Need a Little Help with Chromecast with Google TV and Emby for Android TV

[jonashan 0]

I recently purchased a Chromecast with Google TV and installed Emby for Android TV from the Play Store. I logged into a premiere server that I have permission to use and everything loads into the app as normal. I'm having some difficulty getting shows and movies to show up from Emby when I search though. When I'm on the home screen and search for a show that I know is on embyand nowhere else, I never get results from emby-always Youtube or Google Movies and TV. How can I get my Emby content to show up in search results? Should I be in a specific section on the home screen or in the Emby app itself? I've tried voice search too and get the same results. I am using a screen reader called Talkback, but this shouldn't pose a problem as I use Emby on my Android tablet and phone with Talkback and have no issues. Should I try connecting Emby with Google Home instead of using the app on the Chromecast?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Shannon

[GrimReaper 3330]

2 hours ago, jonashan said:

I recently purchased a Chromecast with Google TV and installed Emby for Android TV from the Play Store. I logged into a premiere server that I have permission to use and everything loads into the app as normal. I'm having some difficulty getting shows and movies to show up from Emby when I search though. When I'm on the home screen and search for a show that I know is on embyand nowhere else, I never get results from emby-always Youtube or Google Movies and TV. How can I get my Emby content to show up in search results? Should I be in a specific section on the home screen or in the Emby app itself? I've tried voice search too and get the same results. I am using a screen reader called Talkback, but this shouldn't pose a problem as I use Emby on my Android tablet and phone with Talkback and have no issues. Should I try connecting Emby with Google Home instead of using the app on the Chromecast?

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Shannon

Do you have Emby enabled under Google Assistant Searchable apps? 

[jonashan 0]

I checked the Apps section under Settings and under Emby for Android TV it says it's searchable with Google. Is there somewhere else I need to look? I tried the Emby Home skill for Google Assistant and it won't play anything and I can't find the skill in my Google Home app anywhere to see if I have to change settings. I live in Canada if that helps at all. I just want to be able to search and have results from the apps I chose google to search. It would be great if I could just get it to search Emby and Disney Plus as these are the main apps I use to watch movies and TV shows.

[GrimReaper 3330]

5 minutes ago, jonashan said:

I checked the Apps section under Settings and under Emby for Android TV it says it's searchable with Google. Is there somewhere else I need to look? I tried the Emby Home skill for Google Assistant and it won't play anything and I can't find the skill in my Google Home app anywhere to see if I have to change settings. I live in Canada if that helps at all. I just want to be able to search and have results from the apps I chose google to search. It would be great if I could just get it to search Emby and Disney Plus as these are the main apps I use to watch movies and TV shows.

Settings > Privacy > Google Assistant > Searchable apps

[jonashan 0]

I went there and it just shows Netflicks which I turned off because I don't have a sub for that. There are no other apps listed. How can I add Emby and Disney Plus to be searchable by google?

[GrimReaper 3330]

11 minutes ago, jonashan said:

I went there and it just shows Netflicks which I turned off because I don't have a sub for that. There are no other apps listed. How can I add Emby and Disney Plus to be searchable by google?

Truly, have no idea as they should've been added automatically. I know that for AndroidTV on Shield hack in same situation was to uninstall updates for Google app, but for GoogleTV I don't know. 

At least it looks like you ain't the only one with that issue:

https://support.google.com/chromecast/thread/77978261?hl=en

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by GrimReaper76
Append

[jonashan 0]

When I did the setup for my Chromecast with Google TV I chose Disney Plus from the list of apps to install as searchable with Google as this was the only service listed that I subscribe to. I was hoping to add Emby too but there was no option for it during setup. It said you could change what you chose where you told me to look at a later time if I wanted so I wasn't too concerned until I finished setup and it wasn't searching properly. Now to find out that Disney Plus wasn't even added even though I selected it and there's no way to choose apps for Google to search is very frustrating. I can't currently use the Emby app by itself to watch anything because the Talkback screen reader is reading my content as numbers instead of titles and I'm not sure how to change it so that it reads properly. So at the moment I have a 2 day old Chromecast with Google TV that is more of a paperweight than anything else. I can still cast from Emby on other Android devices and my screen reader interacts fine but not on the Chromecast for some reason. 

