex Player only works with the Plex Server. And currently (temporarily actually) in order to stream content to Chromecast with Plex requires a PlexPass account. The server software is free, There are two players available one that requires a PlexPass account and another (Plex for Android) that does not (exception being that it won't work with Chromecast for now but will soon).
Plex Server will work with both aVia and obviously Plex Players. And will probably work with any future DLNA players that have Chromecast support in the future such as Bubble or Twonky.
Most NAS systems available today HAVE some sort of Media/DLNA server built into it! SO you should check your NAS to see if it already has that capability.
WD My Book has Twonky Server built in
NetGear has Plex built into it
Seagate has some proprietary thing that does not work at all! Unfortunately I have one of those and had to set up a server on another machine just to get that capability.
If money isn't an issue for you and you don't mind paying for the PlexPass account (you can get a lifetime account for $75) then I recommend Plex as it does transcoding and works much better with Chromecast than aVia does presently.
Also note that some issues with aVia have been encountered with people on JB 4.1.2 but not 4.1.1, Not sure if that means everything above 4.1.1 has issues though....Expect aVia to fix that at some point.
I currently have 4.3.1 on my phone and 4.4.2 on my tablet. Also what type of movies are compatible, and would I need a transcoder for the chromecast to work with the files?
Ruzzah said:
I currently have 4.3.1 on my phone and 4.4.2 on my tablet. Also what type of movies are compatible, and would I need a transcoder for the chromecast to work with the files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You'll need Plex Media Server or upload to RealPlayer Cloud for real-time transcoding of anything that is not in a Chromecast-compatible format.
See 2.b, 2.c and 2.d in the FAQ.
Ruzzah said:
Is it currently possible for me to use my tablet, or phone to stream content from my NAS or server in my home network?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could also use the modified AllCast with BubbleUPNP on a rooted Chromecast. Using this method I haven't had issues with MKV files and MP4 files.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=47503538&postcount=98
Is it possible to cast movies in a non compatible chromecast format (avi, divx, etc) via Avia using a Plex media server?
I havent had any luck doing so. I thought the plex media server would transcode the movie to a compatible format on the go?
What about using the plex app for android with the plex pass? Would that work ? Would it do the transcoding on the go ?
burdo said:
Is it possible to cast movies in a non compatible chromecast format (avi, divx, etc) via Avia using a Plex media server?
I havent had any luck doing so. I thought the plex media server would transcode the movie to a compatible format on the go?
What about using the plex app for android with the plex pass? Would that work ? Would it do the transcoding on the go ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Plex server should be transcoding the media on the fly for you. What are the specs of the machine that's the Plex server?
I don't believe the Android app can transcode as it's just a client.
Sent from a device with no keyboard. Please forgive typos, they may not be my own.
I'll try and paste the answer from our PM so the rest of the folks can benefit...
burdo said:
Is it possible to cast movies in a non compatible chromecast format (avi, divx, etc) via Avia using a Plex media server?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hit or Miss (depending on the video format) but the answer is probably not. When using aVia the Plex server can't transcode for CCast as it doesn't even know it exists.What Transcoding Plex might use (if any) when aVia requests a stream is unclear since there is no profile specifically for the aVia (profiles are usually for devices not software and it is up to the software to identify what it needs which may not be the case with aVia).
burdo said:
I havent had any luck doing so. I thought the plex media server would transcode the movie to a compatible format on the go?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Transcoding may or may not happen and even when it does happen what it transcodes to varies from device to device. Only when the App making the request identifies itself as THIS TYPE OF DEVICE (or Profile) will Plex know how to transcode for it and do so. aVia Devs could probably solve this problem at some point so all of what I'm saying could change if they wanted it to.
burdo said:
What about using the plex app for android with the plex pass? Would that work ? Would it do the transcoding on the go ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
YES! Plex for Android and Plex for PlexPass will both play files that are not chromecast compatible and transcode them for playback on the CCast, but there will probably be some exception to that from time to time where a file doesn't transcode so easily, or the Plex Transcoder itself doesn't like the file.
The difference is in how the two methods approach playback on the CCast.
Plex treats the CCast like a DLNA player and the Plex Apps don't ever actually play the video itself they merely tell the CCast to get it directly from the Server which makes the Server use the CCast Transcoding profile and rules.
aVia acts as a sort of Middleman where it gets the data and then forwards it to the CCast.(Note this is best Guess not CERTAIN by any means only aVia devs know for sure!) This means the server has no idea the CCast is being used and sends what stream it thinks the aVia can handle (which may not be compatible with CCast.)
Method 1 (Plex) - You pick a file in PlexApp and tell it to cast it, Plex app sends a command to CCast to go get the file from the server. Server transcodes for CCast and the file plays directly on CCast
Method 2 (aVia) - You pick a file in aVia and tell it to cast it, aVia tells the server to send it to aVia then aVia sends the data to the CCast.
Best combination right now for streaming Plex Server (and incompatible) content to CCast are the Plex apps...If Plex Server can recognize the file it should transcode properly for CCast.
Unfortunately (as we speak) to use the Plex apps with CCast requires a PlexPass account (Not free). This is only temporary and it will not be required in the near future.
So if money is not a big issue I suggest trying it for a month by getting a month of PlexPass and giving it a good test run. Hopefully by the time that Month is done PlexPass will no longer be required to stream to CCast after that.
Just to be a little clearer on when and how transcoding happens...
