Coder question: Is there a Chromecast open source project?

[miguelito]

Wondering if there is a Chromecast receiver project around. I want to replicate the functionality of a Chromecast Audio receiver. 

 

Thx.

[mansr]

Does it have to be specifically the Chromecast protocol? There are many UPnP/DLNA implementations offering similar functionality.

[miguelito]

The beauty of the Chromecast protocol is that I can take Soundcloud/Mixcloud/etc playing from my phone and have it cast to the Chromecast device - which works just like Spotify Connect, ie streaming happens from the server to the Chromecast device and the phone acts as a remote. Makes sense?

 

Currently the only way I can do this is via a Chromecast Audio dongle - which I am using at the moment but the audio quality is not great. I presume a Chromecast receiver running, say, on a microrendu, or a raspberry pi would sound better.

[Cebolla]

If it's an Android phone, you may be able to use Share on those apps with the BubbleUPnP app & thus get similar direct streaming from the server to a UPnP renderer:

https://bubblesoftapps.com/bubbleupnp/tips2.html#other_apps

 

I believe there hasn't been a working unofficial Chromecast player since Google made a major security change to the Google Cast API a few years back, eg:

https://github.com/dz0ny/leapcast

[PAR]

16 hours ago, miguelito said:

Wondering if there is a Chromecast receiver project around. I want to replicate the functionality of a Chromecast Audio receiver. 

 

Thx.

 Of course Chromecast Audio products have now been discontinued by Google.

 

https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3069273/google-has-killed-the-chromecast-audio

[miguelito]

1 hour ago, PAR said:

 Of course Chromecast Audio products have now been discontinued by Google.

 

https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3069273/google-has-killed-the-chromecast-audio

Indeed. But Chromecast itself (the code) lives on in the video versions of this. What they have killed is the dongle itself.

[bluesman]

On 8/26/2019 at 3:12 PM, miguelito said:

Currently the only way I can do this is via a Chromecast Audio dongle - which I am using at the moment but the audio quality is not great. I presume a Chromecast receiver running, say, on a microrendu, or a raspberry pi would sound better.

 

I'm a bit confused by this and more than a few of your other posts.  You have a $50k+ system of stellar components that must sound fabulous. As you're clearly not thrilled with a 7 year old Mac Mini and a Chromecast Audio dongle up front, why are you using devices like this to drive equipment that clearly magnifies their flaws to your ears?  Maybe your system is simply too "good" for your chosen sources.

 

To be honest, I don't think the SQ from the optical output of a CCA is that bad. My CCAs drive the optical inputs of a few of my DACs and they sound pretty good playing FLACs. I'm also very happy with multiple RPis running Roon Bridge as renderers, even pumping out DSD - and my systems aren't even close to your level.  My DACs are pretty good, but they're simple and relatively inexpensive ones from iFi, SMSL, Emotiva, M-Audio and similar. My main system is only a Prima Luna Prologue Five with KT88s driving Focal 726 towers, and my other systems are equally pedestrian (JBL 305s, original Rogers LS3/5as, amps from Wadia, Stewart, Alesis, etc).  But I'm very happy with the SQ from them driven by CCA (optical) and RPi.  I seriously doubt that I'd get anywhere near 10+ times the SQ and pleasure from a system 10 x the cost of my best one with these front ends (and perhaps with any other at any cost).  FWIW, I've been an active professional musician for 60 years and my hearing is tested regularly and still pretty good.

 

So your criticizing the SQ of a CCA seems unduly harsh to me, given your system. There are many front ends that seem far more appropriate for you than a $35 CCA or Rpi - they just cost a lot more.  For me, a Pi 3b+ can be made to pump some very fine audio data into a DAC and I can't justify spending far more for what to me is a minor improvement (if any) in SQ.  Of course, I feel that way about DACs, amps and speakers too, and you obviously don't. And this is why I (and probably many others here) don't really understand your goals in pursuing and harshly criticizing a $35 front end device in a $50k system.