[GrimReaper 3330]

Try this for Disney+

https://support.google.com/googletv/answer/10059392?hl=en

[jonashan 0]

I tried adding my Disney Plus account to Google but it wouldn't let me for some reason. I had it verify the account holder email and put in the code it sent to the account holder and it still wouldn't work. So I'll see if the account holder can add hers first since she is the main account holder.  Maybe once she's added I can add mine more easily. I'm probably going to give up for the day though. I'll come back for round 2 tomorrow.  Thanks very much for all the help you've given me today.

[ebr 14958]

This is starting to look like another casualty of "Google TV".  Just like they removed our ability to add content to the home screen.  Looks like we can't be searched either.

[jonashan 0]

I don't see Disney Plus as an option to search either. So Google only likes Netflicks I guess. Is there any recourse that Emby can take in order to become part of Google's searchable apps? Also is it possible for Emby to label buttons and media on their app for Android TV? If buttons were labelled and content had names along with the given numbers, I'd at least be able to use the app with Talkback even if Google doesn't like it.

[GrimReaper 3330]

1 minute ago, jonashan said:

Also is it possible for Emby to label buttons and media on their app for Android TV? If buttons were labelled and content had names along with the given numbers, I'd at least be able to use the app with Talkback even if Google doesn't like it.

What do you mean by this, I didn't quite get it?

[jonashan 0]

I use a screen reader that turns the text on the screen (of phone, tablet, google tv, etc) into speech because I am blind and can't read the text on the screen. The screen reader for Android is called Talkback. When apps don't use proper coding then sometimes the buttons on their apps say "button" when the screen reader "reads" them instead of "settings" or whatever the print label on the button is. The same is said for images like in a list of movies or TV shows-sometimes a photo or image or graphic is given a number instead of reading the words for the title. This is why I am having issues with the Emby app. There are some buttons that are not labelled properly so my screen reader can't read them. The images in the grid of of TV shows and movies that are on my Emby server are also read as numbers by my screen reader because the coding isn't letting the titles show up.

[GrimReaper 3330]

Just now, jonashan said:

I use a screen reader that turns the text on the screen (of phone, tablet, google tv, etc) into speech because I am blind and can't read the text on the screen. The screen reader for Android is called Talkback. When apps don't use proper coding then sometimes the buttons on their apps say "button" when the screen reader "reads" them instead of "settings" or whatever the print label on the button is. The same is said for images like in a list of movies or TV shows-sometimes a photo or image or graphic is given a number instead of reading the words for the title. This is why I am having issues with the Emby app. There are some buttons that are not labelled properly so my screen reader can't read them. The images in the grid of of TV shows and movies that are on my Emby server are also read as numbers by my screen reader because the coding isn't letting the titles show up.

In any Library, there's a three-dot menu (sidebar along right screen edge, mid-height, bottom button). Clicking that will allow you to adjust Library presentation, option "Show Labels" should be ticked - that'll give all your items a textual row underneath a poster with Title/PG. That might assist maybe. 

[jonashan 0]

Yeah I somehow found the show labels option and pressed a few other unlabelled buttons and did get titles for my media briefly. I was so excited I closed the app and re-opened it to make sure the labels were still there but they had disappeared. So I must've hit a wrong button somewhere. I'm hoping once the unlabelled buttons get labels from Emby that I'll be able to fix the Library issue myself. 

[GrimReaper 3330]

3 minutes ago, jonashan said:

Yeah I somehow found the show labels option and pressed a few other unlabelled buttons and did get titles for my media briefly. I was so excited I closed the app and re-opened it to make sure the labels were still there but they had disappeared. So I must've hit a wrong button somewhere. I'm hoping once the unlabelled buttons get labels from Emby that I'll be able to fix the Library issue myself. 