The PLAYER is the key to transcode/Not Transcode and is the one responsible for communicating to the Plex Server what it requires as far as transcoding is concerned. It is the player communicating with the server that tells Plex Server which profile to use when the player makes a request to get the file.
In the Plex System the Player resides on and is written FOR the CCast and it tells the Plex server it is a CCast.
In aVia it is unclear what the aVia player tells the Plex server or that it gives PlexServer any information about itself or it's intentions of what it plans to do with the file at all.
Without any information about it's target Plex server may not do any transcoding or if minimal information is given during the file request it may use a generic profile which may not be as compatible with CCast as lets say a Android profile might be.
And let me be clear (and Fair to the aVia Devs). We are just GUESSING based on observations on how aVia seems to be working in conjunction with CCast. The best place to get answers (and solutions as well) is to ask these questions regarding aVia on their support site (if they have one).
Not only will they be much more informed at how their app works but your Question may even lead them to change or update their code to work much better in a transcoding environment where casting to CCast is concerned.
They may already be working on these things, or we could be totally off base in how aVia is doing what it does.
And I don't want to give the impression that aVia is doing something wrong or that Plex is better for anything other than streaming from PlexServer at the moment.
aVia does many things the Plex Apps will NOT DO such as casting Local ON UNIT files that PlexApps simply doesn't do.
And other than the temporary requirement of needing a PlexPass to cast to CCast with Plex, In the end having BOTH APPS (aVia and Plex) will make a very Versatile and Complementary tandem to stream any kind of local content (be it Plex Server or ON UNIT) to the CCast.
I'm currently using Plex Media Server on my desktop to host my music (app is free for the PC) and then use Avia on my phone or tablet to access the Plex Media Server and stream to my chromecast on my home theater. Its a good work around until chromcast features are free on Plex.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
mpgwrx said:
I'm currently using Plex Media Server on my desktop to host my music (app is free for the PC) and then use Avia on my phone or tablet to access the Plex Media Server and stream to my chromecast on my home theater. Its a good work around until chromcast features are free on Plex.
Sent from my SCH-I545 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To add to that there is a temporary workaround (that always worked) if your on a PC.
Just load up the Media Manager of Plex Server (it is browser based) and use the the GoogleCast extension in Chrome to send the stream to the CCast no PlexPass is needed.
This is similar to the way aVia works except for the fact that because your on a PC and have the power and buffer space to Transcode, The GoogleCast extension will make a CCast compatible stream out of it.
Probably won't get any surround sound goodness doing it that way but it is a good stopgap method until PlexPass is no longer required.
Good to know!!!
I wanted to let you know guys that plex just added native streaming to chromecast via browser, just as youtube or netflix. No need to use the cast extension anymore. Works perfect for every format I tried and every codec. AVI, MPG, MP4, MKV,etc
You need to have your plex server setup and published (so it can be access externally). Check if it is in settings/plex media server/ myplex. If it is not you will need to forward the port to your server on your router. Once its published, access www.plex.tv (from any pc anywhere). Login to the same account you use on your server. Click on servers. You should see yours now. At the top right corner you should see the cast button to play the file locally or to your chromecast (it should be on the same newtork as the server).
Thats it. Stream it!
burdo said:
I wanted to let you know guys that plex just added native streaming to chromecast via browser, just as youtube or netflix. No need to use the cast extension anymore. Works perfect for every format I tried and every codec. AVI, MPG, MP4, MKV,etc
You need to have your plex server setup and published (so it can be access externally). Check if it is in settings/plex media server/ myplex. If it is not you will need to forward the port to your server on your router. Once its published, access www.plex.tv (from any pc anywhere). Login to the same account you use on your server. Click on servers. You should see yours now. At the top right corner you should see the cast button to play the file locally or to your chromecast (it should be on the same newtork as the server).
Thats it. Stream it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Awesome find!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
burdo said:
I wanted to let you know guys that plex just added native streaming to chromecast via browser, just as youtube or netflix. No need to use the cast extension anymore. Works perfect for every format I tried and every codec. AVI, MPG, MP4, MKV,etc
You need to have your plex server setup and published (so it can be access externally). Check if it is in settings/plex media server/ myplex. If it is not you will need to forward the port to your server on your router. Once its published, access www.plex.tv (from any pc anywhere). Login to the same account you use on your server. Click on servers. You should see yours now. At the top right corner you should see the cast button to play the file locally or to your chromecast (it should be on the same newtork as the server).
Thats it. Stream it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They haven't added it to the Plexweb side of the server yet..It is only on the Plex.tv site right now something I expect will be updated pretty soon.
I was hoping they added this functionality to the PlexWeb.
Anyone with a ASUS Black Diamond Router rt-n65u? It is supposed to be able to share dlna media but I cannot get avia to see it.
I was hoping to stream all my MP4 movies that are on the routers usb3 external hard drive to the Chromecast with Avia.
All my phones/tablets can stream all the movies from it perfectly. ANY IDEAS how to get it to work from anyone that has the same router?
Sent from my Work Phone
RockRatt said:
Anyone with a ASUS Black Diamond Router rt-n65u? It is supposed to be able to share dlna media but I cannot get avia to see it.
I was hoping to stream all my MP4 movies that are on the routers usb3 external hard drive to the Chromecast with Avia.
All my phones/tablets can stream all the movies from it perfectly. ANY IDEAS how to get it to work from anyone that has the same router?
Sent from my Work Phone
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I can see from the product page for that router it isn't a DLNA server just some proprietary Media Server.
