mkchromecast

I suggest Python2 users to update to this version. This fix a problem when using the ffmpeg backend.

• Fixed error with Python2 when importing threading module.

• Method for monitoring ffmpeg backend. This update is useful for those who use the system tray menu.

• Fixed wav for Linux.

• Catching some minimal errors.

• Linux support.
• Linux only plays with ffmpeg.
• Now by default log level for ffmpeg backend is set to minimum.

This update is urgent only if you use the node backend.

• Fixed node bug introduced in f635c5d66649767a031ac560d7c32ba6bffe33fe.

• Play headless youtube URL.
• Now you can control volume up and down from mkchromecast. So, no need
  of using the Android app for this anymore.

• Maximum sample rates in node backend.

• Set maximum bitrates values for both backends.
• New icon when no google cast devices are found.
• streaming.py was renamed to node.py.
• Tested stability: 3hrs streaming at 320k with the ffmpeg backend.

• The bitrate and sample rates can be modified in both node and ffmpeg. These options are useful when you router is not very powerful.
• node_modules have been updated.
• An error preventing launching mkchromecast without options has been fixed.
• If PyQt5 is not present in the system, mkchromecast does not try to load it.

• ffmpeg is now a supported backend. You can check how to use this backend
  by consulting python mkchromecast.py -h.
• The following codecs are supported:'mp3', 'ogg', 'aac', 'wav', 'flac'.
• Improved screen messages.
• Date format in changelog has been changed.

This version has the following improvements:

• If the application fails, the process that ensures streaming with node will kill all streaming servers created by mkchromecast.
• Now there is a systray menu that you can launch as follows:

python mkchromecast.py -t

To use it, you need to install PyQt5. In homebrew you can do it as shown below:

brew install pyqt5 --with-python

You can use the package manager of your preference. In a future release, a standalone application will be provided.

• Now you can pass arguments to mkchromecast. For more information:

  python mkchromecast -h.

• In this version you can choose devices from a list using:

  python mkchromecast -s.

• Some improvements to the messages printed on screen.

• Updated requirements.txt.
• Now some help can be shown.
• The code is now licensed under MIT. I think this license is simpler.

This new revision has the following improvements:

• mkchromecast has been ported to work with Python3. This is also possible because pychromecast works as well.
• The nodejs binary has been recompiled, and node_modules have been updated.
• The program seems to be more stable.

In this new version multithreading is dropped in favor of multiprocessing. This is to reconnect the streaming server easily. Killing processes is easier than killing threading it seems.

I strongly encourage you to upgrade to this version.

• In this beta release, the program casts to the first google cast found in the list.
• If the node streaming server fails, the program reconnects.