Continuing problems playing mkv files via ChromecastHDwGTV

[wordlover 104]

Emby still isn't able to properly control playback of mkv files on ChromecastHDwGTV, although Emby works fine playing and controlling the same file to a gen 1 Chromecast. As @Lukeand @Carlorequested, here are the screencaps and log files showing the whole frustrating situation. Emby Windows server: 4.7.13.0, Emby Android app 3.3.07.

1. Rebooted Emby

2. Immediately started playback of mkv video file on ChromecastHDwGTV 

3. At about minute 3:00 of playback, I tried to skip ahead 30 seconds using Emby's skip button

4.  Video jumped ahead 30 seconds and froze, while time bar jumped back to 0:00 and started advancing at normal speed, all Emby playback controls now unusable. 

5. Stopped playback, switched to Gen 1 Chromecast and did *exact same steps at exact same playback clock time*, and jumping ahead worked fine. All logs attached. PLEASE figure out what the problem is.

hardware_detection-63822542101.txt ffmpeg-remux-253d0b52-1539-4859-b0e9-0e82f9e8a60f_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-1bec978b-8383-4bb5-a19b-5d749bd72b16_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-46942fca-b496-4185-8da6-df0579420e7a_1.txt ffmpeg-remux-e69c9773-8e69-4d44-abf8-8cbe62cd7b33_1.txt embyserver.txt

[ebr 14948]

9 hours ago, wordlover said:

Immediately started playback of mkv video file on ChromecastHDwGTV

Hi.  You are actually casting from a tablet to the "Chromecast" feature on this device as opposed to either casting to our app or playing directly with our app on the CC device, correct?  

[wordlover 104]

Casting from Windows Emby server on a PC, controlled by Emby app on Samsung tablet, to the CC devices plugged into TV via HDMI1 and HDMI 2 ports.

Edited June 17, 2023 by wordlover

[ebr 14948]

Okay, yes, so using the "Chromecast" feature as opposed to our app on the target device.

Have you considered casting to our app on the target device instead?

[wordlover 104]

Emby-casting-to-Chromecast should work when controlled by my various Android devices (tablet, phone). That's my preferred interface for privacy and other reasons, and that's basic functionality. (I don't connect my TV directly to the internet.)

Emby works FINE with the original CC. It breaks when connected to the modern CCHDwGTV. I am not the only person to have reported this:
https://emby.media/community/index.php?/topic/115282-resume-and-jump-not-working-for-newest-chromecast-generation/

[ebr 14948]

Okay I was just suggesting another route until this is figured out. 

[wordlover 104]

Thanks, yes, appreciate it, but this has been a long-reported problem (multiple in-depth reports from me, and also from others) and still no solution. Do the Emby logs and the publicly available CCHD documentation not give any insights? Emby is the only video app that has this problem.

[Carlo 4330]

Got something I hope you can try for me.

Take the original CC off-line.

Restart both your Emby Server and CCHDwGTV.
Wait 5 minutes after your server comes up then try and cast to it as before.

Does it work or do anything different now?  By different, I mean it could have tried to direct play previously but now it changes container or transcodes (or vice versa)....
So maybe try playing something before you do this and note how it tries to play if you get that far and then report the same after trying it with only the new device online.

Thanks
Carlo

[wordlover 104]

I know you've been thinking the presence of two CC devices on my network is an issue, but I am afraid not. I reset everything (disconnected and turned off both CC devices, restarted Emby, confirmed that Emby saw neither of them, then connected only the CCHDwGTV), but the problem is the same. The problem is with how Emby software connects with/uses the API for CCHDwGTV. Logs attached. What do you see?

hardware_detection-63822703696.txt ffmpeg-transcode-563fdd1c-db86-4ca5-8797-ac45e7e89e59_1.txt ffmpeg-transcode-5cbf24a1-c6e4-45db-abbf-75fc079048dc_1.txt embyserver.txt

[Luke 37178]

21 hours ago, wordlover said:

