Jellyfin: The Free Software Media System @lemmy.ml Jimmycrackcrack @lemmy.ml 4w ago

How do you cast content to chromecast with Jellyfin?

Excuse the basic questions but I'm not having much luck web searching for answers. I have the server running on my laptop which is also where the content itself if and I have an android phone with the mobile client installed via f-droid.

I can't seem to cast to chromecast with Jellyfin from either the laptop itself, or the android client app. The client app lists streaming to chromecast specifically as one of it's features in the description on f-droid.

21 comments

Are you using a custom ROM? I couldn't cast anything after installing lineage with microg on my phone. Maybe it's something related to google services.
- Yeh it looks like you need the play store version. I think they just copied their description of the app there on to f-droid or something. It seems like based on some older forum posts that you can do without play store as I've seen people talking about reverse proxies and nginx servers but I really didn't want to be going to all that trouble.
@Jimmycrackcrack

Android app not have the Chromecast icon like this?
OK, i know how to. But it's a difficult one as english is not my first language.

Chromecast has some internal security. One of them require to have a valid HTTPS certificat on the website (your self hosted jellyfin instance) plus be able to resolving the DNS of the website (your self .....) through the DNS on Google.

Have fun....

The solution is to buy a domain, customizing the DNS to your internal ip (192.168.x.y). AND using a revers proxy like traefik to setup a certificat with let's encrypt.

It's hard but i made it so you will be able to do it too.

Edit : for more precision, i'm speaking about a situation meet and resolved few months ago.

I can't make any assumptions about the situation today with the latest dev in the jellyfin app, let alone with the possible differences between the google play version and fdroid.
- Weird. I believe I can cast to mine while only accessing it through http and without my external domain.
  
  Maybe not the same version of chromcast ? I can assure you that i spent a lot of time and effort to make it works and this solution wasn't invented by me. 😆
  
  So, basically, the problem exist and this is a solution.
- You don't need a reverse proxy, jellyfin server supports https
  
  Please read me again. The problem is not the jellyfin server 😉
  
  As a said to another user : I can assure you that i spent a lot of time and effort to make it works and this solution wasn't invented by me. 😆
  
  So, basically, the problem exist and this is a solution.
I can't test right now, but I do see a cast button on both the app and the web interface. Can you cast normally from other apps?
- hmm okay, it almost sort of works with desktop web ui. There is the familiar square with radio waves in the lower left corner icon, when controlling jellyfin from my laptop, but it said Google casting not supported, however I realised now it was because I was using firefox, and using Chrome for this purpose does reveal the theoretical ability to cast to chrome. Unfortunately if you do this, it takes a very long time to begin casting and when it finally does, it simply displays the words Jellyfin for Chromecast but not any media. Trying to start or stop any kind of media doesn't not work until I disconnect from the chromecast.
  
  On the app, there is simply no ability to use the chromecast from the casting menu. Does it matter that I got it from f-droid? I thought it might, but it specifically said you could cast the chromecast there so I thought it'd be fine after all.
  
  Try connecting to jellyfin's IP address instead of the hostname. Google forces the Chromecast to use their own DNS that doesn't know how to find your jf instance. I saw that exact same behavior when I was connecting to jellyfin.domain, it works when I connect to 192.168... though.
So I actually had this exact issue about a month ago.

Solution: You have to connect to chromecast through your phone app. However, the jellyfin app have to be installed through play store. If you install it through f-droid or similar it won't work.

Took me about a month of troubleshooting to find that answer. :D
- yep figured out the same thing in the end. Not quite sure why I can't do it from the desktop, it's obviously supposed to work, and nearly did given the text on my TV screen. I think with enough finagling one could get there, but if it works with the phone which is always on me anyway then whatever.
  
  Firefox user?
You can simply install the Jellyfin app on the Chromecast. Then you can operate it with the remote without using your phone.
- It's a chromecast 1, from 2014, can you install apps on those?
  
  I don't know. I have the most recent one. But I'd guess probably not.
  
  You might be able to install Lineage OS on it

21 comments