Chromecast show idle during playback, exiting to screensaver

[BowlesCR 1]

Hi folks, not sure Chromecast stuff goes in this subforum but its a tossup between here and Android.

Since ~November 2024 I've had issues with Chromecast devices reporting idle state shortly after playback starts (as observed by Home Assistant). Normally this would show Buffering briefly and then stick on Playing until the show ends. (If you're wondering why I care, I had been using the idle state in a "sleep timer" automation).

My first instinct was to blame something in my HA integration, but this also manifests as a premature exit to the screensaver on a Google Nest Hub after ~5m of playback, even with the screen timeout setting disabled. Curiously the audio continues playing in the background, but tapping the screen to wake it up goes to the menus and there is no way that I have found to focus the media again.

This issue does not manifest with other apps such at Netflix or YouTube TV.

Server is currently 4.9.0.38 beta in Docker on Fedora 41. I suspect a change in Chromecast rather than Emby itself as the issue persists even when I roll Emby server back to 4.8.10.0 stable which I believe predated the problem, or as far as 4.8.8.0 which certainly did.

I generally initiate the cast via Android app which is currently on 3.4.38

Problematic devices:

• Vizio P65-F1 with integrated Chromecast (Sys FW 7.0.120.1-1, Cast FW 1.50.243780) - Hardwired
• Chromecast NC2-6A5 (Sys FW 275994, Cast FW 1.56.275994) - WiFi
• Google Home (Nest) Hub (Sys FW 24.20241009.103.2300, Cast FW 3.76.448685) - WiFi

That Hub firmware date code looks suspiciously timed, but of course the others are opaque.

 

This thread feels kinda relevant, but was posted a few months earlier than I observed issues.

Edited February 16 by BowlesCR

[Luke 40096]

@BowlesCR

 

Hi there, let's look at an example. Please attach the information requested in how to report a media playback issue. Thanks!