I know you've been thinking the presence of two CC devices on my network is an issue, but I am afraid not. I reset everything (disconnected and turned off both CC devices, restarted Emby, confirmed that Emby saw neither of them, then connected only the CCHDwGTV), but the problem is the same. The problem is with how Emby software connects with/uses the API for CCHDwGTV. Logs attached. What do you see?

hardware_detection-63822703696.txt 233.43 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-563fdd1c-db86-4ca5-8797-ac45e7e89e59_1.txt 61.25 kB · 0 downloads ffmpeg-transcode-5cbf24a1-c6e4-45db-abbf-75fc079048dc_1.txt 44.21 kB · 0 downloads embyserver.txt 62.35 kB · 0 downloads

What exactly happened in this example?

[wordlover 104]

The same exact behavior as reported right above in this very thread. After a minute or two of playback, I tried to skip ahead 30 seconds using Emby's skip button. Video jumped ahead 30 seconds and froze, while time bar jumped back to 0:00 and started advancing at normal speed, and all Emby playback controls were now unusable. This is the same exact behavior as reported in multiple forum threads. Please do not ask me to duplicate the same efforts that have been tried before. @Carlo suspected it might be related to having 2 CC devices connected, which turned out not to be the issue. Do the logs not indicate the video jumping ahead 30 seconds and freezing, while the time bar jumps back to 0:00 and then time bar and audio advance normally from that point?

[Carlo 4330]

I suspected it and wanted to rule it out because playback to the new device would alternate the two devices in the console during playback and made it seem like Emby or the cast mechanism.

Thanks for trying that for me!

We know this happens when you use Google Cast to the CCHDwGTV.

What happens if you install Emby for Android TV on the CCHDwGTV and then cast to the Android TV Emby client vs to the "cast device"?

[wordlover 104]

I am afraid I have no idea how to do what you are suggesting. I don't believe it is possible to install 3rd party software on a Chromecast device. If you know otherwise please tell me how to do that.

Edited June 20, 2023 by wordlover

[ebr 14948]

3 hours ago, Carlo said:

What happens if you install Emby for Android TV on the CCHDwGTV and then cast to the Android TV Emby client vs to the "cast device"?

This is what I suggested already here:

On 6/17/2023 at 9:34 AM, ebr said:

Have you considered casting to our app on the target device instead?

 

[wordlover 104]

That's casting to the TV, not to the Emby software running on the CCHDwGTV. As I replied above, "Emby-casting-to-Chromecast should work when controlled by my various Android devices (tablet, phone). That's my preferred interface for privacy and other reasons, and that's basic functionality. (I don't connect my TV directly to the internet.) Emby works FINE with the original CC. It breaks when connected to the modern CCHDwGTV. I am not the only person to have reported this."

Really, I have been reporting this and testing various suggestions since JANUARY. The problem is that Emby software isn't working properly with a major-brand streaming device, the CCHDwGTV.

[Carlo 4330]

I get that but it seems like you're missing out on what your device can really do and have settled on using the minimum feature set it has in common with the older CC version..

You have a device that's a Google TV (similar to Android TV) that is meant to run apps directly on the device giving you far more features and abilities.  You have full Android TV type ability to run apps directly on it. It includes Google Assist and can be linked to Google Home (Emby can use this also) or even Alexa (same for Emby). You can use new more modern communication features such as installing Emby on it and besides direct usage, can also allow Emby Clients to directly talk to each other similar to CC but with a better feature set, not to mention voice and hand-held remote.

Streaming will almost always be better with more control and features using it directly or via app communication then over the minimal API Chromecast.

So what @ebrand I are saying is use ChromeCast to the older device and if really needed "Cast to Emby running on Google TV" for the new model when you can't use it's other input interfaces for direct control.

