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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.
So, I have the WDTV Live with our library of movies And TV shows stored. Its very organized and took a while to setup. I have the min folder dividing the TV shows and movies.. Then the TV shows divide by series.. Then by season.. Then have all the metadata and such for every episode. The movie are divided by genre And have also have All the imdb data and cover art etc. I have been wanting to be Able to extend the experience to my wife And It's bedroom and into my daughter's bedroom. I can not justify paying for 2 more SMPs with Netflix and all nor can I justify getting a smart TV in each room Either. What I am wondering is a couple of things.
1.) If I'm reading this right..I understand that I can setup my WDTV and PC and that on plex media server... Then download this app on my wife and I's phones, then also on my daughter's nabi... And I could stream Media to all the rooms using this setup from the WDTV? (most of my media is mkv I don't know if thisnisngood or bad)
2.) If I do use the plex app on chrome cast is there a way to on my daughter's nabi to setup parent controls so that she only has access to the kids movies genre folder?
Thanks guys
jaupro said:
So, I have the WDTV Live with our library of movies And TV shows stored. Its very organized and took a while to setup. I have the min folder dividing the TV shows and movies.. Then the TV shows divide by series.. Then by season.. Then have all the metadata and such for every episode. The movie are divided by genre And have also have All the imdb data and cover art etc. I have been wanting to be Able to extend the experience to my wife And It's bedroom and into my daughter's bedroom. I can not justify paying for 2 more SMPs with Netflix and all nor can I justify getting a smart TV in each room Either. What I am wondering is a couple of things.
1.) If I'm reading this right..I understand that I can setup my WDTV and PC and that on plex media server... Then download this app on my wife and I's phones, then also on my daughter's nabi... And I could stream Media to all the rooms using this setup from the WDTV? (most of my media is mkv I don't know if thisnisngood or bad)
2.) If I do use the plex app on chrome cast is there a way to on my daughter's nabi to setup parent controls so that she only has access to the kids movies genre folder?
Thanks guys
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is the WDTV a server? I didn't think so I thought it was just a Player Box (but I could be wrong). Plex would do the actual server work for the rest of the house anyway.
WD has a MyBook Live device that has a Twonky server built in. (perhaps WDTV has something like this as well for hard drives connected to it via USB.)
Regardless of the WDTV capabilities if you have a Plex server running you could stream content to any device in the house (TVs Tablets and Phones) plus use the Plex App to send it to a Chromecast enabled TV.
But I looked and I saw no Parental controls on the Plex Server unfortunately. I don't believe the App has it either.
I have seen it requested in the Plex Forums but that doesn't mean it is coming soon.
Asphyx said:
Is the WDTV a server? I didn't think so I thought it was just a Player Box (but I could be wrong). Plex would do the actual server work for the rest of the house anyway.
WD has a MyBook Live device that has a Twonky server built in. (perhaps WDTV has something like this as well for hard drives connected to it via USB.)
Regardless of the WDTV capabilities if you have a Plex server running you could stream content to any device in the house (TVs Tablets and Phones) plus use the Plex App to send it to a Chromecast enabled TV.
But I looked and I saw no Parental controls on the Plex Server unfortunately. I don't believe the App has it either.
I have seen it requested in the Plex Forums but that doesn't mean it is coming soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The WDTV LIVE is a player with a built in TB hard drive, apps like Netflix and all of that. And has built in Wi-Fi and networks with my PC or other similar devices. I want to be able to play the files stored on it as cheap as possible.
jaupro said:
The WDTV LIVE is a player with a built in TB hard drive, apps like Netflix and all of that. And has built in Wi-Fi and networks with my PC or other similar devices. I want to be able to play the files stored on it as cheap as possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Like I said I'm not 100% familiar with that box...If it has a DLNA server built in then no need for Plex Server at all unless it doesn't transcode and your library is not Chromecast compatible (MP4/H264/AAC), Just use aVia and you can send content to the Chromecast or wait until a Better player comes along (like MX Player) that has CCast capability.
