Chromecast not working

[AlG]

Trying to cast to my Vizio soundbar, model SB3651-E6.  It has built in chromecast.  The TV and Blu Ray player hooked to the soundbar are older so have no chromecast capability.  The Vizio soundbar automatically updates firmware, which it did do when I purchased and installed it, but have no way of manually checking for additional updates.

So I cast to the soundbar as if it was a stand alone smart speaker with built in chromecast.  I have been casting to it with Google Play Music from my cell phone, so casting to this device is working.

I am starting Poweramp on my phone and playing music on the phone, then I hit the cast icon, and it shows the soundbar.  So I select it, and then the phone goes silent, and it shows as casting to the soundbar but no music is coming from it.  Poweramp shows the play progress as moving forward for less than a second and then going back, and then progressing, and then back, etc.  During this time, when I tap the casting icon in Poweramp, it says casting to the soundbar.  After about 10 seconds, the cast icon goes from solid white to white outline, and Poweramp goes from playing to paused.  After that, I tap the casting icon on Poweramp and it shows the soundbar as being available to cast to.  No error messages.  Each attempt to try it is identical and consistent in results.

I have rebooted phone, etc.  And I have re-tested to confirm that casting still works with Google Play music.

I went into Google Home, and got the properties for the soundbar from it:  Cast Firmware Version 1.21.75965.  I Googled that firmware version with very few hits other than the Vizio support forums.  I did find this:

https://support.google.com/chromecast/thread/359044?hl=en where the user was having problems casting to Vizio from Pandora, but Spotify and other programs were working.

"Pandora has investigated this issue and determined that it is due to Vizio failing to update the Chromecast firmware in their devices up to version 1.28 or higher. This problem was revealed in May of this year when Pandora issued an update to their app that incorporated the newest version of Google’s Chromecast software. Vizio engineering has been aware of this situation for months, and they have informed me that they have no plans to issue a firmware update to their various SmartCast devices. According to Pandora, Vizio is in breach of their licensing agreement with Google. If Vizio does not update their firmware, Pandora (and, eventually, other apps) will never be able to cast to any Vizio devices."

It looks like 1.21 was released for Vizio on March 2017.  It is clearly very old version.  I will be phoning Vizio support to put a bunch of pressure on them to update to a more current version.  Not hopeful from what I have ready but will try.

I understand that this is probably an issue with out of date firmware, but any suggestions on what to try next will be appreciated.

[maxmp]

Thanks for the details. Your cast firmware is a way old (the least recent firmware I can test here is 1.29). In-house I test on full range of Google Chromecast devices (Chromecast 2/2017/2018/Ultra/Max/Home/Hub) + Android TV Chromecast apps 1.29 and 1.36. Unfortunately, it's not possible to test on all devices out of there.

Please note that Poweramp casting differs from e.g. Google music or Youtube casting, as these services cast from Internet, while Poweramp casts from the phone itself (Chromecast device connects to your phone and streams from it).

You can try to raise Buffer up to maximum in Settings / Audio / Outputs / Chromecast Outputs.

You can also try to test this build + activate Alternative Connection in Settings / Audio / Outputs / Chromecast Outputs:

 

[AlG]

Thanks for the reply.  Sorry for my late response ... I need to enable notifications!

I increased the buffer size to max (from 1500 to 2500 ms) and it had no effect at all.  It still tries for a while, the song progress goes a short time and then skips back over and over until it finally gives up and stops trying to cast.

I will try the beta and will post the results later.

[AlG]

I installed the Beta version 824.  No change to the behavior.

[maxmp]

Basically (chromecast) device can't connect to the phone. This may be old chromecast firmware, some firewall settings, either on wifi access point or on device itself, preventing incoming connection (good indication of this is also missing album art on chromecast TV).

Please note that for youtube and other similar casting apps Chromecast connects to the Internet (obviously, youtube content is in Internet, not on the phone). Poweramp casts local phone music, so chromecast should be able to connect to the phone itself.