Probably only works with their App.
Asphyx said:
From what I can see from the product page for that router it isn't a DLNA server just some proprietary Media Server.
Probably only works with their App.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, page 32 of the manual says it is a UPnP server, but not specifically DLNA.
BubbleUPnP should be able to access it, so you might be able to browse via BubbleUPnP and share to Avia for casting, assuming your media is in a format Chromecast can play.
bhiga said:
Indeed, page 32 of the manual says it is a UPnP server, but not specifically DLNA.
BubbleUPnP should be able to access it, so you might be able to browse via BubbleUPnP and share to Avia for casting, assuming your media is in a format Chromecast can play.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I forget but it may also be possible aVia would be able to see it via Samba if he used one of the many Samba Mapping apps out there so they showed up as local files on his device.
Router is definitely not going to do any transcoding so it had better at least be compatible with aVia and that still doesn't guarantee CCast will work.
Asphyx said:
I forget but it may also be possible aVia would be able to see it via Samba if he used one of the many Samba Mapping apps out there so they showed up as local files on his device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good idea - cifsmanager or something like it might work. I've been toying with the idea to map some ISO folders so WonderShare can play them but haven't reached that point on my ToDo list yet.
Thanks all for the ideas. I will play with the ideas and see what works. Just had a thought about it as well now.
The Asus router has a app for it and I use it all the time. I "THINK" I chose the mxplayer as the default player. So MAYBE once I clear the default player then "Hopefully" it will ask again and I can choose A via as the player (as this is how I have setup ShoBox to use A via as the player). Do not know why I didn't think of it previously. I will reply here once I get home tonight to see if it will work.
If not I will try some of the other ideas. Thanks again
EDIT: I cleared defaults for MX player, opened up the AiCloud App (that I can access my hard drive connected to my home Asus Router from my phone over WiFi or cell signal), went to my movie folder, chose a movie, the AiCloud app which app to play with, I chose A via and it tried to play the movie. Now I WILL HAVE TO TEST once I get home because the upload from the router over my cell signal is too slow to play the movie. I REALLY HOPE this works like it looks like it will I will update further once I test over my WiFi at home...
Sent From My Spiderman,Ironman,Red,Dark Blue,Green, GreyedOut BadAss Themed I337
Just released, the Yatse Remote for XBMC now offers the ability to stream content from XBMC to CCast (In app Purchase for Unlocker required $4.99 plus the free plugin to cast)
I had never really tried this remote before but when I saw it supported streaming to CCast I went and bought it.
haven't had a lot of time with it but it does offer some major features that don't exist in the Official XBMC remote.
First and foremost you can stream to your local device from XBMC. Note XBMC has not transcode capability so compatibility as far as CCast is concerned will probably still be an issue. (Bubble and Plex are still your friends here!)
The app claims to be able to launch XBMC remotely which I suppose is possible but have not tested nor do I know if it works.
What I do know is it does quite well stream and send content to any DLNA/UPnP/DIAL (tested with CCast) targets on the network which is a very good feature for those who have an HTPC running XBMC and wish to add it's content to another Monitor without having to buy an entire HTPC for each TV.
So for all of those folks who were looking for ways to stream XBMC content to CCast your day has finally arrived.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.leetzone.android.yatsewidgetfree
Asphyx said:
Just released, the Yatse Remote for XBMC now offers the ability to stream content from XBMC to CCast (In app Purchase for Unlocker required $4.99 plus the free plugin to cast)
I had never really tried this remote before but when I saw it supported streaming to CCast I went and bought it.
haven't had a lot of time with it but it does offer some major features that don't exist in the Official XBMC remote.
First and foremost you can stream to your local device from XBMC. Note XBMC has not transcode capability so compatibility as far as CCast is concerned will probably still be an issue. (Bubble and Plex are still your friends here!)
The app claims to be able to launch XBMC remotely which I suppose is possible but have not tested nor do I know if it works.
What I do know is it does quite well stream and send content to any DLNA/UPnP/DIAL (tested with CCast) targets on the network which is a very good feature for those who have an HTPC running XBMC and wish to add it's content to another Monitor without having to buy an entire HTPC for each TV.
So for all of those folks who were looking for ways to stream XBMC content to CCast your day has finally arrived.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.leetzone.android.yatsewidgetfree
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hmmm this is nice feature from Yaste! I have used it as remote to my XBMC but then I feel they are charging high just to cast.
If you want to CCast XBMC, it can be played by AVIA (most of CCast users have already bought it) by making deualt player for AVIA. There are number of details threads on how-to..
Hi,
Thanks for info.
Since I'm mostly interested in streaming plugins to CCast. Can yatse do that, or is it limited to library?
Thanks.
pino.
puppinoo said:
Hi,
Thanks for info.
Since I'm mostly interested in streaming plugins to CCast. Can yatse do that, or is it limited to library?
Thanks.
pino.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not tried any of the Apps as far as CCast is concerned but they do appear in this program.
Something I have never seen from the other remote apps.
sting098 said:
hmmm this is nice feature from Yaste! I have used it as remote to my XBMC but then I feel they are charging high just to cast.
If you want to CCast XBMC, it can be played by AVIA (most of CCast users have already bought it) by making deualt player for AVIA. There are number of details threads on how-to..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Believe me this is a much better experience than the XBMC External Player method.
Especially since it can use Content from XBMC that is not on the local unit but on other XBMC units on the network.
.