Personally, I'd think of actual "Chrome Cast" support as last resort use when better ways aren't available.
That's assuming we are in fact talking about the same device, similar to this:

With major recent updates:

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by Carlo

[wordlover 104]

I don't like having my tv connected to the internet for privacy and security reasons. I have zero interest in voice control or the other benefits you cite. I just want to select a program, have it stream properly, and have basic controls to advance, rewind and resume. That's it. Really. That's all I want to do. And I can't use the Emby TV app without paying for Premium, which I haven't been comfortable doing because of this on-going problem with what is literally the most basic functionality, which doesn't inspire confidence for me to open my wallet. Why can't you figure out how to get Emby to stream properly to CCHDwGTV, the way it does to the more primitive CC device? I am not the only person who has reported this problem.

[wordlover 104]

Further to your comments above, @Carloand @ebr, I am really disappointed in this kind of response. Google 's CCHDwGTV is a major modern streaming device, along with Roku and Amazon's Fire stick. I am puzzled why you would say to users "well, just use a different interface" instead of figuring out why your software doesn't work properly with one of them. Emby currently isn't providing utterly basic functionality on one of these major streaming devices.  Emby doesn't cast properly now. That's the reality I hope you will decide is worth investigating and solving.

Edited June 21, 2023 by wordlover

[Carlo 4330]

Not sure what the TV itself has to do with this but we were only suggesting to install the Emby app on the Google TV. It's already connected to the Internet so nothing changes.

18 hours ago, wordlover said:

I am afraid I have no idea how to do what you are suggesting. I don't believe it is possible to install 3rd party software on a Chromecast device. If you know otherwise please tell me how to do that.

This got me thinking.  Have you ever looked at the Goggle TV interface?  More specifically, have you setup the Google TV properly which is needed for regular Chromecast use?
The device has a special mode called Guest Mode that was designed to be used for specific things like hotels or conference where you may not be able to join their network so instead the devices form a private network. This only works for Android. It tries to set this up when not connected to another network but may need help setting up on the client side.

To use the Guest Mode feature, open the Google Home app on your Android device, tap on the device you want guests to use, tap on the Triple dots in the right-hand corner, select Guest Mode, and then slide the feature On. Your Chromecast will then send a “special Wi-Fi beacon” that allows any user to stream safely, thanks to special authentication from your Chromecast via inaudible audio tones.

It's not full Chromecast compliant and has a more limited set of protocols available.  This sounds like what your issue is and would still explain the goofy device name changes. It's not meant to be used that way and the older CC never had this ability as they had to be setup running on the network.

Do a factory reset on the Google TV then run through the set using the remote and HDMI out to the TV. Install all firmware updates as well as OS upgrades then any apps. I'd suggest installing Emby as well because it's gives you the ability to Cast to Emby from another Emby client which is a richer control experience and has more playback control.
You should then also have a normal Chromcast on net that isn't running in a limited guest mode.

[ebr 14948]

9 hours ago, wordlover said:

I am puzzled why you would say to users "well, just use a different interface"

That was not my intent.  I was simply trying to suggest something that would work right now.

[wordlover 104]

@ebr I was referring to comments from @Carlonot you

@CarloYou are describing something that does not exist in Google Home when connected to this device, which you keep confusingly calling Google TV. The device is CCHD. Google TV is a service that runs on it. And neither through the Home app nor through the on-TV, IR-remote control is there any apparent way to set up a guest mode. (That mode IS available on the old CC.) And the steps you suggest are exactly how I set up this device. I have the Emby app installed on the CCHD but cannot use it because I don't have a Premier account.

Please reread the actual issue - the problem I and others have reported countless times is a playback/control bug with how Emby uses the CCHD API, not with how the CCHD is set up.

Edited June 21, 2023 by wordlover

[wordlover 104]

And to be complete in testing and giving you full information, I just spent a half hour to factory reset the CCHD, update everything, name it differently from before (to make sure Emby wasn't confused by old settings), restart the device twice, and... STILL Emby has the same inability to correctly control playback (or resume playback) of a video file being cast to this device.