Not sure how Parental control will work but if WDTV does this it is possible that it will work over DLNA as well.
You probably wont get any of the WDTV apps to work over it though. But then again the Apps your likely to want are already available for CCast (like Netflix, Hulu, Pandora and YouTube)
There is no way of controlling it from the WDTV however...At least not until WDTV comes out with an App that supports CCast.
Which may very well be on the way for all I know.
Not sure how to make it work if the HD is connected directly to the WDTV.
I have a similar setup, but I store my files on a network drive that the WD has access to. As the previous poster mentioned, Plex running on a PC on your network would allow you to access them thru the Plex app on any Chromecast.
First of all I know this section is for the Cromecast and all my MP4 video play using it with Avia.
If you happen to have a DLNA TV when you cast from Avia you’ll see your TV as an option. Back some time ago I decided to try it and all my videos would try to play but an “unsupported video format” message would appear.
I dropped a message to Avia Tech support but never heard from them till about a week or so ago. After a bunch of emails back/forth, they found a Samsung Smart TV in their office. They tried it and found most but not all videos played and received the same error as I did.
I then asked them to try BubbleUPnP with Avia since all my videos play this way. They tried it and although a few more played some still didn’t meaning that BubbleUPNp does some transcoding and Avia just passes the file as is. So even Avia Tech Support has MP4's that a certain device doesn't like!
Okay the problem seems to be the Samsung Smart TV but it brings up the point that not all MP4’s are created equal even though I used HandBrake which is what Avia Tech Support suggests to use.
BTW- My TV has the latest firmware. The Samsung DLNA app used by the TV is called AllShare. It later was changed to AllShare Play and recently Samsung Link. Now Samsung Link/AllShare Play is available in the Play Store but shows to not compatible with my Nexus 10. I don’t know what’s included in the newer Samsung Smart TV’s or if it’s still called AllShare or not.
wptski said:
Okay the problem seems to be the Samsung Smart TV but it brings up the point that not all MP4’s are created equal even though I used HandBrake which is what Avia Tech Support suggests to use.
BTW- My TV has the latest firmware. The Samsung DLNA app used by the TV is called AllShare. It later was changed to AllShare Play and recently Samsung Link. Now Samsung Link/AllShare Play is available in the Play Store but shows to not compatible with my Nexus 10. I don’t know what’s included in the newer Samsung Smart TV’s or if it’s still called AllShare or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh yes, very true!
The same holds for MPEG-2. DVD uses MPEG-2, but it uses a specific range of parameters - left alone to mess with all the available settings it's easy to create non-DVD-compliant MPEG-2, just as it's easy to create non-Chromecast-compliant MPEG-4, non-iPod-compliant MPEG-4 audio, etc.
It's a lot like clothes - simply knowing it's "Men's dress shirt" is not enough to know it will fit.
Even knowing it's "Large men's dress shirt" won't guarantee a fit.
Short of trying it on, you need to get the measurements.
I think on my phone the AllShare stuff is now called Samsung Hub, except for the actual playback function, which is still called AllShare Play, as opposed to AllShare Cast. *shrug*
wptski said:
First of all I know this section is for the Cromecast and all my MP4 video play using it with Avia.
If you happen to have a DLNA TV when you cast from Avia you’ll see your TV as an option. Back some time ago I decided to try it and all my videos would try to play but an “unsupported video format” message would appear.
I dropped a message to Avia Tech support but never heard from them till about a week or so ago. After a bunch of emails back/forth, they found a Samsung Smart TV in their office. They tried it and found most but not all videos played and received the same error as I did.
I then asked them to try BubbleUPnP with Avia since all my videos play this way. They tried it and although a few more played some still didn’t meaning that BubbleUPNp does some transcoding and Avia just passes the file as is. So even Avia Tech Support has MP4's that a certain device doesn't like!
Okay the problem seems to be the Samsung Smart TV but it brings up the point that not all MP4’s are created equal even though I used HandBrake which is what Avia Tech Support suggests to use.