Asphyx said:
Believe me this is a much better experience than the XBMC External Player method.
Especially since it can use Content from XBMC that is not on the local unit but on other XBMC units on the network.
.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I almost spent 5 bucks on it, but at the last minute decided to wait and see how well it works with Chromecast. I am especially interested to see if you you can play BBC iPlayer streams and or some other catch-up TV add-ons. ESPN is another one I would be interested to know if it works. Hulu is also the big one, as they have lots more than what Hulu Plus offers. If that works, this app would be a killer.
yatse is worth more than that $4.99 trust me, its an awesome remote for xbmc with tons of features that puts the official xbmc to shame, the xbmc remote should take some notes on yatse and do some work on that app.. just sayin
Bought it, yet to stream a single file successfully. Even upgraded to Gotham, no luck. None of the add-ons work. Am I missing something? Really trying to make this work.
Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk
jasenko said:
Bought it, yet to stream a single file successfully. Even upgraded to Gotham, no luck. None of the add-ons work. Am I missing something? Really trying to make this work.
Sent from my HTC_PN071 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same for me. Bought it hoping to make plugins work but many of them show empty folders or if I can stream them they give format error cause probably they are not compatible with supported codecs. I really hope there will be a BubblUpnp like approach where a server could transcode stuff to compatible formats, or maybe forward addons to chrome and make it transcode. So far no luck..
jasenko said:
Bought it, yet to stream a single file successfully. Even upgraded to Gotham, no luck. None of the add-ons work. Am I missing something? Really trying to make this work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jasenko said:
I almost spent 5 bucks on it, but at the last minute decided to wait and see how well it works with Chromecast. I am especially interested to see if you you can play BBC iPlayer streams and or some other catch-up TV add-ons. ESPN is another one I would be interested to know if it works. Hulu is also the big one, as they have lots more than what Hulu Plus offers. If that works, this app would be a killer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have BBC Add On installed so I can't test this for you. But channel support in all of the options available have issues with CCast because of the various transport protocols being used for web that are incompatible with CCast due to the player extension requirements of those transport protocols when streamed in Chrome.
Where is this XBMC your trying to stream from located? This program is meant to control an XBMC on an HTPC not the XBMC on your local android device. As I said in the OP it will have the same restrictions most other NON-Transcode (like aVia) options have. So unless your media is CCast compatible it will have issues playing them.
puppinoo said:
Same for me. Bought it hoping to make plugins work but many of them show empty folders or if I can stream them they give format error cause probably they are not compatible with supported codecs. I really hope there will be a BubblUpnp like approach where a server could transcode stuff to compatible formats, or maybe forward addons to chrome and make it transcode. So far no luck..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
See what I said about regarding Add Ons and Transport Protocols.
In order for XBMC to do what Bubble and Plex does the XBMC Devs need to get off their "We are a Frontend" soapbox and realize that to stay relevant they need to add some Transcode support to their DLNA services.
Right now the only way to get XBMC content to transcode is to aggregate it into BubbleUPnP.
The focus of this program is not to create a CCast app the main purpose has always been to control an XBMC machine somewhere on your network that is attached to a real TV from an Android device. What makes it good is this App also will allow you to view and play XBMC content on the device itself (something other XBMC Remotes have lacked). And because it can play locally it was easy to create an addon that would then allow files to play on the CCast and other DLNA and UPnP renderers.
I will also say after a night of playing with it (perhaps unfairly) that while this is a great addition to those who have XBMC HTPCs in their house it is not way a good replacement for Plex or Bubble which will allow content to be streamed outside the local network and support Transcoding.
It is however a better replacement for the hacked aVia methods that have been discussed here for playing XBMC content.
Especially from an interface and navigation POV.
I also noticed that you can use MX Player as the player app for Android in the settings. That doesn't have any CCast relevance but it is a good perk for those who wish to view XBMC content on Android with Hardware decoding.
I should have been clearer, I was unable to even play local Chromecast supported files. The message pops out to force playback, with that enabled I can't even get to the option to play.
Internet streams from various compatible websites like Vimeo, should be a no brainer but they just fail without even attempt to play them
jasenko said:
I should have been clearer, I was unable to even play local Chromecast supported files. The message pops out to force playback, with that enabled I can't even get to the option to play.
Internet streams from various compatible websites like Vimeo, should be a no brainer but they just fail without even attempt to play them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
And on what machine is XBMC running on that the content doesn't work for CCast?
Asphyx said:
And on what machine is XBMC running on that the content doesn't work for CCast?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HTPC is a windows box, media is on NAS. Local playback works for my files, but nothing casts to Chromecast. I will ask for the money back, nothing works as advertised. I had more luck with the external player on Android and playing addons while connecting with BubbleUPnP through Plex library.
Chromecast is so simple, call me spoiled, but I expect playback from apps to just work.
jasenko said:
HTPC is a windows box, media is on NAS. Local playback works for my files, but nothing casts to Chromecast. I will ask for the money back, nothing works as advertised. I had more luck with the external player on Android and playing addons while connecting with BubbleUPnP through Plex library.
Chromecast is so simple, call me spoiled, but I expect playback from apps to just work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How do the native apps - YouTube, Pandora, etc. work for you?
bhiga said:
How do the native apps - YouTube, Pandora, etc. work for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flawless..
Sorry to bring this thread back to life,
I am having issues with streaming to my chromecast with this app, all my files are in rar archive and playes just fine in kodi, but wont stream eather to phone (mx player) or to my chromecast, anyone have a fix?
