Casting from /e/OS to an external screen

Using /e/OS Applications
1

Since switching my Fairphone 5 to /e/OS a couple of weeks ago, I’ve happily re-installed or replaced all my essential applications. Using my Google account on MicroG even allowed me to recover my payed for apps and some in-app-purchases.

The only thing I’m actually missing in this new setup, is being able to cast content to my non-smart TV screen with a Google Chromecast dongle.

  • 3rd Party streaming (Netflix, Disney+, Tidal and local tv station VRT NU) does not work. The Cast icon is showing, it detects the Chromecast, and then microG crashes when trying to connect.
  • Casting local video directly from my phone with VLC does work perfectly (just to demonstrate that the phone still successfully can connect with the Chromecast. I normally never use this).
  • Surprisingly, “Screen Cast” from the /e/OS shortcuts does not even see the Chromecast. Also not when toggling “enable wireless display”.

As all similar topics here have been closed at least half a year ago or (much) longer, I’d like to raise this issue again.

Is any development being done at microG or /e/OS to bring compatibility with Chromecast to /e/OS or is the code needed that proprietary that this will never happen?

In case of the latter: what are the other options to save movie night?

  • I looked into Kodi, but the Netflix plugin seems to have stopped working.
  • Are there affordable non-Google dongles on the market that can stream the commercial platforms? Are those compatible with the “Cast” button on the popular streaming apps?

As this is the only way we “watch TV”, I’d like to avoid the cost of actually buying a smart TV just to be able to stream some series or movies again…

1 Like
2

I have the same problem with the streaming service “SVT Play”. It finds the Chromecast unit but says “micro-G tjänster crashar gång på gång” (Swedish). It only shows once, then nothing happens when trying.

3

I don’t know how to get this work with /e/OS, but if all fails, you could consider a smart set top box or TV-USB-stick where you stream directly to that box

4

I’ve indeed been looking at Roku and the likes, but that limits you to the services they happen to have a deal with.

It seems that in theory microG could fix this, but it is extremely badly documented by Google how this protocol could be implemented.

Apparently the issue has been open for years. If anyone feels the ambition, there’s a $500 bounty on it to fix this by the end of 2025 :slight_smile:

5

→ that should be Miracast / Wifi-Display, not Chromecast. LineageOS seems to still keep it around.

When everything fails, fallback to a cable? FP5 can do usb-c to hdmi - Have you tried Desktop Mode with your Fairphone? - Fairphone

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6

An HDMI cable will indeed be the pragmatic solution. Clinging to the Chromecast is sticking with the Google ecosystem anyway.

Strange that there are no generic open source solutions for this? An HDMI “cast” dongle that supports this desktop mode.

7

solution for display-mirroring or media-streaming-by-supplying-a-url? for the former, wifi-display / miracast is very much generic and wifi alliance standardized.

I see opensource chromecast protocol implementations, just not Android friendly in kotlin/java. Maybe someone has looked into this?

(on a tangent - while there are “free-er” Android TV builts for Amlogic devices, a minipc/Laptop on the hdmi port of a TV can be a simpler/hackable alternative)

8

With “casting” I think of the convenience of sending the URL to stream, while maintaining a type of remote control on your phone. But I hadn’t considered display mirroring as a viable alternative. I’ll play around with miracast. Thanks!