BTW- My TV has the latest firmware. The Samsung DLNA app used by the TV is called AllShare. It later was changed to AllShare Play and recently Samsung Link. Now Samsung Link/AllShare Play is available in the Play Store but shows to not compatible with my Nexus 10. I don’t know what’s included in the newer Samsung Smart TV’s or if it’s still called AllShare or not.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same issue here. Even though I transcode:
mp4 container
h264 codec
high profile (4.1)
I still can't direct play. I have no idea what i'm missing but according to "the google" these are the parameters that a file needs for CC compatibility.
sherdog16 said:
Same issue here. Even though I transcode:
mp4 container
h264 codec
high profile (4.1)
I still can't direct play. I have no idea what i'm missing but according to "the google" these are the parameters that a file needs for CC compatibility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly what behavior do you see when you cast the a video from Avia?
sherdog16 said:
Same issue here. Even though I transcode:
mp4 container
h264 codec
high profile (4.1)
I still can't direct play. I have no idea what i'm missing but according to "the google" these are the parameters that a file needs for CC compatibility.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You forgot to note the Audio codec...
AAC(Both HE and and LC), CELT/OPUS, Vorbis or MP3 are the only Audio codecs supported by CCast.
If it is stereo MP3 is fine, If it is surround then AAC is required.
I think you may have gotten the video side right but did not get the Audio correct and thats why it won't play on the CCast.
Samsung if I'm not mistaken uses Mediaplay for Video It should play AAC just fine.
Why did Google choose Avia anyway? Theres loads of better media players for android.
The S3 Kid said:
Why did Google choose Avia anyway? Theres loads of better media players for android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what the selection process was for who got to play with the yet-unreleased SDK, but the developer also had to have shown interest in supporting Chromecast, so likely it was both sides.
Probably Google saw enough interest to deem their participation and feedback beneficial to the SDK development process.
The S3 Kid said:
Why did Google choose Avia anyway? Theres loads of better media players for android.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It was probably more aVia chose them and not the other way around...
I know they worked with Plex developers directly.
aVia may have been the only local file player other than Real Player to show any interest.
Most of the best players are one Developer driven products and didn't show interest when Google asked for people interested.
One of the things mentioned by Avia Tech Support was that Avia came installed on some Google TVs. They had asked what app was on my Samsung Smart TV.
bhiga said:
Exactly what behavior do you see when you cast the a video from Avia?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Most stuff just said unsupported format. However, I took a fresh rip and encoded a test and it worked so I think I may have gotten it. And to the other poster, I'm pretty sure it was aac audio I was selecting
Sent from my SCH-I545 using xda app-developers app
So i just wanted to update:
I'm finding that some videos that say "Unsupported Format blah blah blah" that I try to play from my phone will play fine when transferred to the laptop and shared through windows media center. The kicker is that some videos aren't showing up in Avia when dropped in the same spot as everything else. Note: The machine is a netbook with Windows 7 and only a 1.33Ghz dual core so it's not transcoding anything.
Even more strange; when i try to play the same movie through my plex server on said netbook with the paid plexpass android app, it then attempts to transcode and fails horribly with buffering every 2 seconds. I'm finding that playing local content with Chromecast has a TON of "ifs and buts". Basically, it's all very simple if you have a powerful desktop, but not so easy for those of us on a budget... which i think is most of the people who bought the CC, due to the price point.
So if I can just get Windows Media Center to show all my converted movies, which I can't, I'll be fine. IDK, I just felt like venting my frustrations with this whole venture. Back at it tonight i suppose.
sherdog16 said:
So i just wanted to update:
I'm finding that some videos that say "Unsupported Format blah blah blah" that I try to play from my phone will play fine when transferred to the laptop and shared through windows media center. The kicker is that some videos aren't showing up in Avia when dropped in the same spot as everything else. Note: The machine is a netbook with Windows 7 and only a 1.33Ghz dual core so it's not transcoding anything.