Kodi, v15 nighlty Jan 24, 2015.
|Night| said:
Sorry to bring this thread back to life,
I am having issues with streaming to my chromecast with this app, all my files are in rar archive and playes just fine in kodi, but wont stream eather to phone (mx player) or to my chromecast, anyone have a fix?
Kodi, v15 nighlty Jan 24, 2015.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CCast doesn't support RAR riles
Asphyx said:
CCast doesn't support RAR riles
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey thank you for response, I've tested both rared and unrared same issue, when I try to stream to my phone in either mx player or vlc, it crashes after a few minutes and goes back to yatse screen. Have you seen that issue before?
|Night| said:
Hey thank you for response, I've tested both rared and unrared same issue, when I try to stream to my phone in either mx player or vlc, it crashes after a few minutes and goes back to yatse screen. Have you seen that issue before?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No but all of my files are Encoded to be every device compatible....
Yatse (and by default XBMC) does not transcode media to be compatible with various codecs and containers.
So unless the media is fully container/codec compatible it simply won't play.
Since this is not just happening on CCast and crashes on your phone as well I have to assume the files you are trying to stream have some issue and are not container/codec compatible.
Ideal for compatibility is MP4 container with a H.264 Codec. AAC Audio is also best supported by mobile devices.
A program like Plex or BubbleUPnP will transcode any format to a device compatible format so you might want to look into using one of those instead of using yatse.
You can install them onto the same machine you are currently running XBMC on.
Thats what I do.
sting098 said:
hmmm this is nice feature from Yaste! I have used it as remote to my XBMC but then I feel they are charging high just to cast.
If you want to CCast XBMC, it can be played by AVIA (most of CCast users have already bought it) by making deualt player for AVIA. There are number of details threads on how-to..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But you cant play contents from your private network, with AVIA.
will i be able to play local files without biting into data i have? from my macbook / android phone to google chromecast
please advise?
also is there a way to play xbmc to chromecast
thank you
wakkaday said:
will i be able to play local files without biting into data i have? from my macbook / android phone to google chromecast
please advise?
also is there a way to play xbmc to chromecast
thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes only the Player will use Internet, The actual local streaming does not need Internet access.
CCast uses Internet to load the player and then the file stream over local network no net required once the player is loaded.
As for playing XBMC to CCast best solution I have found is Yatse Remote but it requires in app one time payment to unlock local cast, Once there Install the cast Addon and the content on your XBMC HTPC can be streamed to your CCast.
how much internet do you think the player will need ? for a movie for example
ok thats good to know, could i play local files and continue browsing on my tablet / macbook for example....
would you reccomend getting one? or is roku streaming stick better
i believe miracast doesnt uses another technology which doesnt use data, but another way of using the internet.
wakkaday said:
how much internet do you think the player will need ? for a movie for example
...
i believe miracast doesnt uses another technology which doesnt use data, but another way of using the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The player is just a download of a HTML5 app (except for Netflix), it should be tiny, and doesn't matter what you're playing.
Miracast is screen mirroring, so it requires your device to play the movie, and what you see on your device is what goes to the TV.
The advantage is that often times the device can play more via software like MX Player. The disadvantage is that you cannot do other things with your device while playing the movie as exactly what you see on your device is what appears on the TV. Not so good if you get an embarrassing text message or something, and it'll use a lot of battery power.
The advantage to Chromecast is that Chromecast itself does the playback.. Once you make the request to play a video, you can do whatever you want on your device - even turn it off. Your device (or another device on your network) acts as the remote control.
Personally I really like it - I can browse YouTube and add videos to the TV Queue while stuff is playing full-screen on the TV.
I can play a movie in Netflix for my family to watch while I browser other movies they might like.
If I need to leave, my wife can run the same app and connect to Chromecast so she can pause/play/change things.
wakkaday said:
how much internet do you think the player will need ? .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Probably no more than a few K to one MB.
thats good to know...
i will be mainly using my mac for downloaded content (so i need to install mac server) and then i need to install plex app for the chromecast right?
and for my android phone local files that will be via allcast?
whats the situation of playing local files via iphone?
and anything can be streamed across using the chrome browser...
i guess i will have to buy and experiement around and work it out, but thank you for your information
wakkaday said:
thats good to know...
i will be mainly using my mac for downloaded content (so i need to install mac server) and then i need to install plex app for the chromecast right?
and for my android phone local files that will be via allcast?
whats the situation of playing local files via iphone?
and anything can be streamed across using the chrome browser...
i guess i will have to buy and experiement around and work it out, but thank you for your information
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No you do not install anything on the CCast it does that automatically to load whatever player App is required to work with your Mobile App...
Plex App will tell it to load the Plex player, aVia will tell it to load the aVia Player, Netflix tells it to load the Netflix player.
Once the player is loaded into the CCast (ie in Plex it says Plexc ready to cast) no further internet should be required to stream local content.
For local on device media I suggest BubbleUPnP or aVia but that local content needs to be compatible with CCast.