[Noetsi]

I have Chromecast Audio with 1.39 firmware.  I cannot get Poweramp to cast.  I can't get it to cast to my other Google Home devices, either.  What am I doing wrong?  Is there a step-by-step guide somewhere?  I hear the Google cast tone, but no music follows.

[David Spivey]

On 3/28/2019 at 10:47 PM, maxmp said:

Thanks for the details. Your cast firmware is a way old (the least recent firmware I can test here is 1.29). In-house I test on full range of Google Chromecast devices (Chromecast 2/2017/2018/Ultra/Max/Home/Hub) + Android TV Chromecast apps 1.29 and 1.36. Unfortunately, it's not possible to test on all devices out of there.

Please note that Poweramp casting differs from e.g. Google music or Youtube casting, as these services cast from Internet, while Poweramp casts from the phone itself (Chromecast device connects to your phone and streams from it).

You can try to raise Buffer up to maximum in Settings / Audio / Outputs / Chromecast Outputs.

You can also try to test this build + activate Alternative Connection in Settings / Audio / Outputs / Chromecast Outputs:

 

I can't see the attachment. I also need to see if this version will help me. I have stuttering with Chromecasting. I've tried modifying and / or resetting all the settings in the Chromecast properties. I own 7 Google Home Minis, and am casting from a Pixel 2 XL. When casting to the "Everywhere" group, which includes all GHMs, I hear crackling and stuttering throughout the house (only one or two don't). If I listen where I can hear from multiple speakers, I can tell that where one speaker cuts out, another is playing that section. I know that your solution works differently to the built-in chromecast mirroring, but when I mirror through the Google Home app, there is no stuttering anywhere.


EDIT: I just tried beta 824 and enabled Chromecast alternative connection. Still stutters with the group (Even with buffer maxed).

[PushT]

On 4/23/2019 at 2:41 AM, David Spivey said:

I can't see the attachment. I also need to see if this version will help me. I have stuttering with Chromecasting. I've tried modifying and / or resetting all the settings in the Chromecast properties. I own 7 Google Home Minis, and am casting from a Pixel 2 XL. When casting to the "Everywhere" group, which includes all GHMs, I hear crackling and stuttering throughout the house (only one or two don't). If I listen where I can hear from multiple speakers, I can tell that where one speaker cuts out, another is playing that section. I know that your solution works differently to the built-in chromecast mirroring, but when I mirror through the Google Home app, there is no stuttering anywhere.


EDIT: I just tried beta 824 and enabled Chromecast alternative connection. Still stutters with the group (Even with buffer maxed).

I have to second this. I have updated Poweramp app and chromecast 1.40.156414 firmware on 3rd generation cc. Mirroring of the phone through Home- app plays Poweramp audio on connected display. Casting through the Poweramp app does not. maxmp, could you elaborate on the problem ? Google Home is not playing internet audio content when I mirror my phone I suppose ?

[Martin Medrano]

I am also experiencing stuttering while casting the visualizations but not the song.

[Guest]

 

• v3-build-841-arm64-play
• Samsung Galaxy S7 SM-G930F
• 9.0
• LineageOS - 16.0-20190609-UNOFFICIAL-herolte
• lineage_herolte-userdebug 9 PQ3A.190605.003 eng.ivanme.20190609.172615 test-keys
• https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7/development/beta-lineageos-16-0-s7-herolte-t3842465

I am having an issue using Chromecast. When I cast from Poweramp it connects and shows the basic UI (Album/Artist/Song) on my TV, but does not play music or show album art. Spotify, Youtube, ect work fine. It Poweramp worked fine when I was on Samsung's stock image. I have sent a logcat. Thanks!

[h4rdtr4nce]

I've got exact the same issue as @ARKaMAN trying to cast to an Android TV with integrated Chromecast.