Even more strange; when i try to play the same movie through my plex server on said netbook with the paid plexpass android app, it then attempts to transcode and fails horribly with buffering every 2 seconds. I'm finding that playing local content with Chromecast has a TON of "ifs and buts". Basically, it's all very simple if you have a powerful desktop, but not so easy for those of us on a budget... which i think is most of the people who bought the CC, due to the price point.
So if I can just get Windows Media Center to show all my converted movies, which I can't, I'll be fine. IDK, I just felt like venting my frustrations with this whole venture. Back at it tonight i suppose.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure if WMC tries to conform things for XBOX/UPnP compliance or not... We'll assume it doesn't though.
Sounds like Plex is just being hampered by poor transcoding performance. Netbooks tend not to fare well with high-performance tasks, especially CODEC-related operations. A desktop with more RAM and a more video-friendly optimized CPU would definitely fare better.
You might be having network performance issues on top of that.
Chromecast has a ton of "gotchas" with playing local content - because it's not really designed for that. Its primary purpose is an Internet streamer. Beyond that, it's a bit like using your phone in lieu of a laptop. You can do it, but you're subject to restrictions.
I'm still in search of an "all in one" solution as well, but seems there is none.
Plex is awesome for my non-DVD/BD content because it can transcode for whatever client... but I'd have to convert my DVDs/BDs
TV + phone/tablet
WMC+MyMovies works well for my DVD/BD content - and it works for my video content too... but then I'm tied to my TV - can't watch on my phone/tablet, and control via my phone/tablet is klunky at best for non-DVD/BD stuff (I use TMT for DVD/BD playback - its Android remote app works fine).
TV
Avia plays my local content... and casts it too, but not if it requires transcoding
Phone/tablet
RealPlayer cloud needs me to throw non-compliant media onto their cloud before I can cast it
Phone/tablet
If/when the MyMovies Android app is released (they're working on it) I'll finally be able to cast my DVD (and hopefully BD) content which may render my WMC machine obsolete... but still not an all-in-one solution.
Also Transcoding is still a WIP as far as Plex goes...They are slowly getting there but it would seem it still transcodes even in some cases where it probably shouldn't have to or doesn't transcode in cases it should (notably MP4/H264 Level 4.0 or lower/AAC)
Transcoding will not operate properly on a Netbook. What is happening (and this is a guess) is Plex is trying to transcode for aVia and the system can't handle it. The Error says incompatible but that is because the transcode isn't working.
aVia can probably handle the file fine without Transcoding but Plex doesn't care what aVia will handle it transcodes based on the Source and without a profile for aVia it is probably just using a Generic Transcode format that your Machine is choking on.
Asphyx said:
Also Transcoding is still a WIP as far as Plex goes...They are slowly getting there but it would seem it still transcodes even in some cases where it probably shouldn't have to or doesn't transcode in cases it should (notably MP4/H264 Level 4.0 or lower/AAC)
Transcoding will not operate properly on a Netbook. What is happening (and this is a guess) is Plex is trying to transcode for aVia and the system can't handle it. The Error says incompatible but that is because the transcode isn't working.
aVia can probably handle the file fine without Transcoding but Plex doesn't care what aVia will handle it transcodes based on the Source and without a profile for aVia it is probably just using a Generic Transcode format that your Machine is choking on.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah this is what has me miffed. Plex is great. Looks great, reads everything in, so on and so forth. I never figured the netbook could handle any transcoding, i assumed direct play would be okay as I can encode the files on my work PC (which has plenty of balls) to be compliant. But it frustrates me now when I have a file that is obviously CC compatible (plays fine through DLNA via Avia) but it then attempts to transcode the file when it shouldn't have to. I wish there was a "force direct play" option with Plex (or maybe there is and i'm not aware). Orrrrr i wish all my files that I encode with the exact same settings in Handbrake would read in through WMC so I don't even need Plex, and I could just use Avia.
I feel like I'm RIGHT there with this but can't quiet figure it out. It has me obsessed with "beating the problem" so to speak.
I faced this wierd issue before...
For some mp4 files, when put locally on my android device, can stream fine to chromecast.