\
ah ok thats explains it. i will be getting it delivered tomorrow....
when you say local content needs to be compatible, do you think i will be ok with the following...
i will be mainly trying to play avi and mkvs movies...
i know you can rename mkv to m2ts which some players will play
is real player cloud not a good app? thats free???
wakkaday said:
\
ah ok thats explains it. i will be getting it delivered tomorrow....
when you say local content needs to be compatible, do you think i will be ok with the following...
i will be mainly trying to play avi and mkvs movies...
i know you can rename mkv to m2ts which some players will play
is real player cloud not a good app? thats free???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CCast compatible means:
Container type MP4
Video Codec H.264
Audio Codec AAC or MP3
Video Bitrate not higher than 8Mbps
4-6 is a good compromise for compatibility with many devices and network conditions
RealPlayer Cloud is okay - but if your media is not Chromecast-compatible you have to upload it to their cloud and their servers will transcode it for you via their SurePlay feature.
You get 2GB of cloud for free and can get some additional storage by completing some tasks (referrals, share).
wakkaday said:
how much internet do you think the player will need ? for a movie for example
ok thats good to know, could i play local files and continue browsing on my tablet / macbook for example....
would you reccomend getting one? or is roku streaming stick better
i believe miracast doesnt uses another technology which doesnt use data, but another way of using the internet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please download EZCast App from Google Play, it can cast local video,music,pdf,word,excel,PPT to your chromecast and show on TV.
i tried this with my chromecast
and it was quite fiddly getting files to play (i could change some files from mkv to mp4 and they played but some files the sound didnt play. however using plex server on mac and i beemed it across it played fine... however i noticed the data took a hit
i was just messing about wiht a few files video and it took around 300mb? it seems its playing over wifi...rather then locally...
am i doing something wrong
Casting uses all my home network bandwidth
I can use my Lenovo A7000-a phone to cast to a windows display. It works well. No 3rd party software is used on either the phone or my desktop. However, it consumes my entire (abysmally low - Hey! its the Philippines) 5MBps network bandwidth. No other user on the local home router can access the internet. I would have thought the casting would just be a connection across the router, is this NOT the case? How can I improve this so no other users are affected?
Hey all,
I don't know about you, but I'm finding it hard to keep up with a lot of the new apps and methods for casting. Since the SDK release, things have really been moving quickly. A lot of the apps seem to offer the same features, but some here or there offer something new. It's hard sifting through them and finding those new features though.
Would you guys like to suggest what you have found to be your preferred method of casting? Do you convert your vids, or upload them (like with Real), or just cast direct ...etc
As it stands for me right now, I'm on Windows and using the VideoStream extension in Chrome. From my phone, I'm using either Avia or Allcast. Not sure if I could be doing this more efficiently.
Tried XBMC, BubbleUPnP, Wonder Share Media Center and some other more exotic ways to cast from my computer and, for me, Plex is the way to go.
Especially since it no longer requires a Plex Pass subscription.
A one time 5$ fee for the app and I can cast everything on my computer and control it from my phone.
ataft said:
Hey all,
I don't know about you, but I'm finding it hard to keep up with a lot of the new apps and methods for casting. Since the SDK release, things have really been moving quickly. A lot of the apps seem to offer the same features, but some here or there offer something new. It's hard sifting through them and finding those new features though.
Would you guys like to suggest what you have found to be your preferred method of casting? Do you convert your vids, or upload them (like with Real), or just cast direct ...etc
As it stands for me right now, I'm on Windows and using the VideoStream extension in Chrome. From my phone, I'm using either Avia or Allcast. Not sure if I could be doing this more efficiently.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Plex for most everything except local casting, and Chrome Beta (with experimental chromecast support enabled in flags) for streaming things like dailymotion, etc (tried LocalCast for this but it just never worked for me), Chrome Beta does it perfectly, adds the chromecast icon to the video and everything...plex DOES have channels, dailymotion being one of them and it works just as well, but it's nice to have it all in Chrome.
As for device to TV casting I use Solid Explorer with the free chromecast plugin.
There are a lot of Apps but there is no KILLER App yet to date....None that just DOES EVERYTHING...
You have Two distinct Groups of Apps...Players and Media Servers (Media Servers being a bit more comprehensive as they also include players to interface with their system)
You're (currently) going to need one of both types to be able to stream everything you might want to stream to a CCast.
Media Servers - Include Bubble UPnP and Plex. (PlayOn is another system but I'm not sure they have added their CCast support yet)
Media Servers usually work in conjunction with a more powerful computer running the server part of the system that can do things like convert (Transcode) media to be compatible (playable) on any device including a CCast, and make your media available via DLNA, UPnP or via a custom Cloud Service.These server systems in most cases do not stream content stored on your local (android) device (some like BubbleUPnP can), but they remove the need to store content on your device altogether by making a master media library server that can be accessed anywhere (even remotely). Some Media Servers will also allow you to sync content locally (Plex does not sure about Bubble) to a device when required so you can view that content even when no Network access is available (think in a Plane or when the only Network is a metered Mobile Data account.) These servers also have corresponding player apps to interface with their servers for best results.
Plex and Bubble are very different in many respects and make a very good symbiotic pair. Running Both gives you a great deal of power as far as what can be streamed and streamed specifically to a CCast due to the transcoding that is available.