[Carlo 4330]

14 hours ago, wordlover said:

@ebr I was referring to comments from @Carlonot you

@CarloYou are describing something that does not exist in Google Home when connected to this device, which you keep confusingly calling Google TV. The device is CCHD. Google TV is a service that runs on it. And neither through the Home app nor through the on-TV, IR-remote control is there any apparent way to set up a guest mode. (That mode IS available on the old CC.) And the steps you suggest are exactly how I set up this device. I have the Emby app installed on the CCHD but cannot use it because I don't have a Premier account.

Please reread the actual issue - the problem I and others have reported countless times is a playback/control bug with how Emby uses the CCHD API, not with how the CCHD is set up.

I'm sorry, I'm not trying to be difficult but trying to help you. Yes, I call it Google TV and I'll try and clear up why. Bear with me. Google does an amazing job of marketing confusion with their nomenclature.

ChromeCast refers to the hardware dongle itself
Google Cast is the protocol that allows casting 
Google TV is the Android TV operating system running on the device featuring Google's Launcher.

Google Cast originally was going to be called Google Fling as in you could fling a video to it. The Google Chrome browser was the first supported device/software to use Google Cast and that association gave us Chrome Cast or ChromeCast. Generation 1 through 3 of the ChromeCast had basically one function and that was to be a Google Cast receiver.

When Google announced the 4th generation of the device it had a whole new mission. Google wanted to pull together different services that people used under a central user interface right on the device. It would allow easier media resuming regardless of provider or service, it could combine "what new" from different services, it could search across the different services or apps setup on the device. It could even blend in Live TV if you had a network tuner along with other pseudo TV services like Pluto and Crackle. It went from being a Google Cast wireless display to being a full-fledged media manager and player.

Google Cast was no longer the primary function and isn't even in the name. Google Cast however is a built-in service running on Android TV so it is still available like it always has been on a ChromeCast device. By design it's not meant to be the primary way to use the Gen 4 Chromecast.

ChromeCast with Google TV, literally means it's a Google TV running on dongle hardware device. Google TV provides the functionality of the device. This device needs to be setup a specific way to have full functionality otherwise it can fall back into an off-lan mode useful if you need to use the device at a hotel, conference room or friends house. It's refered to normally as the hotel guest mode or just guest mode but confusingly is not the same as Guest mode on gen 1 to 3. Guest mode on gen 4 is how it configures itself when it's not setup correctly for the environment it's running in. Normally this is caused by not being able to connect to a wireless network.

In Guest mode it creates it's own private network and send out a special broadcast beacon that is part of the Google Cast protocol. Other devices and software get notified of the ChromeCast existence and receive the information how to cast to it off-line (different network). This works pretty well especially when the media is being streamed directly off the other device such as a notebook or tablet. Things can get a bit tricky and even wonky if the other device is stream through the network as it has two dynamically switch back and forth between networks. This could also be why the device kept changing names while streaming.

Try one more time setting up Google TV running on the Chromecast
This time remove the Chromecast device from Google Home and Google Assistant (if installed there)n then factory reset it and follow the installation instructions exactly like written or shown in the videos.  Only use Google Home for the parts mentioned and nothing more until it tells you the setup is finished and you're sitting at the Google Launcher. Even if you don't intend to ever use the device they way it's meant to be used and only want to Cast to it, this will guarantee it's setup on the proper wireless network and not using any type of Beacon Broadcast "guest" functionality.

Here are the setup instructions from Google's own website:
Set up Chromecast wit:h Google TV and Voice Remote - Chromecast Help

Here's a couple good setup videos on Youtube showing the proper way to configure the gen4 ChromeCast.

 

Edited June 22, 2023 by Carlo

[wordlover 104]

This is EXACTLY what I did, correctly connected via wireless network, not via beacon. Can we please drop this now? I don't know what more I need to communicate to make it clear that you have an Emby programming problem. The playback errors continue. @ebrcan you help here?

Edited June 22, 2023 by wordlover

[visproduction 124]

Recent troubleshooting article that seems to mention these issues:  https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/common-google-chromecast-problems-and-how-to-fix-them/