Same mp4 file copied to a network location and streamed via vget to avia did not play at all.
For other mp4 files (exact same coding done via handbrake)... they play well from both local storage or network storage accessed via vget.
I was never able to solve it.
Its very puzzling and a random hit/miss
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk
sherdog16 said:
Orrrrr i wish all my files that I encode with the exact same settings in Handbrake would read in through WMC so I don't even need Plex, and I could just use Avia.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WMC is supposed to be a DLNA-compliant source, but how it determines what it does and doesn't serve is a bit of a mystery... I suspect it's something to do with the Homegroup concept that I still avoid.
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.
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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.
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EarlyMon said:
You ought to talk to bhiga about getting that post into his faq.
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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.
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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.
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LOL You deserve to rest and save your strength for the important stuff! LOL
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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.
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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.
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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...
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Yea I noticed that, but I put things on my plex server before I put it on my phone anyway.
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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
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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.
hey guys,
basically ive noticed that when im stream a video from my nexus 5 to my chromecast the video streams straight to the chromecast rather than stream to the nexus and then to the chromecast. In the same way that when you use the youtube app it casts directly. My question is, is there any way to have this arrangement from my mac/PC.
the website in question is a popular movie stream site.
cheers in advance
Long story short, when apps are developed for the Chromecast, a virtual webpage with the video stream is opened in the Chromecast and then the video is streamed directly into it. Simple, right?
However, when a video appears on your screen in a site not optimized for the Chromecast, the Google Chrome extension must copy the contents of your tab (that are receiving a streamed video already) into a new stream that is sent to your Chromecast with your pc as a server. This is why it's slow as dirt.
There really is no easy solution, besides
1) writing it yourself (possible but improbable and unfeasible)
2) begging the website developers to do it (and if the site is illegal, Google Corporation can censor the app or site anyway),
3) downloading the movie beforehand and use something like Plex, or
4) purchasing a video streaming service made by a corporation that has made agreements with Google Corporation and is Chromecast compatible, like Netflix or... Netflix.
I opt for ripping my DVDs, converting them to movie files with Handbrake, putting them on my laptop Plex server, and casting them from there. But that's just me.
primetechv2 said:
Long story short, when apps are developed for the Chromecast, a virtual webpage with the video stream is opened in the Chromecast and then the video is streamed directly into it. Simple, right?
However, when a video appears on your screen in a site not optimized for the Chromecast, the Google Chrome extension must copy the contents of your tab (that are receiving a streamed video already) into a new stream that is sent to your Chromecast with your pc as a server. This is why it's slow as dirt.
There really is no easy solution, besides
1) writing it yourself (possible but improbable and unfeasible)
2) begging the website developers to do it (and if the site is illegal, Google Corporation can censor the app or site anyway),
3) downloading the movie beforehand and use something like Plex, or
4) purchasing a video streaming service made by a corporation that has made agreements with Google Corporation and is Chromecast compatible, like Netflix or... Netflix.
I opt for ripping my DVDs, converting them to movie files with Handbrake, putting them on my laptop Plex server, and casting them from there. But that's just me.
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Click to collapse
Hey primetechv2,
Please excuse my ignorance but I don't understand how can an android app like 'web video caster' can take a normal html page (not optimized for mobiles), find an embedded video and send it to Chromecast to play it directly on Chromecast. Using the same logic, a' browser app' could be designed for PCs which finds the embedded video link in a html page. The video link is then sent to the chromecast (via chrome browser if thats the only way) and a virtual page is opened in the chromecast (as you mentioned in case of mobile apps) and video is played on your chromecast. Please note that we don't want our computer to be used as a server to stream the video to Chromecast. Instead just a link to the video is extracted and is sent to the chromecast.
Am I missing something obvious here?
I don't have a perfect answer because I've never developed media apps for the Chromecast in Android, but it has something to do with the difference between writing an app that runs in Android versus one that runs on Chrome.
On Android, apps have direct access to files on your phone. They can read the files and transfer the data across a network to any device, such as a Chromecast, via a simple API.