Bubble UPnP - can play local DEVICE (aka Android Device) stored content and in conjunction with it's server counterpart (running on a PC) can transcode that media for playback on the CCast when needed. I will also note that Bubble currently has the edge on the CCast Player side support due to it's client (CCast Player) side Subtitle overlay, and if I read his changelog correctly last night will support multiple Audio Tracks during transcode. The ONLY thing Bubble is missing is the actual Media Library service. It can Aggregate content from DLNA,and UPnP sources that exist on the network but has no ability to include Media folders. So it requires a Plex like Server or an NAS with UPnP capability to collect the media it will display. It can however also use Windows Media sharing to get it's content. Not the best option (IMO) but it will work and since Bubble will do the transcoding should work better than Windows Media Sharing does by itself. The developer of Bubble is a regular poster here and can answer any questions you might have (or correct my stupidity if I have Misinformed) . I myself run Both Plex and Bubble on my main Media Server/HTPC
Plex Media Server (PMS) - is a full fledged DLNA server and Library system. You point it to Media folders based on content type (Movies, TV, Music, Photos, etc) It will scrape those contents to find metadata which includes cover art, Description of title, even Actors and Genre. It saves all of this info in a database that can be used to create a very nice looking display of your content, organized and tidy. The server runs on a PC and the Player app (Plex for Android and iOS) will only work with content stored and configured on that PLEX server's database(other DLNA sources will not show up). There is a way to include Local DEVICE stored content into the server but it's complicated, and that content requires the device to be on in order to stream to other devices. Plex also creates a home cloud situation where you can stream directly anywhere you are or SYNC to be able to play content when network is not available. Plex Transcodes media for compatibility and also has Channel support which is important to the cord cutters. Not all channels are CCast compatible but when the rest of the web world catches up to modern standards and makes their content HTML5 compliant that issue will go away. Plex also has a website that can send content to CCast from a PC using Chrome with the Googlecast Ext installed. And if you and your friends all run Plex server you can share content from those servers with each other.
If you run both systems you get the majority of what you need for streaming to the CCast with the exception of Live Browser (Tab Casting)
Bubble will handle the local streaming, Plex will supply the DLNA/UPnP component Bubble requires.
Now onto the other type of software that is where the 99,000 options will eventually be seen....
Media Players - Currently there are half a dozen options available (aVia, Real Player, YournamehereCast, you get the idea)
Most of these are no different than your typical Android media player with the exception being they have added the ability to find and send content to a CCast. In most cases no transcoding is possible which means it only works if the content you want to play is already CCast compatible. Think of every media player you have ever seen in the Play store...IMO they will ALL have CCast ability at some point if they want to stay in the game. The winner being the one who figures out how to get the CCast to play the most media types without the need to transcode. (Think MX Player's ability to support media that Android native can't support only this time it's the CCast that it adds the capability to.) Many of the players you find that support CCast also support flinging to DLNA renderers on the local network which is nice if you also have ROKU or an XBMC HTPC running on your network.
These Media players can see media from a variety of sources (including Local DEVICE stored media and those DLNA/UPnP/Cloud Storage servers) but the caveat is the transcoding is not there. (Real Player Cloud will transcode but only content that is stored on their cloud service.)
The one big advantage of a good Media player with CCast support is that it can make content from apps that support an external player but do not have CCast support able to stream to a CCast. You launch the media and when it asks for which player select a CCast compatible player and that player will then give that app CCast support. This is how some are getting XBMC to stream to CCast as well as some apps like Movie Browser UPnP. So even if you have a full fledged media server running it sure doesn't hurt to have a Media Player with CCast support that can give you some CCast capability even if your favorite media app doesn't support CCast by itself yet. But that app MUST support external players which most do these days.
My hope is MX Player or VLC eventually supports CCast because of all the players I have tried over the years those two seemed to be the best ones to use.
There are quite a few extension options that add capability to stream via the chrome browser. I don't use any of them (other than the GoogleCast extension that is required for PlexTV, and YouTube Web to work.) With that extension installed the websites will show the CCast icon on the player controls so you can fling content from PC. I'll let someone else talk about the other extensions that are available for PC and Browsers because like I said above with Bubble and Plex combined I have pretty much everything I need as far as Media flinging to CCast is concerned.
[EDIT] I listed Allcast as a Media Player but after thinking about that it isn't so much a player as it is a Media Flinger so I removed it from the list.) I consider anything Koush does to be a Must have app so get it and buy it if you haven't already!
You ought to talk to bhiga about getting that post into his faq.
using serviio in my computer. I have a post with more info.
caifaz said:
using serviio in my computer. I have a post with more info.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I tend to shy away from anything Java based and the two media servers I mentioned are Free.
The Players for those servers may have a puchase involved but the server itself I believe is free to use which makes them work for just about any player you want to use.
---------- Post added at 10:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:04 PM ----------
EarlyMon said:
You ought to talk to bhiga about getting that post into his faq.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL he knows he is free to take anything I say he feels is useful and put it in the faq...
Problem is what I said will most likely change in a week so it probably should stay out just to avoid having to remove them later when things change.
Asphyx said:
LOL he knows he is free to take anything I say he feels is useful and put it in the faq...
Problem is what I said will most likely change in a week so it probably should stay out just to avoid having to remove them later when things change.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was lazy and linked.
So far I have setup a Plex Media Server and connected it to Bubble UPnP+Server. Don't see why I would need to get(/pay for plex app) anything else?
Ok so the difference between Bubble and Plex that I notice is that Bubble can play local files?
Edit: and that bubble kills my wifi?
I second the request for MX Player supports CC in the near future.
MOLON LABE
bhiga said:
I was lazy and linked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
LOL You deserve to rest and save your strength for the important stuff! LOL
---------- Post added at 03:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:42 AM ----------
Zyphur said:
So far I have setup a Plex Media Server and connected it to Bubble UPnP+Server. Don't see why I would need to get(/pay for plex app) anything else?