You need to apply that selection, button on the bottom of three-dot dialog. So, "Show Labels" enable, then 3 clicks down, then OK/confirm. 

[jonashan 0]

I checked the show labels box and then clicked done so maybe I should've looked for a save button instead of clicking done.

[GrimReaper 3330]

Just now, jonashan said:

I checked the show labels box and then clicked done so maybe I should've looked for a save button instead of clicking done.

No, that should've done it. Keep in mind that you need to repeat that for each Library separately. 

[jonashan 0]

Yeah I don't mind doing it for each Library. I must've done something wrong on my end because when I went back into the app the section that had labels I could read was gone and everything was numbers again. I must've hit a wrong button somewhere. Maybe once Emby properly labels their app buttons I can go back and try it again. 

[GrimReaper 3330]

Just now, jonashan said:

Yeah I don't mind doing it for each Library. I must've done something wrong on my end because when I went back into the app the section that had labels I could read was gone and everything was numbers again. I must've hit a wrong button somewhere. Maybe once Emby properly labels their app buttons I can go back and try it again. 

A Dev would have to come back to you on that one, I don't know whether Talkback can 'virtually' read on-screen button internal 'descriptive mark', as I don't see full text description accompanying every single button being feasible, unfortunately. 

[jonashan 0]

If buttons aren't labelled so that Talkback and say what they are like "search" or "settings" it would be like your app having no printed words or symbols on the buttons so you wouldn't know what they did unless you pressed them. Emby's app for Android and IOS are both labelled fairly well it's just the Android TV app that has issues.

[Luke 37233]

Feel free to open topics if you come across any buttons missing labels. Thanks.

[GrimReaper 3330]

13 hours ago, jonashan said:

When apps don't use proper coding then sometimes the buttons on their apps say "button" when the screen reader "reads" them instead of "settings" or whatever the print label on the button is.

 

13 hours ago, jonashan said:

This is why I am having issues with the Emby app. There are some buttons that are not labelled properly so my screen reader can't read them.

 

12 hours ago, jonashan said:

Yeah I somehow found the show labels option and pressed a few other unlabelled buttons and did get titles for my media briefly. I was so excited I closed the app and re-opened it to make sure the labels were still there but they had disappeared. So I must've hit a wrong button somewhere. I'm hoping once the unlabelled buttons get labels from Emby that I'll be able to fix the Library issue myself. 

 

12 hours ago, jonashan said:

I must've hit a wrong button somewhere. Maybe once Emby properly labels their app buttons I can go back and try it again.

 

17 minutes ago, Luke said:

Feel free to open topics if you come across any buttons missing labels. Thanks.

I'd say it had been mentioned more than enough times. Considering user is blind (or sight-impaired), I reckon he/she cannot tell you EXACTLY which buttons - as all he/she hears is "Button", but some can at least be surmised: Library sidebar (possibly options beneath). 

Edited March 6, 2021 by GrimReaper76

[ebr 14958]

Hi.  We will look into making sure all unlabeled "buttons" have descriptions that talkback should be able to work with.

As for the library grid view - the titles under the tiles should be the default and this setting should persist once you set it so I'm not sure what is going wrong for you there.

[jonashan 0]

Thanks EBR for looking into the unlabeled buttons. If you are using Android TV I would suggest testing out Emby for Android TV with Talkback so you can better understand what I'm talking about as far as accessibility. After doing that, try the IOS or Android Emby app on your phone or tablet with Voiceover on IOS and Talkback on Android and see the difference. I'm not sure what happened to my Library labels either, but I'll look at it again and try to see what I did wrong. The server I'm using isn't mine so I'm not sure how the library is laid out. There are several sections on the main screen to choose from and then each section has an entire alphabet of files to choose from. I'll look at that myself not a problem.