- v3-build-846-arm64-play

- LG G6 H870

- LineageOS 15.1 / Android 8.1

 

[maxmp]

On 9/2/2019 at 7:48 PM, ARKaMAN said:

 

• v3-build-841-arm64-play
• Samsung Galaxy S7 SM-G930F
• 9.0
• LineageOS - 16.0-20190609-UNOFFICIAL-herolte
• lineage_herolte-userdebug 9 PQ3A.190605.003 eng.ivanme.20190609.172615 test-keys
• https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-s7/development/beta-lineageos-16-0-s7-herolte-t3842465

I am having an issue using Chromecast. When I cast from Poweramp it connects and shows the basic UI (Album/Artist/Song) on my TV, but does not play music or show album art. Spotify, Youtube, ect work fine. It Poweramp worked fine when I was on Samsung's stock image. I have sent a logcat. Thanks!

Thanks for the log. Most probably, incoming connection is blocked (there is a connection from Chromecast back to your android device where Poweramp acts as server. This differs from youtube or gpm casting, when chromecast connects to internet and the android device is used just as a remote control).

It's either a firewall on the device itself or in your local network (if chromecast is in different net or you have some firewall rules set to local wifi network) or Chromecast is in other subnet and no port forwarding/routing exist, etc.

[h4rdtr4nce]

14 hours ago, maxmp said:

Thanks for the log. Most probably, incoming connection is blocked (there is a connection from Chromecast back to your android device where Poweramp acts as server. This differs from youtube or gpm casting, when chromecast connects to internet and the android device is used just as a remote control).

It's either a firewall on the device itself or in your local network (if chromecast is in different net or you have some firewall rules set to local wifi network) or Chromecast is in other subnet and no port forwarding/routing exist, etc.

Thanks for the info. Something like that could be the case for me. On the other hand casting music through the Solid Explorer app works fine for me. I have to test a few things.

[maxmp]

@h4rdtr4nce if you’re willing to help, I can prepare build with the extended logging for you - captured logs most probably will show if this is network issue or something else. Thanks!

[h4rdtr4nce]

@maxmp Sure, i would like to help.

[maxmp]

@h4rdtr4nce 

 

Thanks!

[unhappy]

I am really tired of this app.

Can you guys refund me?

 

Where is the icon to stream my music to my tv.  ?

 

It is 2021

 

 

 

[MotleyG]

6 hours ago, unhappy said:

I am really tired of this app.

Can you guys refund me?

 

Where is the icon to stream my music to my tv.  ?

 

It is 2021.

 

 

 

Umm, last I checked it was still 2020. And for streaming to your TV, you can turn on Chromecast for that. This has been available for some time now. Great first post.🙄

[andrewilley]

@unhappy Why are you expecting to be able to stream music to your TV? What sort of TV for starters, does it have a built-in Chromecast or Bluetooth receiver as those are the only ways that PA supports wireless streaming to other local devices? 

Andre

[wotantx]

Since this thread has been resurrected, I'll just use this one to post rather than start a new one. 

I am having difficulty getting Poweramp to work with chromecast. Currently, I am on version build-893-arm64-play, but the same problems existed on the last release (not beta.)

Basically, when I try to cast from my phone (Pixel 5) to any Chromecast device, from speaker to TV, it is inconsistent at best. It always makes the connection, but doesn't always actually play. When it doesn't play, I'll see the app increment the track a second or two and then stop, and the visualizer moves a little, jumps back, and repeats. I am able to get it work sometimes, but there's no rhyme or reason to it.

So far I have been unable up get it work on my Pixelbook Slate at all.

[MikeRD03]

Same setup with Pixel5 and Poweramp most recent play version - nothing works. Pressing play button Google Nest Hub does not react. Pressing Play at Hub Poweramp starts playing but no audio. Skips back after one or two seconds. Doesn't work with Google Nest Hub nor Google Mini Speaker. 😒

Pixel5 with Android 11 stock image - all standard. Poweramp still not Android11 compatible?

[wotantx]

@MikeRD03 oddly enough, it's been working a lot better for me since I posted this. My Slate still doesn't work, though TBH I don't know that I've really ever tried casting from Android apps on it.