Ok so the difference between Bubble and Plex that I notice is that Bubble can play local files?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On Android yes...On PC it requires a DLNA or UPnP source to be active and available to aggregate.
If Bubble adds a full Media Library with database and scraping you wouldn't even need the Plex server....
me personally I love the interface, Local Sync and Share capability of Plex. If you have PlexPass (I Do) then you don't need to pay for the app. But then again it costs more to have PlexPass than it does to buy the $5 app.
Asphyx said:
LOL You deserve to rest and save your strength for the important stuff! LOL
---------- Post added at 03:55 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:42 AM ----------
On Android yes...On PC it requires a DLNA or UPnP source to be active and available to aggregate.
If Bubble adds a full Media Library with database and scraping you wouldn't even need the Plex server....
me personally I love the interface, Local Sync and Share capability of Plex. If you have PlexPass (I Do) then you don't need to pay for the app. But then again it costs more to have PlexPass than it does to buy the $5 app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love love love the Plex server interface, so I'm just using that with the Plex app now. Bubble kept killing my wifi, and didn't do anything extra.
Zyphur said:
I love love love the Plex server interface, so I'm just using that with the Plex app now. Bubble kept killing my wifi, and didn't do anything extra.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well it's App does play local DEVICE stored media which Plex Apps don't do....
Good reason to have both. Not sure why Bubble would kill your WiFi....No issues here...
Asphyx said:
Asphyx said:
Well it's App does play local DEVICE stored media which Plex Apps don't do....
Good reason to have both. Not sure why Bubble would kill your WiFi....No issues here...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea I noticed that, but I put things on my plex server before I put it on my phone anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Bubble handles subs way more efficient. My plex server doesn't have the balls to transcode so anything that needs subs (think forced subs) makes bubble a must in my situation
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
sherdog16 said:
Bubble handles subs way more efficient. My plex server doesn't have the balls to transcode so anything that needs subs (think forced subs) makes bubble a must in my situation
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which is why I noted in my post that Bubble currently has the edge on CCast support because it does more on the client side where it SHOULD!
I haven't really had time to test his new version which is supposed to transcode and keep multitrack audio but that in itself would be another major innovation that puts Bubble ahead of Plex from a pure CCast support POV.
I have AllCast, LocalCast, and Bubble.
I now use Bubble exclusively. It was the easiest to plug and play with my current setup.
1. I can cast direct to the chromecast from phone or tablet local storage using the respective device.
2. I can cast tablet local storage using my phone and vice-versa. Also really cool. (And no it doesn't have to go thru the "caster" if you will. My phone can tell the CC to get content direct from tablet)
3. I have movies on my Windows PC. By enabling media sharing (and Wake-on-Lan!) I can use my portable to tell CC to access my PC media directly. I know its direct cause I can turn off my portable and it still plays. Also, if I open Bubble on another device (or restart on initial device,) it picks up right where it should (slider position, play/pause status, etc.) You can also enable (.srt) subtitles. These are sent directly from your portable tho. But this takes very little CPU and battery to do. Plus you can control the font, color, etc. easily. I'm able to cast the subtitles from my Windows PC as well. Simple as it could possibly be.
4. My content is all MP4 with AAC audio so I don't need any transcoding, but if you need it, install the Bubble "server" on your Windows PC. I quote it like that since its not really a server in my sense of the word. Its a wrapper for your current server (it works with several, easiest of all your built-in windows media server) and can transcode on the fly and offer a web control interface.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Not sure why people were hating on the chromecast, i think it's excellent.
I just purchased one yesterday and set up plex off my home server. Working great so far!!!
Hey guys, I've had my Chromecast for 2 days and found something that seems to be amazing (and still being developed).
It is a Chrome browser extension named Videostream for Google Chromecast.
It is free, simple to use, and seemingly great quality.
They have a website if any of you are interested.
www.getvideostream.com
I have tested it with some music videos (.mp4, 720p) and anime (.mkv, 720p, embedded .ass subs don't display at the moment, for me at least).
Hope this helps everybody, and sorry if it is general knowledge. :laugh:
Got my Chromecast yesterday, within 30 mins have got the free Plex Server installed on my Laptop which holds copies of all my media (music, photos and video), and installed the paid Plex app as a client on phone and tablet and happily streaming media.....:good:
Later on I also installed BubbleUPnP on the client devices, which appears to do a better job as a Plex Server client than the Plex App itself.
Playlisting / Shuffle etc across all media types, along with ability to cast media on the device are the main 'killer' features in BubbleUPnP lacking as far as I can tell in the Plex App and it seems a little faster overall to get the stream running. So I bought a license (don't think I actually needed one for my usage, but gotta reward good development). I don't mind paying for the Plex app either, even if I'm not likely to use it much, given that the Plex server software is free.
But for those with tight pockets it does appears that the free Plex Server plus free BubbleUPnP app is a viable solution if all the media is already Chromecast compatible (which mine mostly was) and doesn't require transcoding. And if it's not Handbrake to convert to Chromecast format is also free.
Also good excuse for a tidy up - do I really still need to keep the entire 6 seasons of LOST having watched the lot at least 4 times....??? :silly:
Anyway the purpose of this post really is to say thank-you to Bhiga for maintaining an excellent FAQ and Asphyx for the informative posts in this thread and others. Without the background reading I'm sure I'd have been messing around until the small hours yesterday trying to get things set up rather than relaxing with a couple of films that have been sat on my hard drive for months unwatched.