On Chrome, for obvious security reasons no random webpage can just hijack your local filesystem. There's a chance that if media was loaded, it could be streamed via a socket or some advanced Javascript magic, but I've never seen any app that does this.
Often, apps will leverage the ability of a PC to behave as a web server, where files CAN be accessed on request and then sent to webpages. Unfortunately, Google Cast restricts Receiver pages being displayed on their hardware unless they're on a rather limited whitelist, so only domains that hvev registered with Google (e.g. http://plex.tv) can have a receiver page displayed on your Cast.
That's sorta the explanation for why apps like BubbleUPNP "hijack" Windows as a media server and as a transcoder.. As long as Android can pull transcoded media back, or perhaps allow access to the transcoded media via the Internet on a registered webpage, I've never set one up, so that's all conjecture. But I'm pretty darn sure a PC has a lot more processing power than an Android device. And when you want to send unsupported-on-the-Chromecast media from a phone to the Cast, you have to manage both the transcoding AND the streaming.
enmbs said:
Hey primetechv2,
Please excuse my ignorance but I don't understand how can an android app like 'web video caster' can take a normal html page (not optimized for mobiles), find an embedded video and send it to Chromecast to play it directly on Chromecast. Using the same logic, a' browser app' could be designed for PCs which finds the embedded video link in a html page. The video link is then sent to the chromecast (via chrome browser if thats the only way) and a virtual page is opened in the chromecast (as you mentioned in case of mobile apps) and video is played on your chromecast. Please note that we don't want our computer to be used as a server to stream the video to Chromecast. Instead just a link to the video is extracted and is sent to the chromecast.
Am I missing something obvious here?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can do it only because the App or Site is written to support the CCast specifically where many other sites are not.
So lets cite examples of what I mean....
Web Video Caster is a CCast app that has a Player/receiver the CCast loads that can accept links from the app to display on the unit.
In the case of Websites the Embedded Player they use to play the Video has this support built in.
ESPN uses JWPlayer Pro for their site videos which has CCast support built in. JW Player has it's own Player/Receiver that gets loaded into the CCast to facilitate this.
You Tube has it's own receiver actually ON the CCast that also is similar to the JW Payer.
I believe both require the Browser you are using to be CCast aware using either an extension like GoogleCast for Chrome to let the site know to display the CCast icon. (I may be mistaken but I believe Firefox now has this capability built into the browser)
So it really is a combination of the player the site uses and the Browser that determines if CCast Support is enabled.
But in the end ANYTHING that is sent to a CCast DIRECTLY has to have a corresponding Player/Receiver app written for the CCast to send the linkage to.
It will take some time but I suspect in the future, Most of not ALL embedded players used by Websites will add this functionality in time.
Which is really all about the drive to become HTML5 compatible as much as any desire to support the CCast.
Asphyx said:
It can do it only because the App or Site is written to support the CCast specifically where many other sites are not.
So lets cite examples of what I mean....
Web Video Caster is a CCast app that has a Player/receiver the CCast loads that can accept links from the app to display on the unit.
In the case of Websites the Embedded Player they use to play the Video has this support built in.
ESPN uses JWPlayer Pro for their site videos which has CCast support built in. JW Player has it's own Player/Receiver that gets loaded into the CCast to facilitate this.
You Tube has it's own receiver actually ON the CCast that also is similar to the JW Payer.
I believe both require the Browser you are using to be CCast aware using either an extension like GoogleCast for Chrome to let the site know to display the CCast icon. (I may be mistaken but I believe Firefox now has this capability built into the browser)
So it really is a combination of the player the site uses and the Browser that determines if CCast Support is enabled.
But in the end ANYTHING that is sent to a CCast DIRECTLY has to have a corresponding Player/Receiver app written for the CCast to send the linkage to.
It will take some time but I suspect in the future, Most of not ALL embedded players used by Websites will add this functionality in time.
Which is really all about the drive to become HTML5 compatible as much as any desire to support the CCast.
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Click to collapse
Thanks Asphyx, It makes sense now :good:.